Project "BOB - Big Orange Bronco" Wheeling pics addded

[Mountain Ram]

Well... How far have you made it?

 

[SC74]

Well... How far have you made it?

I got married if that counts! ;D

The Bronco hasn't been touched! I have scheduled a work weekend for it in a couple weeks and am rounding up the supplies. I've got a sheet metal break borrowed, getting my tube this afternoon for new seat mounts, have a piece of 4x8 16 gauge sheet metal waiting on me to pick up.

I'm hoping that by the end of the month the seats are back in it and I can start modifying my cage.

 

[Mountain Ram]

I got married if that counts! ;D

.

o
Already using her as an excuse??? Hope she doesn't see this!!

Congrats- again! Now get back to work!!

 

[SC74]

Keith and I worked on the Bronco all weekend from Friday after work until Sunday evening. We are both tired, sore, multiple fingers cut, and only one piece of metal in his eye that a Q-tip recovered. Nothing super hard or complicated, just tedious and time consuming, but what isn't when it comes to one-off custom fabrication.

The factory body cross-member had already been replaced and both body mounts had already been fabricated and re-located rearward. Both stock mounts on top of the frame had to be removed since they were higher than the new floor.

As of this weekend, both floor pans are cut out, framed, and welded in. That was the easy part... The hard part was figuring out the frame work for the seats and tying back into the cage work that we hadn't already cut out to get the floors out.

I knew the passenger side was narrower than the driver side, but WOW didn't know it was that narrow. Every direction I moved the passenger seat I fought space. The transmission tunnel is wider at the bottom (goal to LOWER seats) and the edge of the door opening creates a good pinch on the outside of the seat. We did manage to get the passenger seat 1" lower. The driver seat is 4-1/4" lower than before now! The seat has almost 1-1/2" rake/lean to it and it feels super comfortable.

I've still got some finish welding, painting, etc. to do, but the hard part (I Hope) is done! I can already tell that my next project will be lowering the steering wheel ;D

 

[Mountain Ram]

I can already tell that my next project will be lowering the steering wheel ;D

Looks good Robert! This may be something I look at after I get some seat time, but I worry about losing visibility if sitting too low.

Don't lower the steering wheel/column... They make adjustable column/wheel mounts for hydro steering set ups.

 

[SC74]

Looks good Robert! This may be something I look at after I get some seat time, but I worry about losing visibility if sitting too low.

Don't lower the steering wheel/column... They make adjustable column/wheel mounts for hydro steering set ups.

I was hesitant about losing visibility too, but after sitting in Steve's Broncno I was sold. The crown of the fender's can't hide. The only thing in my way now is the steering wheel, but I'm about to google the columns you mentioned.

We are having a "barn party" (the shop is a barn) the last weekend of September and I've been told the Bronco needs to be moved. Hmmmm... the fuel cell is out until the seats are done. Looks like I'll be up a few late nights between now and then too!

We've been enjoying the blue '74 on Friday evenings to our local hole-in-the-wall dinner place too. This weather is just right if you can dodge the evening rains.

 

[Yeller]

Yep no worries about visibility. I know I look like a little old lady driving mine. All you can see through the windshield is my neck and head

 

[SC74]

It's all burned in now! Still need to bolt the seats in and finish my fuel lines (took the fuel cell and lines out for all of the grinding and welding). Now I'm ready to go test it!

What's the easiest and most economical tilt wheel option? I'm thinking that adding a knuckle in the 3/4" round shaft may be it.

 

[NGABronco]

It's all burned in now! Now I'm ready to go test it!



OCBR would be a great testing place for that rig!!!! Just saying!!%)%)%)

 

[tasker]

Looking good !!!

 

[SC74]

Wish I could Ben... I told Jess last night how much I'd like to go back and she said we need to make plans and go!

Thanks Tasker!

Here is the final seat bolted in measurement. It's done... Seat belts are back in and all the loose ends are tied up.... For now!

Why does the iPhone always post pics sideways?

 

[tasker]

you......my friend are rocking it!

 

[Mountain Ram]

Looks good Robert- steering wheel location does look goofy now.

Is it weird sitting with your legs more forward than down?

 

[SC74]

The steering wheel isn't as bad as it looks. I will still have it in November as it is most likely.

I like the lean in the seats! I don't have any seat time with it, but it's comfortable riding around the pastures. Jessica says that she feels a lot more comfortable in her side and says she doesn't feel like she can "roll out."

I couldn't drop the passenger seat near as much. The tunnel is off centered to the passenger side and the lower you go, the wider the tunnel is (the narrow flat floor space you have). I did get the rear of the passenger side down 1", but the front is original height. You can see the difference in just the two seats if you look at the truck from straight ahead. It's a good think she is shorter than me!

The ride in November at Windrock will be my first good experience with the lowered seats...can't wait!

 

[SC74]

Update: The trip to Windrock was a success with the new seat location! We both feel a lot more comfortable in the truck and I was able to push it to its camber limits without squeezing a hole in the seat.

The steering wheel isn't horrible, but still needs to the ability to be lowered, especially for anyone who drives it that is shorter than me. During our ride at Windrock at the Fall Ford Wheelin' Weekend, I met Jeremy from Goat Built (the DIY buggy company). He was in the Goat Built buggy (incredible rig!) and showed me their steering wheel adjustment bracket. It was perfect for what I need. It's ordered and I hope to install it this weekend!

Oh yea, Jeremy said that one of their customers had skinned a Goat Built buggy with EB skins and it turned out great... I'll try to get some pics.

 

[NGABronco]

HaHa!!! Robert the last time I saw you at Winrock.... your grin was so big the steering wheel didn't matter!!!! Merry Christmas!!!!;D;D;D

 

[SC74]

HaHa!!! Robert the last time I saw you at Winrock.... your grin was so big the steering wheel didn't matter!!!! Merry Christmas!!!!;D;D;D

Yea it was!! We tackled some awesome trails that weekend and I was on cloud 9. I also managed to bend my steering wheel that trip when hitting a huge hole at about 35 mph getting from the end of one trail to the start of another . It's all good... The dead blow hammer got it "good enough" today to keep on using.

 

[SC74]

The steering bracket isn't done, but it's on its way now. We figured that a 1" tube bent 180 degrees would make a good bracket that would hold all 3 points of the adjustable bracket. It has A LOT of adjust-ability and the quality of this Goat Built bracket is amazing. I compared the options of several different brackets and am happy I chose this one. Keith agrees.

 

[SC74]

And.... while the bender and welder were out, I decided to add some permanent grab handles to the cage.

Next projects....
1. some sort of hard safari top.... Several ideas in motion.
2. Trail doors... think I'm going to cut and modify exo cage to allow full doors and go with the Duff Tuff doors. We could just as easy build our own trail doors to match the exo, but the door would latch inside of the exo and be an eye sore. If we latched it to the exo, it would stick out and I think look just as bad. What the heck... change the exo keep it simple! No need to re-invent the wheel.

 

[SC74]

Has anybody chopped a hard top to make it a "safari" style top? I'd be interested in seeing some pictures!