Chris' Bronco Tech page

Bronco gets a new suspension

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This is a comprehensive report on the most recent modifications done to my Bronco.

Rancho 4" Lift kit with new radius Arms
Ranch RS9000 remote shocks
Superlift 4.5" rear springs
NWM 45 Gallon fuel Tank
Bushwacker fender flairs
Hella Horns

 

WHEEL WELL HIGHTS
Front = 34.25 Before
Front = 40.00 After
Lift Gain = +5.75 inches

Rear = 35.25 Before
Rear = 38.5 After
Lift Gain = +3.25 inches
NOTE!!!
The new Superlift springs came with a VERY small shim, about 0.25 inch.
the OEM springs had a 1.25 inch shim.

We were concerned about the Superlift being a 4.5 inch rated rear spring.
And worried that the rear end would be High.
So we did NOT install the OEM shim and used the new shim instead.
Clearly this was a Mistake!
For the Superlift 4.5" rated springs to obtain that amount of lift they
MUST use the OEM shims.
When it goes back in for the final adjustment I will be replacing the shims..

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FRONT COILS
OEM = 15.25 inches after 200K miles
Rancho = 19.25 inches
Difference = +4.00 inches

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RADIUS ARMS
OEM = 27.0 inches
Rancho = 42.00 Inches
Difference = +15 inches.
NOTE!!
Ranch does NOT used a lower Radius Arm Bracket.
Instead they reuse the standard.
Their rationale for this is to better maintain the pinion angle to the
drive shaft.

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FRONT AXLE DROOP
OEM with shocks = 95mm from the bump stop to the axle
OEM with NO Shocks = 155mm
Ranch with NO shocks = 270mm
Rancho with RS9000 shocks = 255mm
Difference = +160mm
NOTE!!
This is NOT a true measure of wheel travel.
I could not find a good way to measure the total travel of the hub relative
to the wheel well.
So the total range of articulation will be MUCH HIGHER!
This value is strickly a comparison value of the axle travel at the bump stop.

This value does NOT accout for the LOSS of upward travel as a result of the
lowered Bump Stop either!!
-------

REAR AXLE DROOP
Frame to axle at the bump stop
OEM springs with 200K = 250mm
Superlift with NO shocks = 350mm
Superlift with RS9000 shocks = 295mm
Difference = +45mm

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FUEL TANK
OEM 35 Gallon tank
Hight = 17"
Width = 30"
Depth = 19"
Frame rail to bottom of tank = 7.5"

NWM 45 gallon tank
Hight = 17"
Width = 30"
Depth = 27.5"
Frame rail to bottom of tank = 8.5"

Difference = 1 Inch in lost ground clearance.
NOTE!!!
The new tank has square corners, has multiple buldges, and multiple angles.
Where the OEM tank is rounded on all sides and uniform.
The new tank is also beveled on the bottom to INCREASE the agle of departure clearance of the underside of the truck!
As a result of this new tank I also had to have a new tailpipe section welded in from the exhaust all the way back to the rear of the truck.
My old 3" exhaust would not allow for the added "Buldges" of the new tank.
This took about 2.5 hours of custom work to build about 4 feet of new exhaust tubing.
the result however is MUCH MUCH Better than what I had before.
the new exhaust tailpipe is FULLY protected from any contact with the ground.
Whereas I had already broken the old one twice on rocks.
The new Fuel tank does NOT include a Skid plate and it is my oppinion that it is BADLY NEEDED.
So I am having a custom 0.25 inch steel plate fabricated to weld onto the bottom of it for rock penetration protection.

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I was more than a little surprised at the amount of Torching, Cutting, Welding, Chisling, Trimming that was required to install this lift.
I certainly did not expect it.
Had I attempted to do this at home I would have needed a fairly well equiped garage to do it.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the 3 days I spent with the guys at John's 4x4 Center here in boulder.
And greatly appreciated them letting me shadow them and photograph every step of the process.
The attention to detail that they took was extrodinary.!
They did things that I wouldn't even have done if I was doing it myself and had all the time in the world.

 

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The Wheel well hight was
Front = 34.25 inches before the lift kit was installed
Front = 40.00 After
Front Lift Gain = +5.75 inches
Rear = 35.25 Before    Rear = 38.5 After
Rear Lift Gain = +3.25 inches
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Clearance at the left Bump-Stop
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Clearance at the right Bump-Stop.
There was 95mm of available travel from the bump stop to the axle.
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The truck sitting stock with 200K miles on the OEM suspension.
Front Wheel well = 34.25 inches off teh ground before the lift kit was installed
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FRONT AXLE DROOP
OEM with shocks = 95mm from the bump stop to the axle
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The tires & hubs come off.
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The shocks come off.

FRONT AXLE DROOP
OEM with NO Shocks = 155mm
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The OEM sway bar and some beatup shocks.
Both of which went in the trash pile.
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OEM radius arm mount.

Notice the rub marks from 30 x 9.5 tires!
The OEM clearance was way too tight.

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Front differential with ARB Steel braided connector.
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That fine 3" exhaust coming off of the JBA Headers.
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Front Sway bar comes off, and STAYS OFF!
The truck drives just fine without it becasue of the variability of the RS9000 adjustable shocks.
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To make things much faster and easier to work on John's 4x4 Center decided to disconect the entire front end and drop it.
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Left axle on the ground.
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Left spring assembly.
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FRONT COILS (unsprung on the floor)
OEM = 15.25 inches after 200K miles
Rancho = 19.25 inches
Difference = +4.00 inches
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Disconnecting the OEM Radius arms.
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The OEM vs. the Ranch radius arms.

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RADIUS ARMS
OEM = 27.0 inches
Rancho = 42.00 Inches
Difference = +15 inches.
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The now empty wheel well
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The OEM vs. the Ranch radius arms.
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Rancho does NOT used a lower Radius Arm Bracket.
Instead they reuse the standard.
Their rationale for this is to better maintain the pinion angle to the drive shaft.
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Removal of the OEM radius arm mounts required both torching and chisling to get them off in one piece.
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The fastest way to remove the mounts was to torch off the old rivets.
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The OEM mounts were rivited on and took a lot of work to get off.
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Next the OEM pivot bracket come off.
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These were also rivited and required torching.
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Out  comes the air chissel to remove the rivits.
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Off comes the OEM pivot.
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Once the old brackets were off the surfaces had to be ground clean to remount the new brakcets.
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The OEM radius arm bracket after the rivits were torched off.
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Measuring for the new location for the radius arm mounts.
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Measure, measure and measure again!
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The drilling begins.
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More drilling for the relocation of the radius arm mounts.
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The OEM radius arm brackets are bolted back on.
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Axle pivot brackets are now off.
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All contact metal surfaces are ground clean.
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More cleaning.
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Rear axle pivots are bolted on.
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Front axle pivots are bolted on.
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Notice the power sterring cooling lines are
routed over the new brackets.
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The OEM bump stops come off.
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The OEM bump stop is bolted back on using the Rancho spacer.
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The OEM pitman arm is next to come off.
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Having tried to pull other Bronco pitman arms, craig knows that they don't come off with out a fight.
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Craig grinds a cut into the side of the Pitman arm.
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Next the chissel come out to pry the pitman off.
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More pounding.
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More prying.
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This took quite some time to finally break it off.
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The new Rancho radius arms are attached.
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The axle is positioned for re-atachment.
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Final alignment of the axle for attaching to the truck.
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New Rancho coils are positioned.
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Safety retaining clip is re-attached.
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Base attachment nuts are installed.
At this point the front axle is now attached to the truck again.
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A come along is attached to the front axle to pull the new radius arms into position.
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The come along is cranked tight.
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The end of the radius are is forced into the new bushings.
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More tension is required to compress the bushing.
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The bolts and washers are applied.
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Front axles are bolted to the new Racho pivot brakcets.
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Notice how close the front drive shaft is to the tranfer case skid plate. With the 4" lift this is tight, but OK.
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The new Rancho RS9000 shocks are installed.
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New mounting points.
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RS9000 is in position.
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The RS9000 are prepared for the remote pressure system.
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The manual shock controls are removed.
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The new air pressure fitting is installed.
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The front radius arm bracket has to be trimmed for the Rachco radius arm to fit closely.
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more grinding.
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Shows how the OEM bracket overlaps the new Rancho bracket and requires trimming for a tight fit.
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After the triming it fits snugly.
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More trimming.
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Another good fit.
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A new breather line was atached to the front differential.
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The OEM brake lines are now too short with the extra 5.5 inches of axle travel.
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We replaced them with Superlift Steel braided lines.
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The new lines were installed and worked Great!.
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Now its time for the rear end.
REAR AXLE DROOP
Frame to axle at the bump stop
OEM springs with 200K = 250mm
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The old OEM rear Anti-Sway bar.
Just before it went in the trash!
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The old rear shocks.
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Notice how the bottom of the tail pipe is a bit crunched?
Looks like we didn't get quite enough clearance on that when it was installed....
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Rear shocks come off.
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Rear leaf spring mount.
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This bolt was fairly well rusted and did NOT want to come out.
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The rear end is supported by a tranny lift.
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The U-Bolts are disconected.
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The OEM springs Vs. the New Superlift 4.5" springs.
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Once the rear shackles were off we had to drive out the old bushings to replace them with the new Energy Suspension bushings.
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The old bushings won't come out. So out comes the torch to melt them out.
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After the application of the torch, the rubber bushing catch fire and melt our of the old shackles.
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A little push with a screwdrive and the metal sleave drops out.
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The new bushing and sleaves are fitted in.
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The brackets are lubed.
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The new Superlift springs are ready to be seated.
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REAR AXLE DROOP

Superlift with NO shocks = 350mm
Superlift with RS9000 shocks = 295mm
Difference = +45mm
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The U-Bolt mounting plates are positions
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The OEM Shim vs. the new Shim.
The new Superlift springs came with a VERY small shim, about 0.25 inch.
the OEM springs had a 1.25 inch shim.
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More work on the other shackle.
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Getting the RS9000 remote air compressor ready for mounting.
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Rear RS9000 shock with air line attached.
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Routing the air lines.
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Front RS9000 with air line attached.
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The Rancho air compressor.
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Routing the 6 air lines from the shocks to the gas manifolds.
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The fender wall where the compressor would get mounted.
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The ARB locking differential air compressor.

Unfortunately the Rancho shocks use a very low repssure system that could not share air with the ARBs.

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The Rancho compressor mounted just below my K&N Filter Charger.
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The Dual Gas manifolds that distribute the air pressure to the 6 shocks and to the in-dash control system.
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OEM Fuel tank next tot he new Superlift Shocks.
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Final shot fo the front with wheel back in place.
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Removing the OEM 35 gallon fuel tank
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OEM trailer towing electrtical harness, with a little modification for non-standard trailers <G>..
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OEM trailer towing electrtical harness.
Notice the nice OEM Skid plate for the fuel tank.
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Undercariage shot showing eletrical wiring to rear of truck.
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OEM 35 gallon Tank.
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OEM 35 gallon Tank.
With skid plate.
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The empty undercarage.
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The new North West Metal 45 gallon fuel tank requires a fair bit of preperation. Though the factory said to use self taping screws, Craig would have nothing to do with that.
Instead he hand tapped each of the screw holes!.
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Rather than use the 12 year old OEM fuel pump and sender I ordered a new on.
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Side profile of the OEM Tank.

Hight = 17"
Width = 30"
Depth = 19"
Frame rail to bottom of tank = 7.5"
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NWM 45 gallon tank
Hight = 17"
Width = 30"
Depth = 27.5"
Frame rail to bottom of tank = 8.5"
Side profile of the NWM tank.
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The NWM tank comes with a fuel vent that is not needed on the Bronco. I opted to use this as an extra fill line to get gas from my trailer with an electrical pump. This will allow me to carry 100 gallons on board while driving.
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The new fuel pump had to be cut and attached to the NWM fuel level sending unit.
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Drilling the new mouting holes.

The new fuel tank doesn't use any of the OEM mounting points.

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The two tanks side by side.
Notice all of the extra storage capacity, from the extra angles.
The paint on the tank was very thin and scratched easily.
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Reattaching the OEM fuel connectors.
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Fuel tank is rasied into position.
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Mounting straps are fastened.
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Truck is put on the alignment bench.
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Notice the HUGE about of Camber/Caster error on the front tires!
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A litte brake fluid left over from installing the new steel braided line is on the OEM Caster/camber shims.
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The shims are out, and ready for the new Superlift shims to be installed.
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After adjustment showing the final ride hight of the front end.
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Befrore the new BushWacker fender flairs can be installed the fenders have to be compeltely cleaned.
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Teh Bronco's ultimate enemy, RUST!
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Fenders being fitted for the new BushWacker flairs.
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The edges of the bushwackers are covered with a thin lining of rubber that has a self adhesive backing on it.
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The rubber lining makes for a Very Close fit against the fender walls.
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Drilling the mounting holes.
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Installing the first set of rivits.
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Teh rivits all go into the underside of the flairs, so that you end up with a very clean installation.
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Except when your down low, the mounting rivets are NOT visable to the eye.
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Side profile after mounting.
Notice the very tight fit of the pre-molded form fitting flairs.
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Side profile after mounting.
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Fitting the rear fender flairs.
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After the new fuel tank was mounted we noticed that the tail pipe was rubbing up against it.
So off it came.
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The old Tailpipe hitting both the fuel tank and the leaf springs.
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Not much inside of that muffler.
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At this point John (the owner of the shop) decides that he needs to get involved. The new tailpipe will have to make sever strange bends in order to clear all of the obsticles.
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Measure, cut, fit.
And again, and again, and again....
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And bend.
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and cut.
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And trim.
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And cut some more.
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Even the old mounting brackets had to be removed.
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A nicve new set of Hella Horns.

 

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