A quick update. I have been working furiously on a number of big projects. As Bronco creep would have it- it is always easier to do the next thing while stuff is torn apart.

I (use that term loosely as I have gotten a lot of great help from CCB members and buddies) have done:
- new front bushings
- painted yellow and reinstalled front springs
- re design and cut/painted dash
- rewire using American Autowire harness (dash is done)
- removed 302 and started install of 351W
- made custom rear interior panels for speakers
- installed custom front speakers
- cleaned engine bay and finished raptor liner in the bay
- cut and installed new firewall and cowl insulation
- rebuilt and upgraded heater

What is left:
- finish 351W install
- finish engine and front electrical wiring
- wire rear lights
- pray to God everything works
- go to Moab

Did you put anything inside the kick panel speaker boxes? Interested in the sound quality, I'm sure Willem would like to copy your setup if it works out.

Yah- used the firewall insulation stuff. The outside is also raptor lined so it should also act as some sound proofing. You'll probably be the first to hear it!

Your cruising right along great job!

Updated progress:

Over the weekend, I've gotten all stereo wires ran, loomed, and ready to plug into the amp and head unit. Not that the stereo was a priority but it was something I could work on, on my own.

With that said, Kirk has been the lead on my engine build this week. We've got a schedule to have it ready by the end of the week (I am hoping). We have test fit everything to the engine and have some things final tight. Kirk did some ghetto engineering to my exhaust so it will work until I invest in a more permanent solution. He drilled and tapped a bolt hole to the block for the clutch linkage. I re-jet the carb and installed that, the water pump, test fit the radiator and shroud. We have come up with a solution to lower the radiator and be able to use the shroud with my 2" BL.

Ready to start bolting things on and run engine bay and front clip wiring.

That dash is looking good!


351W is not too shabby either.

Nice work!

Ghetto engineering huh, I prefer redneck fab, lol.

Looks like it's coming together! Nice!

Almost looking like a Bronco again. Wiring harness is 99% done. Have a couple little things that aren't working: tach, heater, and stereo wiring is acting funky.

Couple of minor things to work out (I hope)! The biggest one is I'm having some issues with the clutch engaging gear. It's just barely off and thinking I may need to bend the header a tad to give it a little more travel. Other than that, I should be very close to having it ready for Moab. Nothing like getting it done last minute...

Looks good!

Nice work. I didn't take on as much as you, but have also managed to overbook my time before Moab. March killed me, I worked 7 days/week and didn't get anything done on the Bronco. April has been "All Bronco, all the time." See you in a week.

With the help of Kirk, we designed my tire, gas can, and cooler rack.

Kirk did all of the welding and fabrication. I took it and cleaned up the edges and some welds and painted. I was also able to find a license plate holder with light for $10 at a trailer dealership.


We designed the cooler rack to be easily removable as I won't be running with that on very frequently.


This is how it will look most of the time.

Love the trailer hitch design.

Looks great dude, I need to redo mine before it falls off...

Yeah, that looks like a good days work! I like the option of removing the cooler rack! Just make sure the assembly doesn't bounce a lot as I've seen hinges snap in half from metal fatigue. Thankfully not on the highway, but can you imagine your spare tire assembly bouncing down i-25?? I ended up with some delrin plastic below my arm to support the weight when closed.

Went over to Digger's place today to take a look at his rig and talk over a plan for mine moving forward. I have a ZF5 awaiting travel to CO with Viperwolf1, a complete D44 with ARB and 4.56 gears awaiting install, lars bars in the process of being built, and hopefully a soon to be built big bearing 9".

My next decision is going to be which transfer case to run-- the T Shift D20 that is on my rig (which would require a spendy adaptor), or NP205. Digger and I figured out at crawl speed, the D20 would give me about a 75:1 ratio with the ZF5, whereas the 205 would be 60:1. Seems a little negligible for the type of crawling I plan to do.

So my plan is to build the 9" this summer. Probably towards the end of fall, I will try to install all of these components at once.

On the way home, stopped for a quick photo op. I have now put a little over 100 miles on the engine since rebuilding it again. All vital signs seem to remain strong!






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Just about 5-10 minutes from me. That place is cool. I've never stopped in there.

Jealous now. I've been wanting to take the Bronco down there when it's running.


BTW - I mucked up the crawl ratios, the ZF5 1st gear is 5.72, not 6.72. So the 205 would be 51:1 and the D20 would be 64:1.

I ran my NP435 & J-stick D20 first with 4.10s & then 3.50s. Similar crawl ratios 64 vs 55. I didn't miss the extra gears, much. Stick in the cheap 205. If you ever want to get more serious, you can bolt on an Atlas, and make a big difference.

As you said, it'll depend on the kind of wheeling you want to do. If you're doing mild to moderate trails, the 60:1 will be fine. I've got 68:1 and have definitely had times I would have liked more gear, even on moderate trails. I've got half a set of 3.15 t-case gears sitting on the shelf. it'll be one of my next projects and will give me a low of 96:1 since I swapped to 4:56 in the diffs. That said, selling a 205 is easy if you ever decide you want more gear.

[quote="Digger"]Jealous now. I've been wanting to take the Bronco down there when it's running.



would be a great place for a group photo......

Will the notch that you need to put in the ZF5 flange for the NP205 be a problem with any other transfer case?

It shouldn't be as it's cut between two bolt holes on the pattern and doesn't extend into the case it self, just the flange.

I was wondering if any of the others needed a seal surface there.

The seal wouldn't be a problem, the gasket will sit on the inner portion of the case were it meets the T case.