Nice. I think I'm going to have to do something new for mine.

How wide is the Jeep bushing you are using (bracket ID)?

2". Uses a TJ upper control arm bushing.

Thanks, I couldn't find the bushing measurement. That would fit my Ruffstuff trackbar bracket, if things come to a new set up.

That's the same bracket I used.

Have made some good progress since the last update. Made a new track bar and welded and painted the steering links. Also got the hydro ram plumbed and installed a power steering filter and a bigger cooler. The front axle is now reassembled, and I painted and trimmed a new-to-me steel fan shroud. I put on the wheels and tires on one side to test fit for the bump stops and confirmed that it'll take some reworking of the wheelwells, but that I'll be able to use all 5.5" of my uptravel. All that's left to do is weld in the bump stop mounts and frame brackets, bend up the front brake lines and install the mounts for the limiting straps and the front suspension will be done! Progress! I might do the exhaust back to the muffler next so that I can take it for a spin even though the rear shock mounts won't be done.

Congrats on the progress! That thing might breathe life this summer after all!!

Looks great! Shocks, even mufflers are overrated!

Oh and good news...this is no longer a retroactive build thread!

Looks good! Can't wait to see it running.

Got the bump mounts figured out and one built.

Whoa that's a lotta bling! Nice work!

Hit another milestone on the Bronco and got one side pretty much finished. Fabbed up some nifty little carriers for the limiting strap clevises and got that and the bump mount welded one. My vertical welding leaves something to be desired, but I'm pretty sure it won't fall off. Threw the springs onto one of the coilovers to make sure everything clears. It was pretty cool to see everything in it's place. Need to finish up the other side, then rebuild the shocks and tidy up a few loose ends and the front suspension will be done!

Looks great dude! Can't wait to see it on the road again!

Looks great!

For what it's worth, I've had a hellava time welding to the frame in any orientation. Even when I wire-wheeled it to a mirror finish, it seems like the welds still get contaminated here and there. I'm guessing 45+ years of embedded crap will do that.

Thanks, guys! Digger, thanks for the encouragement. My horizontal welds, even upside down, have been decent, but I've had problems with the vertical welds running. Increased wire speed seems to help, but I suspect you're right about 40+ years of oil and crud contaminating the steel in the frame. I've also wondered if the alloy content had anything to do with it, as I've had varied experiences welding new steel from different suppliers.

Figured I'd post up an update. The front suspension is pretty much done. Just need to paint the new stuff and rebuild the coilovers, which is where I hit a bit of a snag. One of the techs at Fox sent me a set of custom flutter valve stacks, which was awesome except he sent me ones for a 2.5" shock. This would be awesome if I weren't running 2.0s. I'll order the correct ones Monday, but I'd hoped to have the front end back on it's tires this weekend. Took the chance to start in on the exhaust, and made good progress. The last piece of the crossover was a pain to fit, but I'm happy with it overall, especially since I haven't done an exhaust before. Made a really good merge collector on my first try!

That's very nice!

Agreed, very nice

Top shelf work right there !

I tried exhaust once! It was horrible. I envy you and clearly you have some artistic talent as well. That is where I lack big time! Heck, art class is what caused me to drop out of a university once. :facepalm:

Nice work! I'm hoping that my exhaust fits when things go back together, but it probably won't.

looks great!

Thanks, guys! I'm pretty happy with how it's coming out. It's a colossal PITA, but I'm glad that I get to route things exactly where I want them, and it's costing me less than half what a shop would charge. Got a little more done yesterday. I'm hoping to have the exhaust finished up by the end of this weekend. The more I look at it, the more I think the crossover needs to be coated, so that can get done while I put the finishing touches on the front brakes and start on the rear shock mounts.

LIMITING STRAPS!!! I thought brake lines were for that!

Nice work there Justin Foose!
Keep it up!

Thanks! Still making progress despite getting incorrect parts (again...). Have spent the few spare minutes I've had this week after the kids have gone to bed getting the shock reservoirs cleaned up. They're coming out pretty nice for cheap, battered craigslist parts. Two of the shock bodies are in pretty rough shape so they won't be as pretty, but they'll keep the axle out of the oil pan just fine.

The correct shims showed up yesterday, so I was able to finish getting one of the shocks rebuilt. It's a messy PITA, but I learned some stuff that will make the rest go more smoothly.

Just wondering if you might consider trying to polish up some of the older shock bodies and then painting them all with a clear coat, maybe like Plastidip, to keep them nice?

I've thought about it. Because they're coilovers the spring slider would rub whatever coating off the shock body. I'll probably coat them with something like Fluid Film to prevent rust from returning.

Been working to clearance the fenders for the larger tires and longer travel. Also picked up my exhaust stuff from ceramic coating today. Rob, thanks for the suggestion on Pristine Powder Coat. They took good care of me and the price was very reasonable.