Wouldn’t it have been great if the Bronco II had come with an open top like the other Bronco’s ford produced? Some owners have overcome this by cutting the top off of their Bronco II’s. And, some turn out better than others.
The Bronco II you see pictured above started out as the 1984 Ford Bronco II you see below.
4xranger started by cutting off the top, gutting the interior, and then lifting the body off of the frame. The chassis was rolled out and cleaned up with a grinder and wire wheel. The chassis was then rolled back under the body, and a body lift was made from 2-inch pipe and steel plate.
The rear leafs were flipped around to extend the wheelbase, and new spring perches were welded on to correct the pinion angle. The factory 7.5-inch rear axle was replaced with a Ford 9-inch from a 1979 Ford F-150. The front axle was replaced with a Dana 44 from the same 1979 Ford F-150, and placed forward of the original axle to give the Bronco II a 101-inch wheel base. The new front suspension is made up of custom coil buckets, and Rusty’s Off-Road 8.5-inch lift coils for a Jeep XJ. It also uses the F-150’s stock radius arms and mounts.
The fenders were cut out to clear the 35×12.5×15 BFGoodrich mud terrains. Custom flares were added to cover the tires, and keep the truck legal on the highway. He also rebuilt the wheel wells to cover the areas that were cut away.
4xranger picked up a Ford 302, C6 transmission and a NP 208 transfer case to help move the Bronco II along better. He fabricated the new motor mount and transmission mount so they could be installed. Once he had everything fabricated up the way he wanted, the body was removed again so the chassis could be painted.
With the body back on, and everything hooked up and running, 4xranger fabricated a set of front and rear bumpers that could take some abuse on the rocks. He used 1/4” x 6” flat steel for the top and face, and 3/16” x 4” steel for the bottom on both bumpers. The front bumper includes a push bar made from 2” x 2” x 3/16” steel.
The rear of the cab was patched where it had been cut off, and the hinges used on the rear gate were moved to the bottom so the cut off hatch could work like a truck tailgate. With all the body trimming, the gas fill was relocated behind the rear taillight. The light was hinged and uses a cabinet clip to allow it to be opened and closed.
Not happy with the 302 he purchased, 4xranger found a wrecked 1997 Mercury Mountaineer and used the fuel injected 5.0, wiring harness, and dash.
The old Bronco II was finally treated to some body work and a new paint job with Duplicolor brilliant silver and jet black pre-mix paint. It was finished off in clear, and the bumpers and fender flares were coated in Duplicolors roll on bedliner.
A custom roll cage was built to go in the rear passenger area, along with a custom snap on soft top.
We know that 4xranger wanted to install new gears, lockers, and switch to 40×13.5×15 tires, but we have no idea if he ever did. We also haven’t seen any photos of it in action. Still, it serves as an inspirational build for other Bronco II enthusiasts. For more photos and details, check out the links and photos below.
Links:
4xranger Bronco II build thread
More Photos:
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