74 Bronco lots of Questions

[otto1]

Just purchased a 74 Bronco...29k miles per odometer. Owner bought for son who did not like so it sat for a few years till I showed up. Owner said shop had done some work but not a lot. She was not sure what all they did and would try to find the paperwork for me, still waiting. I drove the thing a couple of miles and observed the following:

1. Engine seemed to run fine

2. Hard to stop, really had to press hard

3. Handles a little loose

4. Transmission jumps when you put it in reverse

I had to drop the drive shaft to tow it home...so when I arrived home I had a local shop reattach the shaft and replace the rear u joint which appeared to be a little worn..They also said the master cylinder was leaking so I had them replace that and they replaced the front and rear wheel cylinders, bled them and adjusted the brake shoes.

It is still hard to stop, my question is, should it require a lot of pressure to stop ??

My goal for the Bronco is not at this time to make it a show quality car, but a car to run around town in, and maybe let my teenager drive...The way the car stops and handles is probably too much for a teenage driver.

What is the best way to get it to stop easier and maybe handle a little tighter ?

Mechanically I have noticed a few things.

1. It looks like they had bought a new auxiliary tank....there is a hose which when I follow goes all the way to the charcoal canister, it is cut or disconnected half way, should this be o.k ? not sure why it is..

2. The valve is set to auxillary (I think the main tank is empty and I need to add some fuel)... shouldn't I be running it from the main tank ?

3. I assume just regular unleaded ?

Cosmetically the car is all original....what is the best way to proceed paint wise ? and how much should I spend ? and does anyone know of any good shops in Houston, Texas ?

I had one guy tell me $10,000 to paint...not going to do that. I told him I did not need a show job, just a good job...He told me all he does is show jobs.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated !

 

[Bully Bob]

Hi otto.., welcome...!

 

"should it require a lot of pressure to stop ??"

NO.!

"I assume just regular unleaded ?"

Yes

"Handles a little loose"

Likely the steering box, tierod ends, track bar, ball joints, or a combination of these.

"..it is cut or disconnected half way, should this be o.k ? not sure why it is."

Not serious at this point.., you could plug the section that runs to the tank.

The valve is set to auxillary.., shouldn't I be running it from the main tank ?

I wouldn't fill or use the main tank just yet. it could be contaminated or leaking.

Use the aux tank 'til we get to that fix.

All in all, it looks like a GREAT find..!

What we can do here works best if you go to the 66-77 Bronco tech support forum  and post each issue in a seperate post.

This will eliminate mistakes & confusion. Also makes things easier to follow.

(That's why I just gave you brief answers.)

I would start with the brakes & steering as they're safty issues.

There's several members on this board who will be glad to walk you thru these issues.

B