Oppinions ?

[Ike]

So since my motor is on the way out and I've found a replacement... and yes its another 302 but in much better shape for the right price.

Since the motor is going to be out and I'll have some downtime:

This allows me the funds and time for a few other things, and leads to me to a few questions....

Body Mount bushings ... Poly or Rubber ?

I'm not planning on a body lift.

Radius Arm bushings .... Poly or Rubber , i gather from reading rubber is a little more forgiving when meeting something in the mud you didn't see.... ?

Suspension, a 4 - 6 inch lift is what i want but not affordable yet,

It was suggested to me that since i am going to be replacing shocks soon, that maybe an add a leaf or two in the rear and some coils in the front ( maybe out of an f250??) and long travel shocks would be a fun solution for a summer or two.

Has this been done>? should it be done and if it has been done what result should i expect?

If f250 coil springs work , how many add a leaf's should i look at?

Or what is the best way of gaining some cheap lift ?

New motor mounts, plug wires, probably an MSD ignition kit and water pump, is all in the works, since the motors out any other suggested replacements or repairs ?

The real lift is coming but not this summer, I plan on running 33's for the trail and my 31 AT's for the road for now.

 

[Justshootme84]

Ike, I've used polyurethane bushings on both the body mounts and suspension on several rigs over the years, including the 84 Bronco. You can get a master kit with all the parts you need from wither Energy Suspension or Daystar. I bought hte Daystar one from Rocky Mountain Suspension for around $200, but that was 4-5 years ago. The poly's of today are not hard as rocks, and will ride much better (10X) than the rubber OEM bushings. I've used them on the radius arms, too, with out any ill effects.

As for installing F-250 coils or a leveling kit, I do not recommend either one. You may run into alignment issues, and I suggest going with a 4" suspension lift kit when you can. Do it right the first time and save those new tires.

When I pulled the old 351W H.O. out of the 84 Bronco, I decided it was a good time to clean up the engine bay, and restore+rustproof the frame. there was 20 years of grime and gunk, and a new motor would really show the dirty side. Four months later, I had cleaned and rustproofed the entire frame. Just a heads-up, if you clean one section you might end up doing the whole Bronco!!! JSM84

 

[Ike]

Excellent info thanks,

Is there any tricks to replacing the body mounts ?

Since the engine will be out for a bit I figure it is a good time to do them..

 

[Justshootme84]

There might be a thread or two on the body mounts in the forums, or look in the Tech Articles forum. You can also go to Miesk5's Homepage of bronco links, and find info on replacing them.

There are 10 body mounts total on the Bronco. Except for the two front ones under the radiator core support, the body mounts consist of a upper and lower bushing, mounted on a upper and lower metal sleeve. The whole assembly is held together with a long bolt and a bottom retainer with a nut welded on. The two metal sleeves are pressed together at the factory, and must be separated to replace the rubber bushings/ isolators. Along with years of rust and the tight fit, it is a PITA to separate them. I used a bushing knocker, but you may be able to thread the bolt in to the lower retainer from the top, so the bolt is in about 1/2" into the retainer. Then spray alot of PB Blaster inside the sleeve and pound it with a sledge. In worst cases, you'll have to cut the bushings off and cut the sleeves apart with a SawZ-All or torch. the front pair under the core support has the sleeve threaded for the bolt, and no amount of hammering will get them apart. The passenger-side mount is usually rusted the most, being under the battery. I had to cut mine off and get new ones. After you remove the bushings, check the condition of the frame mounts wher the bushings sit. If the mounts are wallowed out or rusty, they should be repaired before installing new bushings to get the max life out of them. you can either weld a big flat washer on top of the original hole, or have the mount cut out and re-welded. Try your best to take care of the original sleeves and hardware, since a new set will run about $400 from JBG. JSM84