B2 on the Rubicon Trail!

[jkufen]

Yeah I am paying $600 a month on car payments so next summer once their paid off i will have $600 a month to put into my rig. I have had good luck in finding trucks in people's yard and getting them dirt cheap. I will try and find a decent rig to start with. I was also looking at running d35's or d44's. I was looking at running a full size truck's axles and letting them stick out more. Right now the only parts I have is another 2.9 and a 2wd transmission from an 1987 ranger. So I really don't have a thing to start out with. I had two parts rangers I was using for my B2 but just scraped them before i thought about building a rig. I figured I'd have to run 35's or 37's so that I could get good axle clearance, but that is getting ahead of myself. I will talk with my buddy about building a custom frame so I can arrange some things underneath. I guess I just gotta stick to a plan and don't get ahead of myself worrying about things that are far to come.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

I would quit worrying about a custom chassis. The RBV frame is pretty stout, and easy to work with.

If extra strength is needed you can always box the frame in, or cage the vehicle. That's at the +500 horsepower mark, or abused w/ 40"+ tires.

The only thing about the stock frame that aggregates me is the section forward of the front axle, the crumple zone. It makes bumper and winch fab a royal PITA. Yet still easily fixed with some 3x2 tubing, a torch, and a welder.

 

[jkufen]

yeah right now I just took a piece of 1/4 angle iron and welded on two brackets and mounted it to the frame rails with 2 grade 8 bolts. I put a 2" tube on the front so I could mount a winch and bought a winch mount from my local harbor freight and mounted it to the front. It is a little wobbly but is strong enough for me. I will build a better bumper once i decide what I am going to do with my bronco. I dont want to put more money into this bronco when I am going to build something else for wheeling. I just want to maintain it so i can enjoy it until next year. I was told here on the site that the frame was garbage and wouldn't last but I see that your rig isn't having any issue with the stock frame so I see that the previous information was wrong.

 

[jkufen]

Do a simple build first on you B2, radius arm D44, and 9" with Chevy leafs.

What vehicle do you suggest getting the d44 from and the 9" rear end?

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

I was told here on the site that the frame was garbage and wouldn't last but I see that your rig isn't having any issue with the stock frame so I see that the previous information was wrong.

My frame has totaled a G35, constantly gets jumped, always twisted up on trails, bashed a many a rocks, and did a front flip/ barrel roll....
I'd say its an ok chassis...
Last alignment showed a 0.02 degree thrust angle.

As for the axles. Wide or narrow?

 

[jkufen]

Probably narrow but really the easiest to come across. Right now I don't have a lot of cash but I really want to do something. I gotta change the bushings on my radius arms anyways so they gotta come out. May as well put a different one in.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

78-79 bronco, 73-79 1/2 ton
For wide, cheap, and easy to find

71-77 bronco
For narrow, little pricey, and getting rare.

 

[jkufen]

I think the wider axle would be a little better. If I am correct the wider axles will increase my flex capabilities, right?

 

[4.0B2]

I think the wider axle would be a little better. If I am correct the wider axles will increase my flex capabilities, right?

nope.. it'll make your more stable tho, which is a plus.

 

[jkufen]

ok thanks 4.0B2 I was thinking that because the tires are outside the fender walls it will allow the tires more room to move around. I thought that is why the jeeps could flex so much because the wheels were outside the fenders. But stability is a good thing in the B2's mine is kinda sketchy when it comes uneven ground. So more stability is a good thing!

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Yes the full width axles do give better articulation. Not because the tires have more room, because there is more leverage on the springs.

 

[4.0B2]

ok thanks 4.0B2 I was thinking that because the tires are outside the fender walls it will allow the tires more room to move around. I thought that is why the jeeps could flex so much because the wheels were outside the fenders. But stability is a good thing in the B2's mine is kinda sketchy when it comes uneven ground. So more stability is a good thing!

if you get OUTSIDE, it'll help some. Jeeps are easy to get high clearance with the fenders and stuff.

I suppose leverage would help to... :icon_thumby:

 

[jkufen]

Ok my dad found an early model bronco possible late 60's maybe early 70's not sure the years but all he said was it had no doors or roof and it looked like a Jeep. I am not familiar with the full size broncos but he is going by the people's house today to see if they want to get rid of it. I don't believe it has an engine because there is a tree growing through the engine compartment (shows how long it has been sitting there). I watched the episode of Fast and Loud on tv and he says it resembles that same body style. He wants me to get it and fix it up and wheel it. Hopefully I can get it cheap so it will help some with the total repair cost. I am still up in the air on what platform I will use for the build but I can say I am getting super excited the more and more I research and watch you tube videos. I didn't believe the broncos could move and flex the way they were. I also have a problem with changing my mind up so much it drives me crazy! :icon_bounceblue:

 

[4.0B2]

would be awesome... but be ready for the $$$ involved to fix it up to wheel.

you can buy a built rig cheaper than you can build one.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Early Broncos are probably the most expensive 4x4s out there to do anything with.

I love love to have one though...

 

[jkufen]

Yeah my dad called and said he wouldn't come off it. He said he was going to fix it one day. The thing has been sitting there long enough for a tree to grow through the engine compartment, he isn't going to do anything with it. I just gotta make my mind up on what exactly I want the beginning platform to be either a b2, ranger, jeep, or whatever I gotta figure that out before I can really look at what it will take to make it a successful rock crawler. Just curious though how exactly would you extend the wheel base of a b2? I see on 4x4junkies 's b2 he stretched his to 98"s. Can you just simply move the axle brackets back and lengthen the drive shaft? What is the benefit to the slightly longer wheelbase?

 

[4x4junkie]

I am likely to build a custom frame just so I am not using a 20+ year old frame and then I can modify it as needed.

You're making this wwaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy too complicated. :icon_confused:
Like said, the BII frame is more than plenty strong (same thickness as a F-150 frame in fact). In 20 years of twisting & contorting my Ranger and my BII offroad, I've never once had an issue with the frame (something I can't say about the spot welds that pulled apart on my Ranger's body at the rear cab mounts a few years into owning it).
I'm curious where it was you saw someone say the frame was garbage anyway... because they're FoS (or maybe they thought they were being funny by comparing it to a F-350 frame

You have your '99 Ex, keep that as your DD and build up the BII you have now.


For my wheelbase, I moved the rear axle back 3" (well, 2.9" or so actually) by moving the rear leaf spring hangers back that amount on the frame. The front axle I moved forward an inch by making my radius arms a hair longer when I built them. You can also shim the radius arms forward at the bushings with a few washers too, and a spacer of the same thickness for the nut to tighten against (or use Loctite and don't fully tighten the nut), this so not to crush the bushings with the washers in there.
Benefit is better climbing stability when running larger tires (less weight-shift to the rear when pointed uphill).

 

[jkufen]

Yeah it was about a towing question and he said that if I was snatched from the front of the truck it would warp the frame because they are garbage frames. Yeah I thought about doing that if the wife doesn't mind giving up her toy I might do that. That's probably the easiest without having to go out and buy another vehicle. I gotta do some work on the explorer before it's road worthy but that is the best plan. I'll just take the next year or so before the build and try and collect parts. I have been thinking more and more about an SAS but I am not sure exactly the list of parts I'll need. I have read the write ups in the tech library but they seem to be a more overview instead of a detailed write up and parts list. I will have to try and pull all my resources to do it because I do not have the fab skills to do it myself. There is a 4x4 shop here that does them but I want to build it so I can say I built it and I can learn for the next one. I just gotta figure out what I need to get to start out and just make a list and once I have a list I can start gathering parts. I'm hoping between now and then someone will make a nice detailed thread so I can follow it not throwing out any hints or nothing guys lol

 

[jkufen]

Rubicon/Moab in 2015 or BUST (Burn Up Stupid Truck)!

 

[4.0B2]

I have been thinking more and more about an SAS but I am not sure exactly the list of parts I'll need. I have read the write ups in the tech library but they seem to be a more overview instead of a detailed write up and parts list.I'm hoping between now and then someone will make a nice detailed thread so I can follow it not throwing out any hints or nothing guys lol

if you want SAS info... go read thru build threads. Escort_gts has 2 nice ones. Kroussinoffroad has a good build. 88_Eddie or Mark, I always get them confused... one of them has a nice SAS B2 with some details. Look on other threads. Look at SAS builds on (dare I say is....) Pirate. LOTS of good info there. Most SAS builds will have good info regardless of it's B2 specific or not.


and about the frames... I've been pulled out a few times, winched out a few times, used my own winch a few times with ZERO issues. If you SNATCH on anything, something has to give somewhere...... be smart with your recoveries. Don't let someone snatch you, if you need that much use a winch or get a snatch strap where the strap does the moving.