Can a Bronco II be modified to reduce rollover risk?

[flightsuit]

Hello,

I'm brand new here, and registered specifically to ask the following question:

My friend is probably going to buy a sweet Bronco II tonight, to use for her dog walking business. The price is great, and judging by the photos, it's a really cool truck that's in great condition and looks quite stylish.

I'm worried, though, about everything I've heard and read regarding the Bronco II's supposed rollover problems.

I'm especially concerned about that stuff I've read which says a flaw in the suspension design actually causes the Bronco II to become taller and narrower during hard cornering.

I told my friend about the rollover issue, so if she buys the thing, she's obviously not going to drive it aggressively on twisty roads. My concern, however, is with how it might behave during an emergency lane change maneuver.

Are there any relatively affordable parts or modifications which can tame the Bronco II's suspension and make it more stable when swerving to avoid an accident?

Thank you in advance for your input!

 

[Surrey]

It's not a sports car. As long as it is driven responsibly there is no real danger.

 

[4x4junkie]

Welcome to TRS.

What you have found is the aftermath of a case of overblown media hype. Bronco IIs are not any more rollover-prone than any other similar vehicle. There is nothing unique about it's suspension that wasn't also used on the best-selling F-150 and Ranger at the time either. However like any vehicle of it's type, it has to be treated as such (trying to drive a 4x4 truck like a sports car certainly has the potential to bring disaster).

Things that will reduce the rollover potential of any vehicle however are wider wheels & tires, and wider axles (Explorer axles are 1.5" wider than the BII's axles, though I'd start with a set of wider wheels first). Stiffer shocks can help too though this has the potential of making the ride more harsh.

BIIs are great little rigs that also get excellent MPG too (especially if you get one with a manual trans). Your friend should be quite happy with it. :icon_thumby:

 

[Lost Bushman]

I drive mine across some pretty steep inclines across sandhills and such and haven't even remotely come close to rolling it.

It's not a Corvette, once she gets used to how it handles, she'll be fine.

 

[adsm08]

I have my Ranger for 11 years, my Bronco II for 2 years, and a handful of others here and there. I have only come close to rolling one once. It is lifted 7 inches, and I was coming into a hair-pin turn too quick because I forgot it was there.

I have made several emergency lane changes and even been hit in the side in my own BII and never come close to rolling it. At highway speeds it FEELS tippy, but it really is fairly stable. The only time I feel like I have come close to getting in trouble in my stock unit I had it loaded very unevenly, with a pile of rotors on one side and a pile of brake pads on the other.

The BII, while having a relatively high center of gravity to it's footprint, is subject to the same laws of physics as any other small SUV and is just as safe. It is not what I would term a "comfortable" ride past 55 MPH, but it is not dangerous.

The issues that you have heard about are a combination of a suspension that was fairly new at the time, having some unique properties in terms of how it reacts to certain conditions, and the media doing a wonderful job of making mountains out of mole hills. Yes it feels tippy, yes it failed the NHTA 5 MPH roll over test. On the other hand I am fairly confident that I could slap my slicks on the back of mine, run it over to the church down the road and do doughnuts in the parking lot without rolling it over.

The key to driving a BII safely is the same as driving any other motor vehicle safely. Don't suck at driving.

 

[The Fonz]

Almost lost it myself once after hitting ice on the bottom of a bridge it slid sideways at 40 mph but I managed to get all 4 wheels back on the ground. I drive it exactly like my brother's ford escape and have 0 issues. Just do not take for granted what you are driving and baby the corners, she'll be fine.

 

[wildbill23c]

Don't drive it like a sports car, slow down for turns and curves, yep, pretty easy modifications. I've driven many Utility Vehicles and have never rolled one and I've had some of them in some pretty bad situations. Its all in knowing your vehicle and driving responsibly.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Is this a 4x4? If it's 2wd it can be lowered. Wider/ more offset wheels will really help.

I wouldn't go as far as Explorer axles as Junkie said for just a dog walking truck. Although if you had the money and time, by all means, do that.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 2

 

[wildbill23c]

Wait why do you need a vehicle for walking dogs? Aren't you supposed to be walking them, not driving them around?

Still, doesn't matter if its 4WD or 2WD, its not a sports car, its not a NASCAR, its a Carry All, (No there's no such thing as an SUV) they're called carry alls and have been for many years. Anyhow, just remember its top heavy and slow down for curves, and turns. Something you may consider too, is finding a stabilizer bar kit (front and rear) these help considerably for cornering at higher speeds it helps keep the body from leaning as much.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm especially concerned about that stuff I've read which says a flaw in the suspension design actually causes the Bronco II to become taller and narrower during hard cornering.

There is truth to that statement. It isn't a design "flaw" because there are compromises in all designs. The tib and ttb are a swing axle design like the vw bug rear axle. When you turn left - right - left quick enough the axles are "forced" together raising the COG [center of gravity] making the truck more likely to flip. But like everyone else has said, drive it like a truck and you will have no problems.
One way to help is to put a thicker front and rear sway bar on, tho some b-ii's come with the thickest stock sway bar already. The thickest front bar is ~1 1/8" and the thickest rear is 1" and both those sizes are found on b-ii's. I think the earlier years, '84 and '85 are the ones to look for.
I think the b-ii is a great all around truck and can carry four people and still has cargo room out of the weather.
Good luck,

Richard

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

And the backseats fold down!



I miss my B2s.....

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 2

 

[flightsuit]

Thanks everybody! If these things feel tippy, that's actually a good thing, 'cause it will encourage her to drive the truck well within its limits.

The one she's looking at has a manual transmission. The ad didn't say which engine, though.

And it's an earlier model, which I like, 'cause the styling is so retro.

Now I'm feeling excited about her getting it.

 

[ab_slack]

What was that Suzuki when consumer reports put out the video of their driver causing the Samurai to roll over? Something like "we aren't surprised that a professional driver can cause our car to roll over". I always thought that was a classic.

I have 20 years and 260k miles driving a B2. I love them and find that when driven right even take turns quite well. I did one get my original 88 up on 2 wheels when in hard tight left hand turn at about 35 when the front right wheel caught in a hole. The turn was causing some sideways slide. When the wheel caught, I think the slight drop (wasn't that deep) and catching the sideways momentum turned into a bit of a roll and two left wheels came off the ground for maybe half a second. This happened right as I was finishing the turn so was already starting to straiten the wheel. Not sure if quick move of wheel right was what got the wheels back down or if there just was not enough momentum to bring it over. Anyways it ended up back on all four.

There was no question I was pushing the limits and I doubt the average daily driver would come close. I think pretty stable.

The places where it seems tippy is a two direction change if the second turn occurs just as the recovery from the first already has the body leaning the wrong way. Also in this state many turns have a negative bank and when you add the normal crest in the center of the road, left hand turns can be pretty bad. Starting with a bad tip from the road I usually use extra caution.

 

[jhammel85]

In my opinion it's over blown hype and it's just as "tipsy" as any other short wheel base 4x4. Drive it like a truck and all will be well.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Just because some idiots who didn't know how to drive something that sat higher than a car managed to flip a few Explorers when the tires blew out, the hype over Explorers and Bronco IIs got completely out of control. As I've heard said before "It's a Ford, not a Ferrari."

As far as the infamous Firestone blowouts... I had one of those happen in my Ranger. Front tire tread separation at 70 mph or so. My wheelbase was about the same as an Explorer and I had a construction cap on the back so my COG was higher like an Explorer. Did I flip it? Was there a big crash and a fireball? Nope. I took my foot off the go pedal, lightly feathered the brake and started downshifting and easing onto the shoulder. The actual blowout was a loud bang and a quick twitch in the wheel, nothing more.

Had I done the moron thing and immediately spiked the brake pedal I may have ended up greasy side up on the side of the road. But I figured that IF the rim got trashed, it's gonna be cheaper to replace than the truck.

My 88 BII I found had a springy ride and on the highway it felt like a foam brick riding on top of an antenna. The springs are shot and I know it. Even for that, I never felt like I was going to flip the truck. I ran 215/75/15 tires on it, IIRC (stock size)

I had an 89 Eddie Bauer BII that had a little bit of a springy ride. Rear leaf springs could have stood to be replaced, they were pretty bad. I drove it for a couple years before I sold it and actually miss having it around since I got rid of it right about the time I got everything fixed on it, lol. Made for a nice ride to get around in bad weather. Only time I had it leaning hard to one side was when I was off-roading it. Of course, I also drove it like 30 miles one night stuck in 4-low and crawling through snow drifts as high as the hood while it was snowing like crazy. Felt pretty safe and comfortable doing that too. I ran 235/75/15 tires on it.

My choptop sits on 35" tires and 7" of lift. I've put 1k miles on it like that and it felt pretty stable to me. Arguably more stable than in stock form. But it's probably not all that practical for someone with a dog walking service, lol. After lifting it the first time and putting 33's on it, to try to save my more expensive tires one summer I tried putting a smaller/narrower tire on (33x12.5 tire down to a 31x10.5). I drove it one time like that and put my 33's back on. The narrower tire with the lift and the fact that my alignment wasn't quite perfect left me feeling uncomfortable driving it.

As far as engine goes... if it was a 1984 or 1985 it likely had the 2.8L carb'd motor (although I've heard rumors of 2.2L diesels being found in them). 1986-1990 got the 2.9L fuel injected except for the unicorn 4.0L in the 1990 year (there is rumors of existence but nobody has ever seen one). If it has anything else, it was swapped in by someone.

 

[wildbill23c]

lil_blue_ford is exactly right, the media always takes something non-important and blows it out of proportion. The whole blowout/rollover BS from the explorers were caused from idiots who can't drive. The rollover issues with the Bronco 2's was the same just people who don't know how to drive anything other than a little tiny low to the ground car. Plus teenagers thrown behind the wheel of a truck and trying to show off always has a negative disastrous result at some point.

Treat it as a truck not a sports car and it will be just fine. I've found that these vehicles are actually extremely stable when driven properly, I've had my trucks in some pretty weird places and never felt in danger of a rollover although from how they were sitting you would scratch your head and wonder. Its all in knowing how to drive properly, and knowing the limitations of your driving skills and the limitations of the vehicle.

I really like my Bronco 2, its so small and compact that its easy to get into tight spaces, and maneuver where a truck would have major problems.

As for the engine size anything past 1986 had the 2.9L Fuel Injected V6. The 1984-1985's had the 2.8L V6. Either engine is good, nevermind the hype of not having power you will read about on here. They're not race cars this is why they didn't put larger engines in them, they had "rollover" problems with the little V6 what would happen with a 302 LOL. Anyhow, either engine will do its job very well, and you would be surprised what these trucks are capable of.

 

[flightsuit]

These comments about not driving it like a sports car, and therefore not rolling it over, don't totally make sense to me. If you're making an emergency lane change, you're doing it because you have to, because the alternative is to hit, or be hit by, another vehicle.

So that's my only concern. My friend's smart enough not to treat a Bronco II like a CRX, but you never know what's going to happen out there on the freeways. We live in California. Everybody is on their cell phone, and inconsiderate.

 

[wildbill23c]

Not driving it like a sports car means slow the hell down for curves, and as many of us have said they are a lot more stable than you think they would be.

Having to make an emergency lane change oftentimes is due to people not paying attention, however, making fast lane changes don't necessarily make the vehicle unstable, its the over-correcting, then trying to re-correct is what gets people into trouble if they aren't paying attention or not experienced enough in driving a truck.

Everybody on their cell phone....Exactly the reason for the emergency lane changes, people NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

Remember its a truck that has a short narrow wheelbase and a high center of gravity. With that in mind drive it as a truck not a car and you'll be just fine. I've made a lot of emergency maneuvers offroad and none of which resulted in anything close to a rollover, you would be surprised how stable these trucks really are.

 

[4x4junkie]

These comments about not driving it like a sports car, and therefore not rolling it over, don't totally make sense to me. If you're making an emergency lane change, you're doing it because you have to, because the alternative is to hit, or be hit by, another vehicle.

So that's my only concern. My friend's smart enough not to treat a Bronco II like a CRX, but you never know what's going to happen out there on the freeways. We live in California. Everybody is on their cell phone, and inconsiderate.

Not driving it like a sports car also includes not doing 75-80 on the freeways when traffic is mostly going 65-70. This gives you considerably more time to react to any situation that arises, and makes for less likelihood the vehicle would go out of control in the even of an overcorrection.

There is truth to that statement. It isn't a design "flaw" because there are compromises in all designs. The tib and ttb are a swing axle design like the vw bug rear axle. When you turn left - right - left quick enough the axles are "forced" together raising the COG [center of gravity] making the truck more likely to flip. But like everyone else has said, drive it like a truck and you will have no problems.
One way to help is to put a thicker front and rear sway bar on, tho some b-ii's come with the thickest stock sway bar already. The thickest front bar is ~1 1/8" and the thickest rear is 1" and both those sizes are found on b-ii's. I think the earlier years, '84 and '85 are the ones to look for.
I think the b-ii is a great all around truck and can carry four people and still has cargo room out of the weather.
Good luck,

Richard

I don't think you can really compare the Ford Twin-Beam setup to a VW rearend... For one thing, one is at the front of the vehicle, the other in the rear, which have entirely different dynamics. A VW is also much narrower, and the swingarms terminate several inches short of the chassis centerline, where the Ford's twin beams (probably more than twice as long) terminate well opposite of center (which greatly reduces camber change at the wheel, and therefore any jacking effect).
There was previous hype like this involving the Chevrolet Corvair (again, later disproved from being inherently unsafe compared to other similar vehicles). Unfortunately there were people who perpetuated the issue because they thought they saw a similarity and insisted "Oh that's why it rolled over" after some one incident somewhere must've made news headlines.

The Ford Explorer/Firestone thing was another one. Oddly enough, while that one was still playing out I started paying attention to the generation Explorers that were making the headlines... Every one that I saw was a 2nd-gen (which used a more-conventional A-arm IFS rather than the Twin-Beam). Seems like that would point to the A-arm suspension being more rollover-prone than the Twin-Beam setup with everything else being the same... :icon_confused: