My 2023 Big Bend 😎

[Uncle Gump]

Just gonna leave this here...

Ford Bronco (1966-2023) - Affordable Offroad

affordableoffroad.com

 

[BLMPKN]

Just gonna leave this here...

Ford Bronco (1966-2023) - Affordable Offroad

affordableoffroad.com

Gah.. after the whole lift&tires chapter comes to a close I'm pretty much gonna be tapped out for the rest of the year need need neeeeeeeed to make a house the next purchase. Housing market is still all sorts of messed up here too unfortunately.. gonna be tough to figure out what course of action to take. Buy.. build.. where.. how much do we want to afford... ugh. I think it's getting to the point where it's cheaper to build than buy up here.. but everyone is still so damn busy.. good luck finding a builder that can get to you in a decent time frame.

If only the dog didn't need all his vaccines next week... that appointment is gonna cost me what that nice rear bumper currently does on sale lol -__-

 

[Uncle Gump]

I hear you... I was given the OK to search us up a place in Northern Michigan. Timing is awful... it's still exciting to be in the market though.

I just saw that they had put their new Bronco offerings online... and yeah... that rear bumper.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Just get a rtt and live in yer car!

AOR's rear bumper is nice, I with they had a full width front though.

 

[BLMPKN]

I hear you... I was given the OK to search us up a place in Northern Michigan. Timing is awful... it's still exciting to be in the market though.

I just saw that they had put their new Bronco offerings online... and yeah... that rear bumper.

Awesome! Super happy to hear it's finally happening

 

[Uncle Gump]

Just get a rtt and live in yer car!

AOR's rear bumper is nice, I with they had a full width front though.

Be nice to have modular wings... similar to the factory bumper.

 

[BLMPKN]

Just get a rtt and live in yer car!

AOR's rear bumper is nice, I with they had a full width front though.

Ha, that's always an option lol.

I wish their front bumper was a little more minimalist.. I kinda dig the narrow width.. but it just seems a bit bulky still

 

[BLMPKN]

Tires!

Dog!

Can't wait for next Friday

 

[BLMPKN]

Ordered a spare steel wheel off ebay, along with the rough country 3rd brake light extention.


The wheel comes from an 05-15 Nissan titan. 8" wide and +25 offset... close enough for a spare!

**Justin had to go and dump in my cheerios by letting me know the hub diameter on the Nissan wheels are a good bit smaller than what the Bronco needs lol... I'm just gonna find someone with some machines to machine it open a bit.

 

[BLMPKN]

We now have lift.. and tires.. and undercoating

Rough country is out of their mind saying a 35x12.5 on +19 wheels will fit... I have 35x11.2 on +18 wheels and both F&R crash bars gotta go. Not a big deal to me personally.. I'll get some aftermarket bars at some point.. but still.

Took a quick trip into the White Mountains of NH today.. did a little wheeling but not much. Hopefully I'll get back there in 2 weeks and get to do a whole day's worth.

400 miles or so on the 35"s... averaging 20.5 mpg so far hell yeah.

 

[BLMPKN]

Gave the Bronc a decent vacuuming today between bouts of rain and Installed the rubber floor mats I snagged using fordpass points. Obviously they couldn't resist putting a big ol mother buckin' emblem on the hump behind the center console lol.

I really wish the drivers mat extended further under the gas pedal.. it was the same story with the rubber mats in the ranger.. the mat stops right underneath the very bottom tip of the pedal when it's at rest.. so in the middle of February when your giving it gas to move down the road all the salty sandy slush on your boots falls right on the carpet -__- I'd like to modify it before winter so it stretches far enough to keep that from happening.

 

[BLMPKN]

Intro video for the Bronco for my channel..


Also.. poser shots!

 

[BLMPKN]

Video from our trip Sunday.

Gas tank skid plate did its job on a few occasions.. hung up on lower links a couple times.. Definitely want to get skids for the lower link mounts on the frame.. and probably the rear diff after that good hit

Definitely forgot to take off the side steps before we went... they got dragged across some crap pretty good but held up awesome! Would of been able to get between some stuff MUCH easier if they were off... Still planning on replacing that whole setup with real deal sliders.. once budget permits.

 

[BLMPKN]

Finally installed the Curt trailer hitch I bought awhile back.. super simple. Still need to buy/install lighting harness.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Finally installed the Curt trailer hitch I bought awhile back.. super simple. Still need to buy/install lighting harness.

I'd suggest you haul ass. Lots and lots of it.

 

[BLMPKN]

I'd suggest you haul ass. Lots and lots of it.

You know... that's a much better suggestion lol

 

[BLMPKN]

A couple weekends ago myself and my fiance took the Bronco on a little adventure into the North maine woods. The idea of the trip was to cross the state West>East on as little pavement as possible.. I mapped out the route years ago.. was nice to finally try it.

We had just enough room in the 2dr. Not pictured is the fiances stuff... i personally think she overpacked.. but everything fit and I know better than to question such things so

Scenic view from the height of land in Rangely

Along the route was a memorial to Maines deadliest aviation disaster.. a b-17 crash from WWII. We tried to find the remainder of the wreckage, but the trail was extremely overgrown.. smattered with bear scat.. and I was only carrying a .380.. so we turned around lol.

Somewhere between Rangely and Eustis

The route I had planned was supposed to cross this stream.. but the bridge had been removed.

By the time dinner rolled around and it was time to find a place to camp a torrential downpour had started.. conveniently there was a local motel with some vacancies so I made the decision to stay nice and dry and comfortable for the night. A real toilet and a shower was great!

The next morning..

We drove up to the top of a windfarm just outside of Eustis.. if you zoom in you can see about a dozen turbines in the distance. Behind me taking the picture was a couple more.. those things make an absolute racket!

Rock pond.. Appleton township. Beautiful spot, super serene. Immideately after taking this picture we were blessed with seeing a giant dragonfly eat another dragonflys face...

The further you zoom in the gnarlier it gets lol, I was excited to get such a NatGeo type picture.

There are a couple nice primitive camping spots right near the pond.. one is along this little brook that exits into it.

Couple pictures on our way from Eustis to Seboomic

Our last night was spent above the Seboomic dam, with some random deadguy. Havnt been able to find any info about the grave.. there might not be any.

The relatively new outhouse across the road was pretty well ventilated lol.

All said and done I think we got about 120 miles of the 340 mile route completed. Had a hell of a time and I couldn't think of a vehicle that would of been more enjoyable to take

 

[Derek A]

All said and done I think we got about 120 miles of the 340 mile route completed. Had a hell of a time and I couldn't think of a vehicle that would of been more enjoyable to take
[/QUOTE]
Feel from these wonderful views that you had a great trip!！

 

[BLMPKN]

Not too much to note with the Bronco as of late.

I DID get it a pair of roadshock side shooter ditch lights for Christmas though.. just havnt got around to the install..

..And I DO plan on getting it a half-rack from Turn Off-Road once I get my taxes back from the inept.. I mean feds.

Looking forward to both.

 

[JerryC]

Reminds me that i have a set of amber fog lights for mine. That supposedly are direct bolt-on replacement for lights in the capable bumper.
Cheap amazon lights that don't come with instructions but look easy enough to install.