Complete Rear Axle Swap (M220) - In Depth DIY Video

RagnarKon said:

Good stuff @Dusty

Mini Rant: Ford completely killed the value proposition of the Base Bronco by having a welded carrier assembly & ring gear. Super unfortunate they went that route.

Click to expand...

RagnarKon said:

Anyway… video length is fine. I know it’s not “YouTube friendly” or anything, but I’ve personally found my most successful videos are the longest. There will be people that want to do this, and more information is generally better than less when it comes to tutorial-type videos.

Click to expand...

Razorback said:

No triangulated 4 link??

Click to expand...

Dusty said:

Disclaimer: This is our longest video to date as we wanted to capture the entire process for anyone considering doing this work themselves but might not be sure what it entails. Experienced mechanics might find it a bit basic and ponderous so it won't hurt our feelings if you choose to find something more brief to view for your Bronco entertainment. But for those considering this as a DIY project, it's all in there so grab a beer and follow along!

Click to expand...

Felix808 said:

That is what the 2x speed on Youtube is for

Great job with the details Dusty

Click to expand...

RagnarKon said:

Good stuff @Dusty

Mini Rant: Ford completely killed the value proposition of the Base Bronco by having a welded carrier assembly & ring gear. Super unfortunate they went that route.

Anyway… video length is fine. I know it’s not “YouTube friendly” or anything, but I’ve personally found my most successful videos are the longest. There will be people that want to do this, and more information is generally better than less when it comes to tutorial-type videos.

Click to expand...

Dusty said:

Hey guys here's a video of my wife and I removing the M220 rear axle and swapping in a "new" one. It's the second video in our series on re-gearing and axle-swapping our '21 Ford Bronco Base. This video covers the process, in-depth, of removing and and re-installing the M220 rear axle assembly. In our case we swapped in a used Badlands rear end that we had already re-geared and freshened up. But the process would be the same for those considering installing a brand new M220 complete axle assembly from Ford Performance or the Ultimate D44 from Dana.



Disclaimer: This is our longest video to date as we wanted to capture the entire process for anyone considering doing this work themselves but might not be sure what it entails. Experienced mechanics might find it a bit basic and ponderous so it won't hurt our feelings if you choose to find something more brief to view for your Bronco entertainment. But for those considering this as a DIY project, it's all in there so grab a beer and follow along!

This is the second video in the series. Please check out our 5.13 Gear Swap video, the first installment in this series, if you haven't yet. The next video will cover the process of swapping our Bronco's stock M190 front drive unit for a re-geared and locked M210, so stay tuned for that one. After that we'll cover the process of buttoning everything up, hooking up the locker switches, and installing ProCal to delete the FAD.

And yes, Steffie did do some of the work!

Even the dogs lended moral support

Click to expand...

lakesinai said:

I enjoyed the edification and knowledge gained from your and Stephanie's video. Thanks. I note you have the Icon Exp rear shocks (and I assume front, as well). I'm seriously considering those, since I want a nicer ride and only a 1 inch or so lift for my 33" tires (OBX). Are you pleased with them, enough to keep them long term? Did you use the OEM springs (I see the Ford tag) or did you find a stronger spring from a different trim? I might need a rear spring slightly stronger due to gear in the rear, frig & rear cap rack.

Click to expand...

Dusty said:

Yep I have EXP's front and rear. I do like them, they were a big improvement over the factory HOSS 1.0 (Hitachi) shocks. I used them with the same springs my Bronco came with, as I've never been one to load up on weight (talking about the Bronco obviously, not myself! LOL). I've had them for about two years so far. Not sure if that counts as long term but I do plan on pulling them out in the near future, as I hope to be upgrading to ICON full coilovers with the CDEV electronic valve system. The EXP's work great for what they are, but in the end they are only a shock. Yes, they're valved better and have more fluid volume than the Hitachis, but they don't do anything to improve travel since they use the same spring. I work for ICON so I get to drive vehicles all the time with CDEV (not just our company Bronco but Toyotas, Ford pickups, etc.), and I think CDEV is amazing. Therefore I want it for my own Bronco LOL. At the beginning of my build, I stuck with the EXP's because they fit the theme of the build at the time, which was to keep it affordable while trying to coax as much fun out of it as possible without going too wild on the mods. But we've moved into a different phase of Chanel's life at this point, so it's time to start thinking about upgrading the suspension as well. We'll document that process too, when we get to it

Click to expand...

lakesinai said:

That's the straight analysis I am looking for. Appreciate it! Please share a link or name of the exact Icon model # you're upgrading to. Maybe I should skip the intermediate step and go for the Gold!

Click to expand...