Wildtrak 2.7L Sasquatch Lux Leather Tow Review and Build Thread

[CT203]

Picked up my WT 2 night ago. I will start this build thread with a brief review of it as I break it in and will edit this as I go build it out.

My 4x4 Background:
I have owned 3 4Runners (1 of them a TRD model 2016, 1 a Limited 2011, and 1 a V8 Sport 2004), 1 FJ Cruiser 08, 5 Wranglers (TJ 06, JK Rubicon 13, JKU Rubicon 15, JLU Rubicon 2018, JL Rubicon 2020) and several 4X4 Trucks from Tundras to Rams Never a Chevy or a Ford. All of these vehicles have seen various forms of builds, from overlanding to rock crawling to even converting one of my JK Rubicons to Coilovers for a bit more high speed running.

Initial Bronco WT impressions:

• Size - I like the size of the Bronco much more than the Wranglers, it is more akin to the 4Runners, much more like an SUV versus an Off-Road vehicle for my tastes, I would say a good blend of current day and the full size broncos of yesteryear. Interior space is much better than a wrangler, Bronco trounces the Jeep for “elbow” room.
• Engine - until I hit 1K miles I am going to drive it like I have a cop behind me, I have had several twin turbo BMW’s and initial breakin is very important on the turbos in my experience so I can’t say how happy I am overall yet with this engine but initial impressions are that it is night and day over the 3.6L, 2.0L Turbo, 4.0L (TJ) Jeep engines, NO COMPARISON for street driving at low speeds, zero lag off the start and plenty of torque for stop light to stop light. Now I Hemi Swapped one of my Wranglers with a 5.7L and this feels similar so far in light daily driving. This engine feels similar to the 4.0L 4Runner engine at low RPM so far, which to me is a good thing. The Toyota 4.0L suffers at higher RPM, it drops torque quick as you get the needle moving up, and this twin T should make great gains at higher RPM’s.
• Fit and Finish:
  • Exterior Metal parts are high quality, all doors, hoods, and panels line up very well (I have had vehicles not JEEP that had ¼” gap differences from top of door jamb to bottom upon delivery - $50K vehicles) and am impressed. The Gunsights to keep the tree branches off the windshield in the woods (or jungle as they were intended) are high quality and well made. The doors are of decent weight and close well unlike a Wrangler where you have to remind everyone every time not to SLAM the damn door.
  • Exterior NON METAL parts: Sasquatch Fenders are just OK, but something that draws my ire a bit is that Ford added some sort of Mud Flap/Flare piece the to rear bumper to extend the bumper out to meet to flare width and it looks like something you would go to Autozone and buy and add on…….very cheap and AFTERTHOUGHT look to it. The MIC Top is not very good, took both front panels and mid panel out to air out the horrible plastic smell of the interior and sat it outside for a day. The panels latches work well but they are not as easy to remove and install as the wranglers, the holes/pins are more difficult to line up, might get easier over time but initial impressions is that it is a first build vehicle and refinements will be welcomed just like from the 2012 JK’s to the 2015+ JK‘s were by the Jeep crowd. The WIldtrak badge definitely feels like a Refrigerator magnet, I will debadge this thing as well as removing the mountains off of the sides.
  • Interior - overall a WIN here over the Toyotas and the Jeeps. Space is utilized well for elbow room, storage, and access to dash items. Steering wheel controls are a bit crowded but this is a mute point compared to the competitors I listed. As for the steering wheel though a few notes, the size if perfect, feels great to the touch, and the bottom center part is almost a dead ringer for the latest Wrangler Rubicon Steering wheel, the hole is large enough to 2 finger steer but nothing more. Overall like the cockpit feel from the drivers seat a lot.
    • This is where I am disappointed in the interior: Plastic panels whether it be door panels, dash panels or sides of console are all very thin plastic that scratches EASILY, this is of a lesser quality than a 4Runner for instance and expected but I didn’t expect it to be of lesser quality than a Wrangler. At the end of the day this is an Off-Road SUV so it isn’t a big deal but it was surprising so I am mentioning it with some emphasis.
• B&O Sound System and Ford Sync4 - Upgrade over the Toyota systems by a mile, and I would say overall an upgrade over the latest Rubicon system and UConnect (had software issues in all of my UConnect vehicles over the years). Sound wise it is more than sufficient for my middle aged ears and I invest heavily in my home audio systems and headphone systems.
• Tires - Ordered Nitto Ridge Grapplers already, these Goodyear are a typical LOW TREAD OEM tire and not good rubber at that in my estimation. Turning the Bronco they have that feel of a SXS or 4-wheeler on the pavement, if you know you know.

Build (parts dependent):

• As already mentioned changing to true 35” Ridge Grapplers as soon as delivered, took the brush guard off and sold it already (not a fan of the redesign), ordered the 1” leveling lift for the front for now (has as much rake as a 4Runner, was surprised that pics didn’t show this better than it shows in person), will add coilovers along with front winch eventually to offset load and level it properly. Will order proper sliders when a good design hits the market. Sway bar disconnects when available. I will tune this 2.7 with intake and downpipes after breakin and parts availability to squeeze a bit more power out of it. Depending on the wheeling this gets into it might get another lift and 37’s, but that would require me to get another daily driver as I have in the past when I have went for off-road manners vs a good mix of the on/off. 37’s for everyday on road are overkill and the mall Cops don’t like it.

I won’t be going off road until the 1000 mile break-in but will add to the review at the top at that time.

Oh yeah a note on the color, I wanted Iconic Silver but chose Cactus Grey based on family input, I should have went with Iconic Silver. I like the Cactus Grey but it draws more attention and conversations as to where the Silver would have flown a bit better under the radar and I am interested in a clear matte wrap over that silver as well for a unique Back to the Future Delorean look.

Thanks for reading and while it was a long wait it was worth it!

View attachment 139744

View attachment 139745

great write up- thanks for taking the time. One question though. You need to remind people NOT to slam the door on a wrangler? I’ve always had to remind people to close it hard. Wrangler doors don’t close all the way if you don’t use some force (hard too on, other windows closed). New people always have to open and close again.

Sponsored

 

[1IH]

I ordered a WT but out until 2022 since I wanted painted matching top. So my question is about the interior: How do you like the sandstone dash and seat trim? I was thinking the exterior of my WT as gray or white but can't seem to get over that sandstone is the only way to buy a $60+K Bronco? I was hoping 2022 will give me some better interior colors, since it is the most expensive trim package, or will have to go with Badlands for the black interior but that too I wanted desert speed not rock crawling...

The sandstone is more of a grey than a khaki to my eyes in person. So I like it better then I thought from pictures. I’m glad I got it if that matters. Agree that a $60K vehicle should have more options on interiors builds but I’m sure subsequent model years will once production is more inline with supply lines.

a side note on the interior, I’m not a Hobbit but I’m not a basketball player either and I really like seatbelt mounts that are height adjustable, these are not and that is a bit of a bummer.

 

[1IH]

great write up- thanks for taking the time. One question though. You need to remind people NOT to slam the door on a wrangler? I’ve always had to remind people to close it hard. Wrangler doors don’t close all the way if you don’t use some force (hard too on, other windows closed). New people always have to open and close again.

The newer wranglers use magnesium for door skin material same as the tailgate and they are very very light so they slam very easily now.

 

[Thomas1984]

Picked up my WT 2 night ago. I will start this build thread with a brief review of it as I break it in and will edit this as I go build it out.

My 4x4 Background:
I have owned 3 4Runners (1 of them a TRD model 2016, 1 a Limited 2011, and 1 a V8 Sport 2004), 1 FJ Cruiser 08, 5 Wranglers (TJ 06, JK Rubicon 13, JKU Rubicon 15, JLU Rubicon 2018, JL Rubicon 2020) and several 4X4 Trucks from Tundras to Rams Never a Chevy or a Ford. All of these vehicles have seen various forms of builds, from overlanding to rock crawling to even converting one of my JK Rubicons to Coilovers for a bit more high speed running.

Initial Bronco WT impressions:

• Size - I like the size of the Bronco much more than the Wranglers, it is more akin to the 4Runners, much more like an SUV versus an Off-Road vehicle for my tastes, I would say a good blend of current day and the full size broncos of yesteryear. Interior space is much better than a wrangler, Bronco trounces the Jeep for “elbow” room.
• Engine - until I hit 1K miles I am going to drive it like I have a cop behind me, I have had several twin turbo BMW’s and initial breakin is very important on the turbos in my experience so I can’t say how happy I am overall yet with this engine but initial impressions are that it is night and day over the 3.6L, 2.0L Turbo, 4.0L (TJ) Jeep engines, NO COMPARISON for street driving at low speeds, zero lag off the start and plenty of torque for stop light to stop light. Now I Hemi Swapped one of my Wranglers with a 5.7L and this feels similar so far in light daily driving. This engine feels similar to the 4.0L 4Runner engine at low RPM so far, which to me is a good thing. The Toyota 4.0L suffers at higher RPM, it drops torque quick as you get the needle moving up, and this twin T should make great gains at higher RPM’s.
• Fit and Finish:
  • Exterior Metal parts are high quality, all doors, hoods, and panels line up very well (I have had vehicles not JEEP that had ¼” gap differences from top of door jamb to bottom upon delivery - $50K vehicles) and am impressed. The Gunsights to keep the tree branches off the windshield in the woods (or jungle as they were intended) are high quality and well made. The doors are of decent weight and close well unlike a Wrangler where you have to remind everyone every time not to SLAM the damn door.
  • Exterior NON METAL parts: Sasquatch Fenders are just OK, but something that draws my ire a bit is that Ford added some sort of Mud Flap/Flare piece the to rear bumper to extend the bumper out to meet to flare width and it looks like something you would go to Autozone and buy and add on…….very cheap and AFTERTHOUGHT look to it. The MIC Top is not very good, took both front panels and mid panel out to air out the horrible plastic smell of the interior and sat it outside for a day. The panels latches work well but they are not as easy to remove and install as the wranglers, the holes/pins are more difficult to line up, might get easier over time but initial impressions is that it is a first build vehicle and refinements will be welcomed just like from the 2012 JK’s to the 2015+ JK‘s were by the Jeep crowd. The WIldtrak badge definitely feels like a Refrigerator magnet, I will debadge this thing as well as removing the mountains off of the sides.
  • Interior - overall a WIN here over the Toyotas and the Jeeps. Space is utilized well for elbow room, storage, and access to dash items. Steering wheel controls are a bit crowded but this is a mute point compared to the competitors I listed. As for the steering wheel though a few notes, the size if perfect, feels great to the touch, and the bottom center part is almost a dead ringer for the latest Wrangler Rubicon Steering wheel, the hole is large enough to 2 finger steer but nothing more. Overall like the cockpit feel from the drivers seat a lot.
    • This is where I am disappointed in the interior: Plastic panels whether it be door panels, dash panels or sides of console are all very thin plastic that scratches EASILY, this is of a lesser quality than a 4Runner for instance and expected but I didn’t expect it to be of lesser quality than a Wrangler. At the end of the day this is an Off-Road SUV so it isn’t a big deal but it was surprising so I am mentioning it with some emphasis.
• B&O Sound System and Ford Sync4 - Upgrade over the Toyota systems by a mile, and I would say overall an upgrade over the latest Rubicon system and UConnect (had software issues in all of my UConnect vehicles over the years). Sound wise it is more than sufficient for my middle aged ears and I invest heavily in my home audio systems and headphone systems.
• Tires - Ordered Nitto Ridge Grapplers already, these Goodyear are a typical LOW TREAD OEM tire and not good rubber at that in my estimation. Turning the Bronco they have that feel of a SXS or 4-wheeler on the pavement, if you know you know.

Build (parts dependent):

• As already mentioned changing to true 35” Ridge Grapplers as soon as delivered, took the brush guard off and sold it already (not a fan of the redesign), ordered the 1” leveling lift for the front for now (has as much rake as a 4Runner, was surprised that pics didn’t show this better than it shows in person), will add coilovers along with front winch eventually to offset load and level it properly. Will order proper sliders when a good design hits the market. Sway bar disconnects when available. I will tune this 2.7 with intake and downpipes after breakin and parts availability to squeeze a bit more power out of it. Depending on the wheeling this gets into it might get another lift and 37’s, but that would require me to get another daily driver as I have in the past when I have went for off-road manners vs a good mix of the on/off. 37’s for everyday on road are overkill and the mall Cops don’t like it.

I won’t be going off road until the 1000 mile break-in but will add to the review at the top at that time.

Oh yeah a note on the color, I wanted Iconic Silver but chose Cactus Grey based on family input, I should have went with Iconic Silver. I like the Cactus Grey but it draws more attention and conversations as to where the Silver would have flown a bit better under the radar and I am interested in a clear matte wrap over that silver as well for a unique Back to the Future Delorean look.

Thanks for reading and while it was a long wait it was worth it!

View attachment 139744

View attachment 139745

What level lift did you order?

 

[BroncoJLandCJ]

Picked up my WT 2 night ago. I will start this build thread with a brief review of it as I break it in and will edit this as I go build it out.

My 4x4 Background:
I have owned 3 4Runners (1 of them a TRD model 2016, 1 a Limited 2011, and 1 a V8 Sport 2004), 1 FJ Cruiser 08, 5 Wranglers (TJ 06, JK Rubicon 13, JKU Rubicon 15, JLU Rubicon 2018, JL Rubicon 2020) and several 4X4 Trucks from Tundras to Rams Never a Chevy or a Ford. All of these vehicles have seen various forms of builds, from overlanding to rock crawling to even converting one of my JK Rubicons to Coilovers for a bit more high speed running.

Initial Bronco WT impressions:

• Size - I like the size of the Bronco much more than the Wranglers, it is more akin to the 4Runners, much more like an SUV versus an Off-Road vehicle for my tastes, I would say a good blend of current day and the full size broncos of yesteryear. Interior space is much better than a wrangler, Bronco trounces the Jeep for “elbow” room.
• Engine - until I hit 1K miles I am going to drive it like I have a cop behind me, I have had several twin turbo BMW’s and initial breakin is very important on the turbos in my experience so I can’t say how happy I am overall yet with this engine but initial impressions are that it is night and day over the 3.6L, 2.0L Turbo, 4.0L (TJ) Jeep engines, NO COMPARISON for street driving at low speeds, zero lag off the start and plenty of torque for stop light to stop light. Now I Hemi Swapped one of my Wranglers with a 5.7L and this feels similar so far in light daily driving. This engine feels similar to the 4.0L 4Runner engine at low RPM so far, which to me is a good thing. The Toyota 4.0L suffers at higher RPM, it drops torque quick as you get the needle moving up, and this twin T should make great gains at higher RPM’s.
• Fit and Finish:
  • Exterior Metal parts are high quality, all doors, hoods, and panels line up very well (I have had vehicles not JEEP that had ¼” gap differences from top of door jamb to bottom upon delivery - $50K vehicles) and am impressed. The Gunsights to keep the tree branches off the windshield in the woods (or jungle as they were intended) are high quality and well made. The doors are of decent weight and close well unlike a Wrangler where you have to remind everyone every time not to SLAM the damn door.
  • Exterior NON METAL parts: Sasquatch Fenders are just OK, but something that draws my ire a bit is that Ford added some sort of Mud Flap/Flare piece the to rear bumper to extend the bumper out to meet to flare width and it looks like something you would go to Autozone and buy and add on…….very cheap and AFTERTHOUGHT look to it. The MIC Top is not very good, took both front panels and mid panel out to air out the horrible plastic smell of the interior and sat it outside for a day. The panels latches work well but they are not as easy to remove and install as the wranglers, the holes/pins are more difficult to line up, might get easier over time but initial impressions is that it is a first build vehicle and refinements will be welcomed just like from the 2012 JK’s to the 2015+ JK‘s were by the Jeep crowd. The WIldtrak badge definitely feels like a Refrigerator magnet, I will debadge this thing as well as removing the mountains off of the sides.
  • Interior - overall a WIN here over the Toyotas and the Jeeps. Space is utilized well for elbow room, storage, and access to dash items. Steering wheel controls are a bit crowded but this is a mute point compared to the competitors I listed. As for the steering wheel though a few notes, the size if perfect, feels great to the touch, and the bottom center part is almost a dead ringer for the latest Wrangler Rubicon Steering wheel, the hole is large enough to 2 finger steer but nothing more. Overall like the cockpit feel from the drivers seat a lot.
    • This is where I am disappointed in the interior: Plastic panels whether it be door panels, dash panels or sides of console are all very thin plastic that scratches EASILY, this is of a lesser quality than a 4Runner for instance and expected but I didn’t expect it to be of lesser quality than a Wrangler. At the end of the day this is an Off-Road SUV so it isn’t a big deal but it was surprising so I am mentioning it with some emphasis.
• B&O Sound System and Ford Sync4 - Upgrade over the Toyota systems by a mile, and I would say overall an upgrade over the latest Rubicon system and UConnect (had software issues in all of my UConnect vehicles over the years). Sound wise it is more than sufficient for my middle aged ears and I invest heavily in my home audio systems and headphone systems.
• Tires - Ordered Nitto Ridge Grapplers already, these Goodyear are a typical LOW TREAD OEM tire and not good rubber at that in my estimation. Turning the Bronco they have that feel of a SXS or 4-wheeler on the pavement, if you know you know.

Build (parts dependent):

• As already mentioned changing to true 35” Ridge Grapplers as soon as delivered, took the brush guard off and sold it already (not a fan of the redesign), ordered the 1” leveling lift for the front for now (has as much rake as a 4Runner, was surprised that pics didn’t show this better than it shows in person), will add coilovers along with front winch eventually to offset load and level it properly. Will order proper sliders when a good design hits the market. Sway bar disconnects when available. I will tune this 2.7 with intake and downpipes after breakin and parts availability to squeeze a bit more power out of it. Depending on the wheeling this gets into it might get another lift and 37’s, but that would require me to get another daily driver as I have in the past when I have went for off-road manners vs a good mix of the on/off. 37’s for everyday on road are overkill and the mall Cops don’t like it.

I won’t be going off road until the 1000 mile break-in but will add to the review at the top at that time.

Oh yeah a note on the color, I wanted Iconic Silver but chose Cactus Grey based on family input, I should have went with Iconic Silver. I like the Cactus Grey but it draws more attention and conversations as to where the Silver would have flown a bit better under the radar and I am interested in a clear matte wrap over that silver as well for a unique Back to the Future Delorean look.

Thanks for reading and while it was a long wait it was worth it!

View attachment 139744

View attachment 139745

Great write up. Appreciate the comparisons and the honesty on what you liked and don't.

 

[1IH]

What level lift did you order?

I just ordered the 1” front leveling kit for now to take the rake out. I will go with something from Icon most likely once they develop theirs, if Teraflex does one I’d go that route also!

 

[Thomas1984]

I just ordered the 1” front leveling kit for now to take the rake out. I will go with something from Icon most likely once they develop theirs, if Teraflex does one I’d go that route also!

Where did you order it? 4wp says a leveling kit will bind up the yellow shocks! He told me he believes the bilstein has a snap ring adjustment to add lift. Check into it for us!

 

[1IH]

Where did you order it? 4wp says a leveling kit will bind up the yellow shocks!

Zone-Offroad. They say it’s tested, if there is an issue after my testing it, I’ll remove and return it.

 

[Thomas1984]

Zone-Offroad. They say it’s tested, if there is an issue after my testing it, I’ll remove and return it.

He told me he believes the bilstein has a snap ring adjustment to add lift. Check into it for us!

 

[1IH]

He told me he believes the bilstein has a snap ring adjustment to add lift. Check into it for us!

Will do this week.

 

[MN_OuterBanks]

A couple of brief review points that I’ll update above later:

The Blindspot alerts in the mirrors are much brighter than any other vehicle I’ve had which is nice so in a vehicle like this where you were disability is somewhat limited it’s great that they went with such bright LEDs on those. Also from looking out over the steering wheel the gun sights and the hood being as flat as it is with the sides of the hood coming up a couple of inches off the center really gives it a feel like a large truck so you really get the impression while driving that you’re in a 1500 size pick up truck.

Are they just LEDs like on my Taurus or does the little vehicle light up?

 

[BroncoBoy22]

Do you mind seeing if the A/C vent tabs are easy to remove? Curious to see how easy it is to swap them out for other colors

 

[1IH]

Are they just LEDs like on my Taurus or does the little vehicle light up?

 

[UGABronc]

Picked up my WT 2 night ago. I will start this build thread with a brief review of it as I break it in and will edit this as I go build it out.

My 4x4 Background:
I have owned 3 4Runners (1 of them a TRD model 2016, 1 a Limited 2011, and 1 a V8 Sport 2004), 1 FJ Cruiser 08, 5 Wranglers (TJ 06, JK Rubicon 13, JKU Rubicon 15, JLU Rubicon 2018, JL Rubicon 2020) and several 4X4 Trucks from Tundras to Rams Never a Chevy or a Ford. All of these vehicles have seen various forms of builds, from overlanding to rock crawling to even converting one of my JK Rubicons to Coilovers for a bit more high speed running.

Initial Bronco WT impressions:

• Size - I like the size of the Bronco much more than the Wranglers, it is more akin to the 4Runners, much more like an SUV versus an Off-Road vehicle for my tastes, I would say a good blend of current day and the full size broncos of yesteryear. Interior space is much better than a wrangler, Bronco trounces the Jeep for “elbow” room.
• Engine - until I hit 1K miles I am going to drive it like I have a cop behind me, I have had several twin turbo BMW’s and initial breakin is very important on the turbos in my experience so I can’t say how happy I am overall yet with this engine but initial impressions are that it is night and day over the 3.6L, 2.0L Turbo, 4.0L (TJ) Jeep engines, NO COMPARISON for street driving at low speeds, zero lag off the start and plenty of torque for stop light to stop light. Now I Hemi Swapped one of my Wranglers with a 5.7L and this feels similar so far in light daily driving. This engine feels similar to the 4.0L 4Runner engine at low RPM so far, which to me is a good thing. The Toyota 4.0L suffers at higher RPM, it drops torque quick as you get the needle moving up, and this twin T should make great gains at higher RPM’s.
• Fit and Finish:
  • Exterior Metal parts are high quality, all doors, hoods, and panels line up very well (I have had vehicles not JEEP that had ¼” gap differences from top of door jamb to bottom upon delivery - $50K vehicles) and am impressed. The Gunsights to keep the tree branches off the windshield in the woods (or jungle as they were intended) are high quality and well made. The doors are of decent weight and close well unlike a Wrangler where you have to remind everyone every time not to SLAM the damn door.
  • Exterior NON METAL parts: Sasquatch Fenders are just OK, but something that draws my ire a bit is that Ford added some sort of Mud Flap/Flare piece the to rear bumper to extend the bumper out to meet to flare width and it looks like something you would go to Autozone and buy and add on…….very cheap and AFTERTHOUGHT look to it. The MIC Top is not very good, took both front panels and mid panel out to air out the horrible plastic smell of the interior and sat it outside for a day. The panels latches work well but they are not as easy to remove and install as the wranglers, the holes/pins are more difficult to line up, might get easier over time but initial impressions is that it is a first build vehicle and refinements will be welcomed just like from the 2012 JK’s to the 2015+ JK‘s were by the Jeep crowd. The WIldtrak badge definitely feels like a Refrigerator magnet, I will debadge this thing as well as removing the mountains off of the sides.
  • Interior - overall a WIN here over the Toyotas and the Jeeps. Space is utilized well for elbow room, storage, and access to dash items. Steering wheel controls are a bit crowded but this is a mute point compared to the competitors I listed. As for the steering wheel though a few notes, the size if perfect, feels great to the touch, and the bottom center part is almost a dead ringer for the latest Wrangler Rubicon Steering wheel, the hole is large enough to 2 finger steer but nothing more. Overall like the cockpit feel from the drivers seat a lot.
    • This is where I am disappointed in the interior: Plastic panels whether it be door panels, dash panels or sides of console are all very thin plastic that scratches EASILY, this is of a lesser quality than a 4Runner for instance and expected but I didn’t expect it to be of lesser quality than a Wrangler. At the end of the day this is an Off-Road SUV so it isn’t a big deal but it was surprising so I am mentioning it with some emphasis.
• B&O Sound System and Ford Sync4 - Upgrade over the Toyota systems by a mile, and I would say overall an upgrade over the latest Rubicon system and UConnect (had software issues in all of my UConnect vehicles over the years). Sound wise it is more than sufficient for my middle aged ears and I invest heavily in my home audio systems and headphone systems.
• Tires - Ordered Nitto Ridge Grapplers already, these Goodyear are a typical LOW TREAD OEM tire and not good rubber at that in my estimation. Turning the Bronco they have that feel of a SXS or 4-wheeler on the pavement, if you know you know.

Build (parts dependent):

• As already mentioned changing to true 35” Ridge Grapplers as soon as delivered, took the brush guard off and sold it already (not a fan of the redesign), ordered the 1” leveling lift for the front for now (has as much rake as a 4Runner, was surprised that pics didn’t show this better than it shows in person), will add coilovers along with front winch eventually to offset load and level it properly. Will order proper sliders when a good design hits the market. Sway bar disconnects when available. I will tune this 2.7 with intake and downpipes after breakin and parts availability to squeeze a bit more power out of it. Depending on the wheeling this gets into it might get another lift and 37’s, but that would require me to get another daily driver as I have in the past when I have went for off-road manners vs a good mix of the on/off. 37’s for everyday on road are overkill and the mall Cops don’t like it.

I won’t be going off road until the 1000 mile break-in but will add to the review at the top at that time.

Oh yeah a note on the color, I wanted Iconic Silver but chose Cactus Grey based on family input, I should have went with Iconic Silver. I like the Cactus Grey but it draws more attention and conversations as to where the Silver would have flown a bit better under the radar and I am interested in a clear matte wrap over that silver as well for a unique Back to the Future Delorean look.

Thanks for reading and while it was a long wait it was worth it!

View attachment 139744

View attachment 139745

So, you already ordered Nitto Ridge Grapplers? What do you do with the tires it came with? Wouldn't you just use the original tires until they need replacing? I'm confused. You wouldn't just discard perfectly good tires, would you?

 

[Jmthai05]

Picked up my WT 2 night ago. I will start this build thread with a brief review of it as I break it in and will edit this as I go build it out.

My 4x4 Background:
I have owned 3 4Runners (1 of them a TRD model 2016, 1 a Limited 2011, and 1 a V8 Sport 2004), 1 FJ Cruiser 08, 5 Wranglers (TJ 06, JK Rubicon 13, JKU Rubicon 15, JLU Rubicon 2018, JL Rubicon 2020) and several 4X4 Trucks from Tundras to Rams Never a Chevy or a Ford. All of these vehicles have seen various forms of builds, from overlanding to rock crawling to even converting one of my JK Rubicons to Coilovers for a bit more high speed running.

Initial Bronco WT impressions:

• Size - I like the size of the Bronco much more than the Wranglers, it is more akin to the 4Runners, much more like an SUV versus an Off-Road vehicle for my tastes, I would say a good blend of current day and the full size broncos of yesteryear. Interior space is much better than a wrangler, Bronco trounces the Jeep for “elbow” room.
• Engine - until I hit 1K miles I am going to drive it like I have a cop behind me, I have had several twin turbo BMW’s and initial breakin is very important on the turbos in my experience so I can’t say how happy I am overall yet with this engine but initial impressions are that it is night and day over the 3.6L, 2.0L Turbo, 4.0L (TJ) Jeep engines, NO COMPARISON for street driving at low speeds, zero lag off the start and plenty of torque for stop light to stop light. Now I Hemi Swapped one of my Wranglers with a 5.7L and this feels similar so far in light daily driving. This engine feels similar to the 4.0L 4Runner engine at low RPM so far, which to me is a good thing. The Toyota 4.0L suffers at higher RPM, it drops torque quick as you get the needle moving up, and this twin T should make great gains at higher RPM’s.
• Fit and Finish:
  • Exterior Metal parts are high quality, all doors, hoods, and panels line up very well (I have had vehicles not JEEP that had ¼” gap differences from top of door jamb to bottom upon delivery - $50K vehicles) and am impressed. The Gunsights to keep the tree branches off the windshield in the woods (or jungle as they were intended) are high quality and well made. The doors are of decent weight and close well unlike a Wrangler where you have to remind everyone every time not to SLAM the damn door.
  • Exterior NON METAL parts: Sasquatch Fenders are just OK, but something that draws my ire a bit is that Ford added some sort of Mud Flap/Flare piece the to rear bumper to extend the bumper out to meet to flare width and it looks like something you would go to Autozone and buy and add on…….very cheap and AFTERTHOUGHT look to it. The MIC Top is not very good, took both front panels and mid panel out to air out the horrible plastic smell of the interior and sat it outside for a day. The panels latches work well but they are not as easy to remove and install as the wranglers, the holes/pins are more difficult to line up, might get easier over time but initial impressions is that it is a first build vehicle and refinements will be welcomed just like from the 2012 JK’s to the 2015+ JK‘s were by the Jeep crowd. The WIldtrak badge definitely feels like a Refrigerator magnet, I will debadge this thing as well as removing the mountains off of the sides.
  • Interior - overall a WIN here over the Toyotas and the Jeeps. Space is utilized well for elbow room, storage, and access to dash items. Steering wheel controls are a bit crowded but this is a mute point compared to the competitors I listed. As for the steering wheel though a few notes, the size if perfect, feels great to the touch, and the bottom center part is almost a dead ringer for the latest Wrangler Rubicon Steering wheel, the hole is large enough to 2 finger steer but nothing more. Overall like the cockpit feel from the drivers seat a lot.
    • This is where I am disappointed in the interior: Plastic panels whether it be door panels, dash panels or sides of console are all very thin plastic that scratches EASILY, this is of a lesser quality than a 4Runner for instance and expected but I didn’t expect it to be of lesser quality than a Wrangler. At the end of the day this is an Off-Road SUV so it isn’t a big deal but it was surprising so I am mentioning it with some emphasis.
• B&O Sound System and Ford Sync4 - Upgrade over the Toyota systems by a mile, and I would say overall an upgrade over the latest Rubicon system and UConnect (had software issues in all of my UConnect vehicles over the years). Sound wise it is more than sufficient for my middle aged ears and I invest heavily in my home audio systems and headphone systems.
• Tires - Ordered Nitto Ridge Grapplers already, these Goodyear are a typical LOW TREAD OEM tire and not good rubber at that in my estimation. Turning the Bronco they have that feel of a SXS or 4-wheeler on the pavement, if you know you know.

Build (parts dependent):

• As already mentioned changing to true 35” Ridge Grapplers as soon as delivered, took the brush guard off and sold it already (not a fan of the redesign), ordered the 1” leveling lift for the front for now (has as much rake as a 4Runner, was surprised that pics didn’t show this better than it shows in person), will add coilovers along with front winch eventually to offset load and level it properly. Will order proper sliders when a good design hits the market. Sway bar disconnects when available. I will tune this 2.7 with intake and downpipes after breakin and parts availability to squeeze a bit more power out of it. Depending on the wheeling this gets into it might get another lift and 37’s, but that would require me to get another daily driver as I have in the past when I have went for off-road manners vs a good mix of the on/off. 37’s for everyday on road are overkill and the mall Cops don’t like it.

I won’t be going off road until the 1000 mile break-in but will add to the review at the top at that time.

Oh yeah a note on the color, I wanted Iconic Silver but chose Cactus Grey based on family input, I should have went with Iconic Silver. I like the Cactus Grey but it draws more attention and conversations as to where the Silver would have flown a bit better under the radar and I am interested in a clear matte wrap over that silver as well for a unique Back to the Future Delorean look.

Thanks for reading and while it was a long wait it was worth it!

View attachment 139744

View attachment 139745
[/QUOTE

Picked up my WT 2 night ago. I will start this build thread with a brief review of it as I break it in and will edit this as I go build it out.

My 4x4 Background:
I have owned 3 4Runners (1 of them a TRD model 2016, 1 a Limited 2011, and 1 a V8 Sport 2004), 1 FJ Cruiser 08, 5 Wranglers (TJ 06, JK Rubicon 13, JKU Rubicon 15, JLU Rubicon 2018, JL Rubicon 2020) and several 4X4 Trucks from Tundras to Rams Never a Chevy or a Ford. All of these vehicles have seen various forms of builds, from overlanding to rock crawling to even converting one of my JK Rubicons to Coilovers for a bit more high speed running.

Initial Bronco WT impressions:

• Size - I like the size of the Bronco much more than the Wranglers, it is more akin to the 4Runners, much more like an SUV versus an Off-Road vehicle for my tastes, I would say a good blend of current day and the full size broncos of yesteryear. Interior space is much better than a wrangler, Bronco trounces the Jeep for “elbow” room.
• Engine - until I hit 1K miles I am going to drive it like I have a cop behind me, I have had several twin turbo BMW’s and initial breakin is very important on the turbos in my experience so I can’t say how happy I am overall yet with this engine but initial impressions are that it is night and day over the 3.6L, 2.0L Turbo, 4.0L (TJ) Jeep engines, NO COMPARISON for street driving at low speeds, zero lag off the start and plenty of torque for stop light to stop light. Now I Hemi Swapped one of my Wranglers with a 5.7L and this feels similar so far in light daily driving. This engine feels similar to the 4.0L 4Runner engine at low RPM so far, which to me is a good thing. The Toyota 4.0L suffers at higher RPM, it drops torque quick as you get the needle moving up, and this twin T should make great gains at higher RPM’s.
• Fit and Finish:
  • Exterior Metal parts are high quality, all doors, hoods, and panels line up very well (I have had vehicles not JEEP that had ¼” gap differences from top of door jamb to bottom upon delivery - $50K vehicles) and am impressed. The Gunsights to keep the tree branches off the windshield in the woods (or jungle as they were intended) are high quality and well made. The doors are of decent weight and close well unlike a Wrangler where you have to remind everyone every time not to SLAM the damn door.
  • Exterior NON METAL parts: Sasquatch Fenders are just OK, but something that draws my ire a bit is that Ford added some sort of Mud Flap/Flare piece the to rear bumper to extend the bumper out to meet to flare width and it looks like something you would go to Autozone and buy and add on…….very cheap and AFTERTHOUGHT look to it. The MIC Top is not very good, took both front panels and mid panel out to air out the horrible plastic smell of the interior and sat it outside for a day. The panels latches work well but they are not as easy to remove and install as the wranglers, the holes/pins are more difficult to line up, might get easier over time but initial impressions is that it is a first build vehicle and refinements will be welcomed just like from the 2012 JK’s to the 2015+ JK‘s were by the Jeep crowd. The WIldtrak badge definitely feels like a Refrigerator magnet, I will debadge this thing as well as removing the mountains off of the sides.
  • Interior - overall a WIN here over the Toyotas and the Jeeps. Space is utilized well for elbow room, storage, and access to dash items. Steering wheel controls are a bit crowded but this is a mute point compared to the competitors I listed. As for the steering wheel though a few notes, the size if perfect, feels great to the touch, and the bottom center part is almost a dead ringer for the latest Wrangler Rubicon Steering wheel, the hole is large enough to 2 finger steer but nothing more. Overall like the cockpit feel from the drivers seat a lot.
    • This is where I am disappointed in the interior: Plastic panels whether it be door panels, dash panels or sides of console are all very thin plastic that scratches EASILY, this is of a lesser quality than a 4Runner for instance and expected but I didn’t expect it to be of lesser quality than a Wrangler. At the end of the day this is an Off-Road SUV so it isn’t a big deal but it was surprising so I am mentioning it with some emphasis.
• B&O Sound System and Ford Sync4 - Upgrade over the Toyota systems by a mile, and I would say overall an upgrade over the latest Rubicon system and UConnect (had software issues in all of my UConnect vehicles over the years). Sound wise it is more than sufficient for my middle aged ears and I invest heavily in my home audio systems and headphone systems.
• Tires - Ordered Nitto Ridge Grapplers already, these Goodyear are a typical LOW TREAD OEM tire and not good rubber at that in my estimation. Turning the Bronco they have that feel of a SXS or 4-wheeler on the pavement, if you know you know.

Build (parts dependent):

• As already mentioned changing to true 35” Ridge Grapplers as soon as delivered, took the brush guard off and sold it already (not a fan of the redesign), ordered the 1” leveling lift for the front for now (has as much rake as a 4Runner, was surprised that pics didn’t show this better than it shows in person), will add coilovers along with front winch eventually to offset load and level it properly. Will order proper sliders when a good design hits the market. Sway bar disconnects when available. I will tune this 2.7 with intake and downpipes after breakin and parts availability to squeeze a bit more power out of it. Depending on the wheeling this gets into it might get another lift and 37’s, but that would require me to get another daily driver as I have in the past when I have went for off-road manners vs a good mix of the on/off. 37’s for everyday on road are overkill and the mall Cops don’t like it.

I won’t be going off road until the 1000 mile break-in but will add to the review at the top at that time.

Oh yeah a note on the color, I wanted Iconic Silver but chose Cactus Grey based on family input, I should have went with Iconic Silver. I like the Cactus Grey but it draws more attention and conversations as to where the Silver would have flown a bit better under the radar and I am interested in a clear matte wrap over that silver as well for a unique Back to the Future Delorean look.

Thanks for reading and while it was a long wait it was worth it!

View attachment 139744

View attachment 139745

Picked up my WT 2 night ago. I will start this build thread with a brief review of it as I break it in and will edit this as I go build it out.

My 4x4 Background:
I have owned 3 4Runners (1 of them a TRD model 2016, 1 a Limited 2011, and 1 a V8 Sport 2004), 1 FJ Cruiser 08, 5 Wranglers (TJ 06, JK Rubicon 13, JKU Rubicon 15, JLU Rubicon 2018, JL Rubicon 2020) and several 4X4 Trucks from Tundras to Rams Never a Chevy or a Ford. All of these vehicles have seen various forms of builds, from overlanding to rock crawling to even converting one of my JK Rubicons to Coilovers for a bit more high speed running.

Initial Bronco WT impressions:

• Size - I like the size of the Bronco much more than the Wranglers, it is more akin to the 4Runners, much more like an SUV versus an Off-Road vehicle for my tastes, I would say a good blend of current day and the full size broncos of yesteryear. Interior space is much better than a wrangler, Bronco trounces the Jeep for “elbow” room.
• Engine - until I hit 1K miles I am going to drive it like I have a cop behind me, I have had several twin turbo BMW’s and initial breakin is very important on the turbos in my experience so I can’t say how happy I am overall yet with this engine but initial impressions are that it is night and day over the 3.6L, 2.0L Turbo, 4.0L (TJ) Jeep engines, NO COMPARISON for street driving at low speeds, zero lag off the start and plenty of torque for stop light to stop light. Now I Hemi Swapped one of my Wranglers with a 5.7L and this feels similar so far in light daily driving. This engine feels similar to the 4.0L 4Runner engine at low RPM so far, which to me is a good thing. The Toyota 4.0L suffers at higher RPM, it drops torque quick as you get the needle moving up, and this twin T should make great gains at higher RPM’s.
• Fit and Finish:
  • Exterior Metal parts are high quality, all doors, hoods, and panels line up very well (I have had vehicles not JEEP that had ¼” gap differences from top of door jamb to bottom upon delivery - $50K vehicles) and am impressed. The Gunsights to keep the tree branches off the windshield in the woods (or jungle as they were intended) are high quality and well made. The doors are of decent weight and close well unlike a Wrangler where you have to remind everyone every time not to SLAM the damn door.
  • Exterior NON METAL parts: Sasquatch Fenders are just OK, but something that draws my ire a bit is that Ford added some sort of Mud Flap/Flare piece the to rear bumper to extend the bumper out to meet to flare width and it looks like something you would go to Autozone and buy and add on…….very cheap and AFTERTHOUGHT look to it. The MIC Top is not very good, took both front panels and mid panel out to air out the horrible plastic smell of the interior and sat it outside for a day. The panels latches work well but they are not as easy to remove and install as the wranglers, the holes/pins are more difficult to line up, might get easier over time but initial impressions is that it is a first build vehicle and refinements will be welcomed just like from the 2012 JK’s to the 2015+ JK‘s were by the Jeep crowd. The WIldtrak badge definitely feels like a Refrigerator magnet, I will debadge this thing as well as removing the mountains off of the sides.
  • Interior - overall a WIN here over the Toyotas and the Jeeps. Space is utilized well for elbow room, storage, and access to dash items. Steering wheel controls are a bit crowded but this is a mute point compared to the competitors I listed. As for the steering wheel though a few notes, the size if perfect, feels great to the touch, and the bottom center part is almost a dead ringer for the latest Wrangler Rubicon Steering wheel, the hole is large enough to 2 finger steer but nothing more. Overall like the cockpit feel from the drivers seat a lot.
    • This is where I am disappointed in the interior: Plastic panels whether it be door panels, dash panels or sides of console are all very thin plastic that scratches EASILY, this is of a lesser quality than a 4Runner for instance and expected but I didn’t expect it to be of lesser quality than a Wrangler. At the end of the day this is an Off-Road SUV so it isn’t a big deal but it was surprising so I am mentioning it with some emphasis.
• B&O Sound System and Ford Sync4 - Upgrade over the Toyota systems by a mile, and I would say overall an upgrade over the latest Rubicon system and UConnect (had software issues in all of my UConnect vehicles over the years). Sound wise it is more than sufficient for my middle aged ears and I invest heavily in my home audio systems and headphone systems.
• Tires - Ordered Nitto Ridge Grapplers already, these Goodyear are a typical LOW TREAD OEM tire and not good rubber at that in my estimation. Turning the Bronco they have that feel of a SXS or 4-wheeler on the pavement, if you know you know.

Build (parts dependent):

• As already mentioned changing to true 35” Ridge Grapplers as soon as delivered, took the brush guard off and sold it already (not a fan of the redesign), ordered the 1” leveling lift for the front for now (has as much rake as a 4Runner, was surprised that pics didn’t show this better than it shows in person), will add coilovers along with front winch eventually to offset load and level it properly. Will order proper sliders when a good design hits the market. Sway bar disconnects when available. I will tune this 2.7 with intake and downpipes after breakin and parts availability to squeeze a bit more power out of it. Depending on the wheeling this gets into it might get another lift and 37’s, but that would require me to get another daily driver as I have in the past when I have went for off-road manners vs a good mix of the on/off. 37’s for everyday on road are overkill and the mall Cops don’t like it.

I won’t be going off road until the 1000 mile break-in but will add to the review at the top at that time.

Oh yeah a note on the color, I wanted Iconic Silver but chose Cactus Grey based on family input, I should have went with Iconic Silver. I like the Cactus Grey but it draws more attention and conversations as to where the Silver would have flown a bit better under the radar and I am interested in a clear matte wrap over that silver as well for a unique Back to the Future Delorean look.

Thanks for reading and while it was a long wait it was worth it!

View attachment 139744

View attachment 139745

Thanks for the post. I have ordered the exact build you have. I’m not nearly as experienced with off road vehicles so your information is greatly appreciated.

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