Aonarch’s 2023 Bronco Build

[Aonarch]

JCR Off-road Tailgate Table installed.

It wasn’t difficult, but definitely is finicky. Especially getting the table top in.

EDIT: I see why people do the spare tire reinforcement even with just the stock SAS setup. The sheet metal is very thin.

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[Aonarch]

Update on the Trac Bar bracket and rear sway bar...

The Bronco drives fantastic. Night and day difference than when it was 100% stock. Night and day difference post-lift.

I can hit bumps, expansion joints, etc under acceleration while turning, and there is zero trajectory change or uneasy body roll.

The Bilsteins soak up everything, and now with the bracket and sway bar, there is no more bump steer or weird movement.

 

[Aonarch]

Just got back from Europe, this was in Croatia.

Want so bad.

 

[BAUS67]

Just got back from Europe, this was in Croatia.

Want so bad.

Mitsubishi Pajero. There are members on the forum with them.

 

[Aonarch]

Finally got my OEM Rock Rails. Took forever through Ford Accessories, but I paid with points so… meh. Showed pictures of the attachment points. Not a lot of them. Honestly the side steps seem to have strong attachment points, but I know these are rated for 1.5x the vehicle weight, which is plenty for me.

IAG steps are great. On my Gladiator I had to fab up my own unboltable steps, and hilariously enough forum members thought they were dumb.

The ability to unbolt them in say 2 minutes is super convenient.

If you all haven’t noticed, I am going for a very clean OEM Plus build.

 

[Aonarch]

Did an easy FS ride and met some local Bronco owners.

I was at 32 PSI and the Ford Performance Bilsteins were amazing. I never wanted to air down whatsoever for comfort.

My old GX 460 on 6112s I would always air down even on a forest service road. I think a lot of that was the weight and much heavier spring rates.

 

[Aonarch]

Installed a bunch of IAG stuff.

Dog cover. The fit is good.

Fog lights that piggy back into the headlight wiring harness. No need for a switch. Yes they are always on with the low beams, which I prefer.

Rear mud flaps

Front mini mud flaps

Installing the Yakima roof platform this weekend.

 

[Aonarch]

Finally ordered the Rock Jock Anti-Rock, I've been waiting for everything else to come together before going with this.

 

[Aonarch]

Installed the Rockworkz hardtop screws, since I was missing two from the factory.

 

[Aonarch]

Installed the Yakima platform K. Time consuming, but straightforward.

I went with the TimberLine Towers with SL Adapters, that way it mounts to the rails and not the cross bars.

I have the Badasstents wind deflector in the mail.

 

[GroovyGeek]

Too late for you but the Broaddict steps are on clearance at $130-ish. Look very similar to the IAGs at 40% of the cost
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXH6JK9N

If you are going to do serious wheeling then consider this
https://www.asfir.com/transfer-case-bracket-599667.html
The cost of shipping from Israel for this alone is probably not worth it, I got mine together with their transfer case and cross-member skids.

How much rake are you getting with the FP 2" kit? I am considering doing it on my 4D BD, waiting to see what prices Black Friday brings (shipping from Levittown to me is $220+). I am not up to dealing with 350 ft-lb torque on the rear shocks and will pay someone to install them for me, together with the track bar bracket.

Did you install the TSB alternator shield? How was it? Looks like it may require retentionning of the belt.

 

[Aonarch]

Too late for you but the Broaddict steps are on clearance at $130-ish. Look very similar to the IAGs at 40% of the cost
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXH6JK9N

If you are going to do serious wheeling then consider this
https://www.asfir.com/transfer-case-bracket-599667.html
The cost of shipping from Israel for this alone is probably not worth it, I got mine together with their transfer case and cross-member skids.

How much rake are you getting with the FP 2" kit? I am considering doing it on my 4D BD, waiting to see what prices Black Friday brings (shipping from Levittown to me is $220+). I am not up to dealing with 350 ft-lb torque on the rear shocks and will pay someone to install them for me, together with the track bar bracket.

Did you install the TSB alternator shield? How was it? Looks like it may require retentionning of the belt.

Ahh nice, I didn't know they made that bracket.

I still haven't done anything about the transmission. I have a PPE pan, but have been way to lazy to install.

I have 2" of rake with the Bronco empty.

I did not do the shield, it looked like a PITA, so I skipped it.

 

[BroncoRo]

Installed the Yakima platform K. Time consuming, but straightforward.

I went with the TimberLine Towers with SL Adapters, that way it mounts to the rails and not the cross bars.

I have the Badasstents wind deflector in the mail.
[/QUOTE.

Finally got my OEM Rock Rails. Took forever through Ford Accessories, but I paid with points so… meh. Showed pictures of the attachment points. Not a lot of them. Honestly the side steps seem to have strong attachment points, but I know these are rated for 1.5x the vehicle weight, which is plenty for me.

IAG steps are great. On my Gladiator I had to fab up my own unboltable steps, and hilariously enough forum members thought they were dumb.

The ability to unbolt them in say 2 minutes is super convenient.

If you all haven’t noticed, I am going for a very clean OEM Plus build.

can i ask about to steps..
can you clip them on without hitting the lower body(rocker panel)

 

[Aonarch]

Antirock installed. I had one hiccup… I realized at the very end that their Bronco in the instructions was not on a typical two post lift, but rather a four post, where there is a platform that the vehicle drives on, like an alignment lift. So their suspension was NOT drooped. Sh&t!! So I had to pull off the end links and the torsion arms, put the wheels back on and bring out the race ramps.

I also wish Rockjock gave more specifics on what angle the torsion bars should be at, also in the instructions it doesn’t mention the three end link holes, which setting is which. (Street biased, middle, or off-road biased). I put them in the middle hole.

So in my pictures the arms are at the wrong angles. There they were around 20*. Now they are right at 33*.

 

[87-Z28]

@Aonarch
The hole that provides the longest distance to the torsion bar will develop the most leverage (least stiffness as function of length cubed). So that would be for off road use, greatest articulation with least resistance.

very curious how you like this setup on the road. A 0.85” bar is much softer than the 1.375” OEM bar. Torsional resistance is a function of bar diameter to the fourth power. Very strong function. The 0.85” bar should be about 6 times softer (very crude estimate). Much better for off roading but curious what you think on the road.

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