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Adding Trail Turn with manual transmission in aftermarket?

Ramble_Offroad

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I’m no master mechanic but I’ve been around the sun enough times to have an opinion based in experience. (Surprise!)

Adding features like Trail Turn and swaybar disco via “aftermarket solutions” are just not realistically going to happen. Is it possible with a custom solution? Sure anything’s possible, but only for a tiny population of very skilled or very wealthy consumers.

I keep reading about people on this forum expecting to add a swaybar quick disconnect later, I think that is highly unlikely. The Tacoma community has been asking for this for a decade, no real high quality solutions exist. It’s just a fact of IFS and liability risk within a highly litigious society. Swaybar delete, sure that will happen eventually but will likely be accompanied by stiffer / more sophisticated coil overs.

Hand brake trail turn solution could work, but we’re not talking about some XJ or prerunner project that you wouldn’t bat an eye to taking a sawzall to it after a few beers. We’re talking about a off the lot new vehicle. Otherwise you’d better be a legit computer hacker and top tier fabricator before you take this on. Most people would have better luck hiring the A-Team, maybe BA can figure it out....in our dreams. 🤪

Bumpers, armor, suspension, accessories, this is where the aftermarket will offer superior goods.

But that’s just like my opinion man.... (said in my best “The Dude” voice). Good luck!

PEACE
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Ryuk

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As I used to compete in Class II rock crawling, I had the following on my Rubicon.

CNC Series 452 Dual Handle Cutting Brake | POLY PERFORMANCE

We had to modify the center console area between the front seats and mount this to a custom bracket to make sure it was solidly attached. Once that was done, it was a matter of running some brake lines to the existing brake lines that connect the left and right rear calipers. The end result is the brake pedal continues to activate all 4 calipers and when needed you could activate the left or right rear brake individually by pulling the appropriate lever.

So the main requirements are a mounting location that is reachable and allow you to go through the floor [requires cutting] to the underside of the Bronco.

It was far from expensive, but I sure do NOT want to be cutting up my Bronco's interior.

I think a manual front sway bar disconnect system is possible but those can be a pita to re-attach after a day of wheeling. I'd need to see more pictures of that area on a non Badlands jeep to see what would need to be done.
 

The Pope

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It doesn't have trail turn either so one way or another if you want the feature you're going to have to modify the existing controls to make it work, either physical or electronic.
I was "basically" saying that If the Bronco Had been designed with a Hand Brake, then there would be the Possibility of Converting it to a Split System, but there's no hand brake, so... Oh Well.....

i think it'd be difficult to incorporate because of the clutch slippage that is needed. locking up a wheel would probably cause most to stall it. if possible, a clutch kick or clutch dump in 2H you could get a 180 going some what easily, no?
As it's has already been pointed out.... there's not a Limited Slip in the 2021 Bronco, but an Open Diff, so this potential issue is... well... not an issue.
 
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3Dogs

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OK, a follow-on question:
How useful is Trail Turn anyway? How many trails would require it, or is it just a convenience so you don't have to make a multi-point turn?
 

The Pope

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I keep reading about people on this forum expecting to add a swaybar quick disconnect later, I think that is highly unlikely.
So.... you don't think that the OEM Disconnecting Sway Bar from a wrecked Badlands will not bolt up to a different model? Hummmmm..... You may also think that the other items (Hero Switch, Wiring, Software..... etc...) can't be used.....

It's not like we're trying to graft in something from a totally different vehicle. Just saying...
 

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Ryuk

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OK, a follow-on question:
How useful is Trail Turn anyway? How many trails would require it, or is it just a convenience so you don't have to make a multi-point turn?
For Rock Crawling, it can be extremely beneficial. Sometimes doing a 2-6 point turn isn't possible because other rocks are in your way. Pivoting around a rock, can help you line up the rest of the trail in the above situation.

An additional benefit of cutting brakes is to help squat the inside suspension on the upper hill side when side crawling. This is done to reduce the chance of a side roll when at a steep angle.
Unfortunately it looks like the Ford System is limited to turning so this second advantage will be not be possible.
 

The Pope

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OK, a follow-on question:
How useful is Trail Turn anyway? How many trails would require it, or is it just a convenience so you don't have to make a multi-point turn?
Depending on the location... such as heavily wooded areas, it could be very useful. Even in the Tesla 4x4 Off-Road Concept video, where it Crabbed sideways to get past a bolder in a tight spot, it would help.
 

Lowcountry Bronco

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I was "basically" saying that If the Bronco Had been designed with a Hand Brake, then there would be the Possibility of Converting it to a Split System, but there's no hand brake, so... Oh Well.....
Nope, I got what you were trying to say, electronic ebrake, but there's still a physical connection so if someone really wanted to bypass the electrics and just hook up dual handbrakes they could and would probably be easier.
 

Laminar

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OK, a follow-on question:
How useful is Trail Turn anyway? How many trails would require it, or is it just a convenience so you don't have to make a multi-point turn?
The number of original Bronco owners that will get value from this feature is certainly going to be a fraction of a percent. It is a novelty feature that costs Ford $0 to add, as it's just a software setting for the existing ABS/traction control system.

There will certainly be some first Bronco owners that take their $60k trucks down tight technical trails with a high probability of body damage...but that will be a very small number of owners. But 10 years from now once a Bronco is on its third or fourth owner...those are the guys that are going to send it for real.
 

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I’m no master mechanic but I’ve been around the sun enough times to have an opinion based in experience. (Surprise!)

Adding features like Trail Turn and swaybar disco via “aftermarket solutions” are just not realistically going to happen. Is it possible with a custom solution? Sure anything’s possible, but only for a tiny population of very skilled or very wealthy consumers.

I keep reading about people on this forum expecting to add a swaybar quick disconnect later, I think that is highly unlikely. The Tacoma community has been asking for this for a decade, no real high quality solutions exist. It’s just a fact of IFS and liability risk within a highly litigious society. Swaybar delete, sure that will happen eventually but will likely be accompanied by stiffer / more sophisticated coil overs.

Hand brake trail turn solution could work, but we’re not talking about some XJ or prerunner project that you wouldn’t bat an eye to taking a sawzall to it after a few beers. We’re talking about a off the lot new vehicle. Otherwise you’d better be a legit computer hacker and top tier fabricator before you take this on. Most people would have better luck hiring the A-Team, maybe BA can figure it out....in our dreams. 🤪

Bumpers, armor, suspension, accessories, this is where the aftermarket will offer superior goods.

But that’s just like my opinion man.... (said in my best “The Dude” voice). Good luck!

PEACE
No one would pay for a sway bar disconnect because it takes 3 minutes to grab a 15mm socket wrench and adjustable wrench and knock off one end of the sway bar to have the same thing as a several hundred dollar mechanism.
 

Ramble_Offroad

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No one would pay for a sway bar disconnect because it takes 3 minutes to grab a 15mm socket wrench and adjustable wrench and knock off one end of the sway bar to have the same thing as a several hundred dollar mechanism.

Consumers will pay for it 100%.

I took the swaybar off my Tacoma long ago, it’s been hanging in my rafters for years. I get it.

Even with help from my buddy who is a Toyota master tech it was an hour long process (easy job + stubborn bolts) to fully remove my swaybar. But that also involved dropping / reinstalling the front skids, plus we were in the middle of nowhere out in the Moab desert.

As far as just disconnecting & leaving one free to bang around unsecured, or zip tied in place never felt right to me. Go for it.

PEACE
 

Laminar

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No one would pay for a sway bar disconnect because it takes 3 minutes to grab a 15mm socket wrench and adjustable wrench and knock off one end of the sway bar to have the same thing as a several hundred dollar mechanism.
"No one would buy a $60,000 Bronco to go drive around on some trails when you could just spend $6k for a used Wrangler to do the same thing."

Why do you think people are rational with their money? Why do you think everyone has the same priorities as you?
 

Ramble_Offroad

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So.... you don't think that the OEM Disconnecting Sway Bar from a wrecked Badlands will not bolt up to a different model? Hummmmm..... You may also think that the other items (Hero Switch, Wiring, Software..... etc...) can't be used.....

It's not like we're trying to graft in something from a totally different vehicle. Just saying...
Reaching but you have me there. I had not considered harvesting from a fallen Badlands. I don’t consider that aftermarket plug and play solution for most consumers, but yes feasible.

Plus we don’t yet know if that’s possible. Should be, but does anybody really know yet?

PEACE.
 

NCOBX

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"No one would buy a $60,000 Bronco to go drive around on some trails when you could just spend $6k for a used Wrangler to do the same thing."

Why do you think people are rational with their money? Why do you think everyone has the same priorities as you?
Because it makes about as much sense as using physical paper money for fuel. It’s one thing if it’s a factory option for a couple hundred bucks but spending several hundred to nearly a grand for it doesn’t make sense when you could quickly disconnect it temporary or just run without.

It’s like the huge number of people running 6 inches of lift on a full-size pickup to install tiny 35” tires then taking it a step further by installing those mud terrains on 20” rims that would crack or bend 15 minutes into most trails.
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