ELD Swap: My Journey to E-Locker Heaven -- Installation on Base Bronco (DIY + Photos)

[Hey Buddy]

I ended up running the positive and ground wire all the way from the engine bay down the frame to the rear axle following the existing harness the best I could. Being a two door I would guess I used 20 feet of wire plus or minus some.

I installed a grommet to protect the wire coming through the metal hole, and the rest is incased in plastic wire loom to keep it safe.

Down the firewall to along the frame.

Up and over in the rear still somewhat following the original harness.

Still following the original loom, but here is where I installed the heat shielding like Ford does from the Factory.

Final curl into the axle.

I put my suspension through the full range of motion and never had any tension on the wire or pinch points.

I originally though of using the factory wire ran to the rear of the cabin, but didn't know if there was a pass through to get it out and under to the axle.

You cannot be thanked enough for doing this!!

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[climb2descend]

Awesome!!! Thanks for posting all the details, great work. Definitely saving this for reference later.

 

[BudgetBronco]

Great writeup! I have been thinking about this exact swap for my 2.3 MT Base pretty much from day one. No urgency for me, but some day I would like to do the same. Very good to know that straight 12V should work. Ideally I am hoping to some day source a 4.46 Elocker equipped factory axle from a junkyard, but that will definitely be a 'needle in a haystck' thing.

 

[NatureBoy]

Oh, I meant to ask what do you do with the old axl?

 

[DGE1993]

Great writeup! I have been thinking about this exact swap for my 2.3 MT Base pretty much from day one. No urgency for me, but some day I would like to do the same. Very good to know that straight 12V should work. Ideally I am hoping to some day source a 4.46 Elocker equipped factory axle from a junkyard, but that will definitely be a 'needle in a haystck' thing.

I was hoping to find one in a junkyard and searched the country for one with no luck.

Love you videos by the way! I think I watched them all a few times when I was waiting for my Base Bronco to be delivered.

 

[DGE1993]

Oh, I meant to ask what do you do with the old axl?

It's sitting in my garage waiting for someone to want to buy it. I thought maybe someone with a automatic bronco would want it for a better ratio for larger tires, but so far no takers.

 

[orion]

It's sitting in my garage waiting for someone to want to buy it. I thought maybe someone with a automatic bronco would want it for a better ratio for larger tires, but so far no takers.

Probably because they would need to swap the front ring and pinion too. That's the drawback. I have a front and rear out of my Black Diamond that I need to get rid of, 4.46 and rear, obviously, has the locker. I just need to get it in the classifieds...

 

[Dorf2point0]

Great instructions.. Thank you for sharing..

 

[bobogto]

This thing was a $700 option on the Big Bend... Dealer of Ford screwed me over and never actually made it onto my vehicle even tho I requested it and spec it out. If it was a different situation I would have denied it and have them build me one the way I wanted it, but...
Anyway. Good to know that it's possible and it does work. Now if I can only get my gripe that it will cost me 2000-3000 instead of 700... Not to mention labor.

 

[kodiakisland]

Thanks for the writeup. Will be doing front and rear soon.

On the driveshaft bolts, do I need four from the link you listed? Looks like two are together in a washer in the picture.

 

[DGE1993]

Thanks for the writeup. Will be doing front and rear soon.

On the driveshaft bolts, do I need four from the link you listed? Looks like two are together in a washer in the picture.

They do come bound as a set of two bolts. I can't recall how many I purchased, but if you crawl under and count the bolts and divide by two, you should be good to go.

Also if you do the front put together a good write up! I want to get around to doing mine when the money allows.

 

[Hey Buddy]

Ford Performance Parts now offers a wiring harness. I wonder if it could be hooked to an up fitter switch so I did not need to run it into the cab?

https://performanceparts.ford.com/part/M-14489-BR

 

[DGE1993]

Ford Performance Parts now offers a wiring harness. I wonder if it could be hooked to an up fitter switch so I did not need to run it into the cab?

https://performanceparts.ford.com/part/M-14489-BR

It could, but it would take some modifying. You would have to gut the harness of the switch and relay they provide. Then you would hook the ground up like they instruct and take the wire coming out of the relay that goes to the axle and hook it to your up fitter switch wiring. OR you could just gut their switch out and hook the trigger wire from their switch up to your AUX wiring.

IMO its probably just as easy to make your own as it is going to be to modify their harness. And I spent maybe $50 making mine vs the $300 they want for theirs.

Now for the guys that don't have AUX switches that harness might be worth it. Personally I don't like where they have you put the switch according to the instructions.

 

[Hey Buddy]

It could, but it would take some modifying. You would have to gut the harness of the switch and relay they provide. Then you would hook the ground up like they instruct and take the wire coming out of the relay that goes to the axle and hook it to your up fitter switch wiring. OR you could just gut their switch out and hook the trigger wire from their switch up to your AUX wiring.

IMO its probably just as easy to make your own as it is going to be to modify their harness. And I spent maybe $50 making mine vs the $300 they want for theirs.

Now for the guys that don't have AUX switches that harness might be worth it. Personally I don't like where they have you put the switch according to the instructions.

I am not a fan of cutting holes in my interior panels, especially in the hard to reach spot that is recommended! I thought maybe I could cut off the switch & wire the green & red wires to my powered aux switch, then not worry about the black wire in the switch as the ground already has its own lead anyway?

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