Underwhelming Offroad experience

[Kevin Scarbel]

The most capable 4x4 I've ever owned was my first vehicle, a 1946 Willys CJ-2A. Simply put, it could go anywhere. Not having locking diffs, for example, was never an issue.

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[broadicustomworks]

The tires play a big part.
as does the lack of lift.
All those small increments of height stack up eventually and DO gain you more belly height, articulation, etc.
The Bronco is no Jeep and never will be with the IFS.
But they are highly capable even in stock form.
A very well balanced machine to have IFS and all the downsides it brings when it comes to serious offroading.
The lockers are a game changer in the times they’re needed.
Things can be done to make it better, but all of those come with a monetary cost and some of them come at a daily driver/Ford-engineered smooth balance cost.
They’ve got some low-hanging fruit that makes contact.
All we can do is take one thing, alleviate what we can, move to the next thing.
Mine is constantly going through revisions.
Shock skids help a lot, but you’re still gonna bang them.
Crossmember UHMW cladding is probably the most bang for the buck modification for allowing them to not get caught as much.
A lift and larger tires move all of that belly stuff a bit higher.
It’s just the nature of the beast.
While I could technically crawl harder stuff in my TJ, the Bronco does pretty darned good at anything I’ve thrown at it. And I have not necessarily been easy on it. I’ve never had to pull cable for my own recovery.
The lines you have to pick are a bit different sometimes.

 

[GroovyGeek]

All you have to do is take a look under a Bronco and a Jeep to immediately know that even a Sport Wrangler on 32s has more air under it than a non SAS badlands on 33s. Yeah the specs may say otherwise but the specs do not tell the whole story. The clearance spec on the Wrangler is from the rear diff, but EVERYTHING else is much higher up in the air. The gas tank on the Bronco is low, so are the LCAs, the cross members, the TCAs, you name it. So yeah, for medium+ off-road it is not as good, particularly if you are like me with limited success picking the best line without a spotter. Look at the bright side - at least you don't hate your life getting to the trail. Driving that JK in the CA high desert with strong crosswinds sure kept me awake. Sondid passing by an 18 wheeler barreling at 70mph in the other direction on a 2-lane road.

 

[TNcoupe]

I did the Bilstein 6112s on my BL and went up to 35" General X3s and had zero problems bottoming out since then as long as I choose the correct line. The tires have been phenomenal in East TN nasty slimy mud and slick rocks. I usually run them around 15psi on Icon Rebound Pro wheels.

 

[jensht]

I appreciate everyone's input! It sounds like a lift and maybe some additional armor would be a good idea. I'll also be more conscious about the lines I pick and adapt to the vehicle.

I'll post a trip report once we are back from Corsica in January and let everyone know how it went.

As a side note, I am really happy that this thread stayed factual and didn't degrade into bashing brand X or Y! Thanks everyone!

 

[jensht]

All you have to do is take a look under a Bronco and a Jeep to immediately know that even a Sport Wrangler on 32s has more air under it than a non SAS badlands on 33s. Yeah the specs may say otherwise but the specs do not tell the whole story. The clearance spec on the Wrangler is from the rear diff, but EVERYTHING else is much higher up in the air. The gas tank on the Bronco is low, so are the LCAs, the cross members, the TCAs, you name it. So yeah, for medium+ off-road it is not as good, particularly if you are like me with limited success picking the best line without a spotter. Look at the bright side - at least you don't hate your life getting to the trail. Driving that JK in the CA high desert with strong crosswinds sure kept me awake. Sondid passing by an 18 wheeler barreling at 70mph in the other direction on a 2-lane road.

Yeah, I don't miss the road characteristics of the JK! The Bronco is light years ahead!

 

[jensht]

are you in the military? Or a civilian ex-pat? Just curious. I grew up an ex-pat kid (middle and high school) in Sweden and the UK. We always had sports tournaments against other international schools. And the Lakenheath Air Force base in England. Was a pretty cool lifestyle. Very cool actually.

I am German, but my step-dad was in the US Air Force, so we moved around between Germany and the US. Looking back I am happy we moved around, it gives a different perspective to the world. My experience has been that the military fosters a sense of community, especially at smaller bases, and I am also happy to hear cool stories from others that grew up all over the place.

 

[usarms]

My advice to all the nay sayers. Buy a Jeep and build a rock crawler or whatever. Spend thousands on long travel goodies, giant tires, mini fenders and maybe some neon so you fit in and oh, don't forget the orange headlight rings. Buy a few rubber ducks and have a blast. The Bronco is a totally different vehicle. For most folks it's great compromise. I cannot envision any way to build (actually build not just bolt on accessories) a Bronco like a built Jeep. I gotta say I have never seen so many cry and complain about a vehicle in my 50+ years of driving. Geeze.

 

[cbrownabq]

I had the same feeling driving the Bronco at Bronco Roadeo….it hasn’t changed…broncos are not as capable off road as jeeps…I have 3” lift and 37s and can now almost keep up banging skid plates with my brother’s TJ on 33s in the tougher stuff…but the on road performance and comfort make up for it in my old age…

100% True. Ive had built jeeps and now have 37s with no sway bar. IFS just can’t hang. That being said, my Bronco goes where I want it to and drives great!

 

[jensht]

My advice to all the nay sayers. Buy a Jeep and build a rock crawler or whatever. Spend thousands on long travel goodies, giant tires, mini fenders and maybe some neon so you fit in and oh, don't forget the orange headlight rings. Buy a few rubber ducks and have a blast. The Bronco is a totally different vehicle. For most folks it's great compromise. I cannot envision any way to build (actually build not just bolt on accessories) a Bronco like a built Jeep. I gotta say I have never seen so many cry and complain about a vehicle in my 50+ years of driving. Geeze.

Since when has it become a problem when people make observations about something? I think the thread has had a good balance of touting the virtues and short comings of the Bronco. Considering that the most direct competitor is the Jeep Wrangler, and the Wrangler was a benchmark vehicle for Ford during development, why would it be a reach for people to compare the two? Just because we bought Broncos doesn't mean we have to blindly accept everything and bow down to Ford. Every vehicle is an exercise of compromises to cater to what the manufacturer thinks its target audience wants. So obviously it won't be perfect for everyone.

 

[Brian_B]

I found this thread to be a good read.

 

[CitrusBronco]

The Bronco has a lot of low hanging fruit. Even on 35’s I can barely squeeze under on my driveway and I’m not a big guy.
My f250 on 33’s I have lots of room to move around. It has much more clearance.
The Bronco has a lower center of gravity and can really fly down trails at speed remaining composed.
I don’t live on a mountain so no rock crawling for me but everything else. The Bronco is point and shoot, it just goes.
I’m very happy with its off road performance, people riding with me will say we can’t do that, then we do with ease and they are amazed.
it’s no rock hound from the factory, solid axes have that role. To compare with a jeep they do one thing better, rocks. The Bronco does everything else better.

I’m not sure why you had hill climb issues, maybe the tires, maybe try using your goat modes, they actually do more than just switch on the transfer case.

 

[gbub]

Very informative for me.

 

[Owl]

Sorry if this was stated earlier, but was the Bronco a 2 or 4 door? How about the Mitsu?

 

[Strizzo]

There is a lot of stuff jammed into the bronco package, and the design (which makes it more liveable day to day onroad) makes it less good offroad. That's not to say its bad, you just need to expect to drag skid plates and other bits on things offroad. Jeep does a good job keeping the drivetrain tucked up out of the way, which helps with breakover angle and climbing obstacles.

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