Unicorn Spec?

[YellaHEL940]

I looked for a dual top option and that always limited the success of a search. Just get an aftermarket soft top and buy a factory hard top.

Sponsored

 

[pronuanceantibs]

A wife +kids daily would not be my choice and suspect that’s behind the well stocked used market for the Bronco. Great rig for its designed use, but daily soccer duties it’d be low on my list.

Also, wife’s daily and my hunting rig would not be the same vehicle.

No problem here, it's how we paid off the Ram 2500 tow rig. My wife's not picky and a Bronco 3 miles to work and 6 miles to pick up the kids is perfectly fine. Then I can run off to scout for hunting on the weekends. Best of both world's.

 

[pronuanceantibs]

Any opinions on gearing? Are all of the gears usable at 80 mph in the 4.46 option?

 

[huey]

Any opinions on gearing? Are all of the gears usable at 80 mph in the 4.46 option?

if you want to put 35" tires on look for 4.7 gears. As others have said either black diamond or badlands., badlands if you want leather.

I bought a badlands because i did not want vinyl, I also have a manual trans so can't answer on how much the autos search for gears. I will say I could not be happier with my MT , 4.7 on 35's.

 

[SierraBronco]

You’d be better off with a 4Runner, all things considered.

 

[MNBigfoot]

I bought a Base Sas (standard package), for my hunting/fishing rig, two months later the wife's suv gets totaled. She won't give up Bronco for nothing, thought the novelty of it would wear off for her in time (been about 2 years now), unfortunately it hasn't. She doesn't miss anything she had on the Toyotas with the XLE packages. I have the factory Hard Top and love it, and it comes with a warranty that lasts longer than the 6 months the expensive aftermarket ones come with.

 

[timhood]

Thanks, what’s SAS?

He meant to say non-Sas. As in, without the Sasquatch package, not non-SAS where Sas means solid axle swap.

 

[timhood]

Any opinions on gearing? Are all of the gears usable at 80 mph in the 4.46 option?

The 10-speed with the V-6 has plenty of power and torque and can easily take you into triple digits if you don't mind watching the fuel gauge visibly drop right in front of your eyes. Even 80 is going to be a pretty sharp fuel penalty. That's a 5,000 pound brick you're trying to defy the laws of physics with!

The nice thing about the 4.46/10-speed combo is you still get a good ratio for 4L off-roading plus two overdrive ratios for highway use and everything in between for daily driving, performance, and whatever decent fuel economy you could hope to get.

 

[pronuanceantibs]

You’d be better off with a 4Runner, all things considered.

But that’s the thing, we have one now, bought a Limited in ‘22 when they were hard to come bye. Totally unimpressed, looked at a Bronco but was scared off by the Top issues. Turns out the 4Runner is a gutless wonder, if I go up in tire size just a tad for clearance it will only be worse. That 4.0L V6 and 5 speed are tremendously reliable but very very aged.

Now the Bronco has a more proven track record and am now scared off by the current Toyota V6 engine issues on their Tundra platform.

 

[Bugkillah]

2.7L badlands non-Sasquatch has 33” tires and 4.46 gearing, get hardtop, maybe lux/high package for wife. Look far and wide, deals are to be had now, or order to spec.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

New ... I like both the Black Diamond and Badlands suggestions.
Research those two models.
My personal preference would be the Badlands if the budget will swing it.

As noted, the Badlands will have the heavier duty front axle (M210) and front locker , neither of which can be had on the Black Diamond in 32" form.
I think of Badlands as 95% Sasquatch.



If looking at used market, I wouldn't knock the Sasquatch with 35's off your list without giving one a good test drive first. The factory has set these rigs up really well, they are dialed in.
Biggest hurdle might be step in height for the Mrs.
All Sasquatch rigs have the M210 and F&R lockers.
Once you look at Squatch, all the trims are damn near equal.

Even on 35's , I've read where the belly of these things will still drag a fair amount. You're not gaining clearance as you would with a Jeep or EB (early Bronco) where the body is sitting considerably higher than the centerline of the 35's.

So considering your use, you might want to throw Squatch back in the ring.

My MIC top has been fine, though not perfect cosmetically. Considering the cost compared to even the cheaper aftermarket hard tops, I'd always go factory hard top first.

It's my opinion the factory soft tops are better, sturdier than the aftermarket tops.

Used factory soft tops, I've seen listed for considerably cheaper than the new OEM or aftermarket prices.

 

[SierraBronco]

But that’s the thing, we have one now, bought a Limited in ‘22 when they were hard to come bye. Totally unimpressed, looked at a Bronco but was scared off by the Top issues. Turns out the 4Runner is a gutless wonder, if I go up in tire size just a tad for clearance it will only be worse. That 4.0L V6 and 5 speed are tremendously reliable but very very aged.

Now the Bronco has a more proven track record and am now scared off by the current Toyota V6 engine issues on their Tundra platform.

Didn’t Toyota determine the problem with the new V6? And definitely the last generation is underpowered, but that’s what superchargers are for

 

[pronuanceantibs]

Didn’t Toyota determine the problem with the new V6? And definitely the last generation is underpowered, but that’s what superchargers are for

They did, but man, having an engine erode after 40-60k miles is a big deal. Who says it couldn’t happen at 80k or 120k? And if they screwed that up I’m gonna stay away from the first production new 4Runner.

Wish TRD still offered a Supercharger, but once you start to look into it, the cost and lack of any substantial warranty and 60 hp…may as well look into a new vehicle with the same HP.

 

[mpeugeot]

Ugh, 2024...

Badlands non-Sasquatch is the best answer.

Now, if you find a remarkably good deal on a heritage or other Sasquatch equipped Bronco, snatch it up.

For $500 or so, you can typically get a set of five non-sasquatch Outerbanks rims and tires taken off a new Bronco. These are EXCELLENT on the highway (I can get 23.5 mpg at over 75 mph with the right exhaust in my 2.7 Bronco), and they are still decent in the dirt but have a light duty sidewall.

As far as tops go, if you can't get or don't want the factory dual top. I would seriously look at the Armadillo Designs aluminum hardtop. It looks pretty awesome.

 

[V1Rotate]

Even on 35's , I've read where the belly of these things will still drag a fair amount. You're not gaining clearance as you would with a Jeep or EB (early Bronco) where the body is sitting considerably higher than the centerline of the 35's.

So considering your use, you might want to throw Squatch back in the ring.

35’s on a Jeep vs. 35’s on a 6th Gen aren’t even really an apples to apples comparison in terms of clearance / ratio of tire-to-vehicle size for sure.

Not to mention the Bronco factory “35’s” aren’t anywhere near 35“ anyway. Before I changed things up I always thought the 4.7‘s and the stock ~34” Goodyears were a really good combo

Sponsored