More Project Buckin' Bronco Episodes
More Buckin’ Bronco Episodes
XOR - Xtreme Off-Road Builds
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Join the PowerNation Email NewsletterParts Used In This Episode
ARB 4x4 Accessories
ARB Air Locker GM 14 Bolt 10.5inch FF 30 Spline 4.10 & Down
ARB 4x4 Accessories
ARB Air Locker Dana 60hd 35 Spline 4.10 & Down (RD167)
Axle Tech International
AxleTech International Motorsports Bolt-On Portal Conversion
Edwards Ironworkers
55 TON EDWARDS IRONWORKER with Hydraulic Accessory Pack option; 10 Ton Bender, 15 Ton Horizontal press,Tubing Roller and 40 Ton Shop Press.
ESAB
The Official Welding and Cutting Supplier of Xtreme Off Road, featuring the all-new Rebel 215 Multi-Process Welder
ESAB
ESAB Crossbow Plasma CNC Cutting System 5ft x 10ft
LMC Truck
Upper Quarter Panel, LH/RH, Bronco 66-67
Revolution Gear And Axle
3.73 Ring and Pinion, GM, 14-BOLT
Revolution Gear And Axle
3.73 4.56 Ring and Pinion, FORD, D60
Video Transcript
(ANNOUNCER)>> A
SURVIVALIST RIG WON'T
SURVIVE FOR LONG WITHOUT RELIABLE, WELL
BUILT AXLE INTERNALS. TODAY ON XTREME OFF ROAD THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT OUR CHEVY GETS, INCLUDING DEEP GEAR SETS, AIR LOCKERS, AND MORE. PLUS A CNC PLASMA CUTTING MACHINE CAN SAVE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT IN YOUR SHOP, AND OUR BUCKIN' BRONCO DESERT RACER GETS SOME CLASSIC FAST BACK STYLE.
(IAN)>> I WILL FULLY ADMIT THAT SOMETIMES THE PROJECTS HERE IN THE SHOP, THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OUT OF CONTROL, BUT COME ON.
THE NAME OF THE SHOW IS XTREME OFF ROAD, NOT SENSIBLY BUILT MILD DAILY DRIVER OFF ROAD.
THAT'S WHY IT'S PERFECTLY NATURAL FOR OUR '91 SUBURBAN FRAME TO NOW HAVE THREE AXLES MOUNTED UNDERNEATH IT. A TRUE SIX WHEEL DRIVE, SIX BY SIX SUSPENSION. WE HAVE A SIX BT UNDER THE HOOD BACKED BY A SIX SPEED TRANSMISSION. NOW TODAY I WANT TO FINISH UP ALL THREE OF THOSE AXLES THAT WE'VE PUT UNDERNEATH THE FRAME, AND THAT MEANS DEALING WITH THE INTERNALS, AND WHEN YOU HAVE THREE AXLES UNDERNEATH YOUR RIG, WELL THE LOCKER SELECTION, IT GETS PRETTY TRICKY. WITH THREE AXLES TO BUILD WE'RE GONNA NEED THREE RING AND PINION GEAR SETS. NOW THESE ARE FROM REVOLUTION GEAR AND AXLE.
IT'S TWO 14 BOLT GEAR SETS FOR OUR REAR AXLES AND A REVERSE ROTATION DANA 60 FOR OUR FRONT. NOW THESE ARE ALL 3.73 TO ONE RATIO, AND I'M SURE THAT SOME OF YOU ARE THINKING, THAT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A DEEP ENOUGH GEAR FOR A RIG WITH A 46
INCH TALL TIRE, BUT YOU'VE GOTTA REMEMBER. OUR PORTAL BOXES GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL ONE AND A HALF TO ONE GEAR REDUCTION.
SO THAT 3.73 TURNS INTO ACTUALLY 5.5 TO ONE WHEN IT HITS THE GROUND, PERFECT FOR OUR RIG. THREE RING AND PINIONS BY WHY ONLY TWO ARB AIR LOCKERS? NOW WE'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THE ARB AIR LOCKER. IT'S AN OPEN DIFFERENTIAL WHEN UNLOCKED, BUT WHEN YOU LOCK IT DOWN IT'S BASICALLY A SPOOL, 100 PERCENT TRACTION TO THE WHEELS AT ALL TIMES.
NOW THAT CAN BE A HUGE BENEFIT WHEN YOU'RE ON THE TRAIL BUT MY CONCERN WITH OUR SIX BY SIX IS IF I HAVE TWO LOCKERS IN THE BACK AND LOCK THEM BOTH TOGETHER I'LL BASICALLY HAVE FOUR HUGE TIRES PUSHING THIS RIG IN A STRAIGHT LINE, ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. SO MY PLAN IS TO RUN JUST A SINGLE AIR LOCKER IN THE REAR AND THEN USE A FACTORY LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL IN THE REARREAR AXLE.
THAT WAY I WILL STILL HAVE FULL TIME FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WITH A LIMITED SLIP REAR AXLE IF I EVER NEED THAT
ADDITIONAL TRACTION, AND OUR BUILD OUT STARTS WITH OUR FRONT AXLE. THE FIRST STEP TO INSTALLING A RING AND PINION INTO ANY DANA SERIES AXLE IS TO DETERMINE THE DEPTH OF THE PINION IN THE HOUSING. THE BEST WAY TO PERFORM THIS IS WITH A PINION DEPTH TOOL. WITH THE BEARING INSTALLED ONTO THE PINION, AND A SCUFF RACE IN THE HOUSING, THE TOOL IS USED TO DETERMINE THE DEPTH OF THE PINION MEASURED AGAINST THE CENTER LINE OF THE AXLE. THIS DETERMINES THE AMOUNT OF SHIMS THAT GO UNDERNEATH THE RACE.
SIDE BEARINGS ARE THEN PRESSED ONTO THE LOCKER AND THE RING GEAR IS BOLTED UP. THE PINION IS THEN REMOVED FROM THE HOUSING AND THE LOCKER IS DROPPED IN TO DETERMINE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SHIMS WE'LL NEED BEHIND THE SIDE BEARINGS.
A LOCKER IS THEN REMOVED FROM THE HOUSING AND A
PINION IS REINSTALLED. LOCKER DROPPED BACK INTO PLACE TO DETERMINE THE RING GEAR SIDE SHIM COUNT. WE KNOW THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SHIMS NEEDED TO PROVIDE PROPER SIDE BEARING PRELOAD ON THIS CARRIER IS 115 THOUSANDTHS OF AN INCH. BY DROPPING THE PINION IN PLACE AND TAKING THE MEASUREMENT AGAIN I KNOW THAT THIS SIDE OF THE CARRIER NEEDS 75 THOUSANDTHS OF AN INCH, WHICH MEANS THAT THE REMAINDER 40 THOUSANDTHS WILL GO ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. ONCE WE HAVE THOSE SHIMS IN PLACE WE'LL CHECK THE BACK LASH OF THE RING GEAR AND FINE TUNE AS NECESSARY, BUT THERE IS ONE MORE STEP BEFORE WE DO THAT. WITH THE HOUSING COMPLETELY EMPTY ONCE AGAIN, THE HOLE IS DRILLED FOR THE ARB AIR LOCKER
BULKHEAD FITTING. THE SETUP BEARING RACE IS REMOVED FROM THE HOUSING, AND THE FINAL BEARING RACE IS HAMMERED INTO PLACE. THE FRONT PINION BEARING RACE IS INSTALLED ALONG WITH THE BEARING.
SHIMS ARE PLACED ONTO THE PINION, AND THE YOKE IS THEN TIGHTENED AND PINION BEARING
PRELOAD IS CHECKED. WAIT UNTIL THE PINION BEARING PRELOAD IS ADJUSTED CORRECTLY BEFORE INSTALLING THE PINION SEAL INTO THE HOUSING. YOU RUN THE RISK OF DAMAGING THAT SEAL AS YOU REMOVE THE PINION AND YOKE MULTIPLE TIMES GETTING THAT SETUP CORRECT. YOU CAN ALSO NOTICE THAT I LIKE TO REUSE THE ORIGINAL NUT AND PUT A SPACER UNDERNEATH IT. PINION NUTS ARE WHAT'S CALLED A MECHANICAL LOCK NUT. THE TOP THREADS ARE ACTUALLY PINCHED IN ON THEMSELVES, AND IF I TOOK A BRAND NEW NUT AND RAN IT ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT YOKE THE MECHANICAL LOCK PORTION OF THE NUT WOULD ENGAGE THE PINION. IF I HAD TO TAKE IT OFF AND REINSTALL IT MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET THE PINION BEARING PRELOAD CORRECT THE CHANCES ARE I'M GONNA AT LEAST DAMAGE THE NUT, POSSIBLY DAMAGE THE PINION. THAT'S WHY I USE THE SPACER AND THE OLD NUT. OBVIOUSLY THIS PRELOAD IS TOO LOOSE RIGHT NOW. SO I'VE GOT TO PULL IT APART, TAKE OUT A COUPLE OF SHIMS.
(ANNOUNCER)>> UP NEXT WE INSTALL HEAVY DUTY PORTAL BOXES ONTO OUR FRONT AXLE.
(IAN)>> WITH THE LOCKER AND GEAR SET INSTALLED, WE ARE NOT DONE WITH THIS FRONT AXLE. I STILL HAVE SOME CUSTOM FAB TO DO. I NEED TO LOCATE AND WELD ON A LEAF SPRING PERCH TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE AXLE.
THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS CAST INTO THE CENTER SECTION. TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF THE PASSENGER SIDE LEAF SPRING MOUNT, THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO
ACTUALLY PUT THE AXLE UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK AND BASICALLY JACK IT UP ONTO THE LEAF SPRINGS AND PULL
SOME MEASUREMENTS. AT THAT TIME I'LL BE ABLE TO DOUBLE CHECK THE CASTOR ANGLE ON THE INNERC, AND THEN THOSE WILL BE READY TO WELD AS WELL.
WITH THE AXLE UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK OUR PLAN HAS NOW COMPLETELY CHANGED. THE IDEA WAS JUST TO LOCATE THE PASSENGER SIDE SPRING PERCH BUT WITH AXLE IN PLACE, IT'S OBVIOUS I HAVE MADE A MISTAKE. THE DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER OF THIS LEAF SPRING TO THE OUTER KNUCKLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE VERSUS THE PASSENGER SIDE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. NOW I DON'T KNOW WHERE I MADE THE MISTAKE BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S EASY TO FIX. AS I COMPARE THE FACE OF THIS PORTAL BOX TO THE ONES IN THE BACK, THIS SIDE OF THE AXLE IS FIVE INCHES TOO FAR OUT. I THINK IT'S OBVIOUS THAT I DIDN'T TRIM THIS TUBE BEFORE I HAMMERED THE INNERC ON. SO NOW I HAVE TO TRIM THIS TUBE SHORTER, MOVE THIS INNERC INTO PLACE, AND RETACK IT ONTO THE AXLE. YET ANOTHER REASON WHY IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO NEVER FINISH WELD YOUR INNERC'S ONTO THE AXLE HOUSING UNTIL IT IS UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK, AND WAIT TO ORDER YOUR CUSTOM AXLE SHAFTS UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO PERFORM FINAL ASSEMBLY CAUSE IF I'D DONE EITHER ONE OF THOSE TWO THINGS IT'D BE A LOT MORE WORK TO CUT THIS "C" OFF AND I'D HAVE AN AXLE THAT WAS TOO LONG.
[ saw cutting metal ]
[ hammer tapping ] [ welder crackling ]
(IAN)>> WITH THE SPRING PERCH TACKED IN PLACE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE TUBE NOW SHORTENED UP, OUR AXLE IS AT THE CORRECT WIDTH. I DO STILL NEED TO ADJUST THE CASTOR ANGLE ON THIS INNERC AND THEN IT IS COMPLETELY READY TO WELD. THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO ACTUALLY PULL THE HOUSING BACK OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK. I'LL THROW IT BACK ON THE STAND, WELD ON THESE INNERC'S AS WELL AS THAT PERCH, MEASURE FOR SOME AXLE SHAFTS, BOLT UP SOME PORTALS.
WITH THE AXLE OUT AND BACK ON THE STAND, THE SPRING PERCH IS FULLY WELDED TO THE AXLE TUBE, AND BOTH
INNERC'S ARE WELDED UP. FIRST WITH A ROOT TIG PASS, FOLLOWED BY TWO MIG COVERING PASSES.
TO MEASURE FOR SHAFTS THE TAPE IS SLID INTO THE LOCKER AND THE LOCATION OF THE LOWER KINGPIN IS MARKED. THIS IS THE CENTER LINE OF THE AXLE UJOINT AND THE LENGTH OF OUR INNER SHAFTS. THE AXLE TECH PORTAL BRACKETS ARE BOLTED ONTO THE KINGPINS...
...ALIGNMENT PINS ARE SLID INTO THE AXLE TECH BRACKETS, AND THE PORTAL BOXES ARE BOLTED UP.
I WILL HAVE TO PULL THE PORTAL BOXES OFF AGAIN WHEN I GET MY CUSTOM LENGTH SHAFTS MADE AND INSTALLED ONTO THE AXLE EARS THAT ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE BOX, BUT I COULDN'T RESIST BOLTING
THEM ONTO THE HOUSING TO GET THE FINAL LOOK OF THIS ONE OF A KIND FRONT END ASSEMBLY. I MEAN WE'VE GOT KINGPIN KNUCKLES, ONE AND A HALF TO ONE RATIO DROP PORTAL BOX THAT'LL GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL FIVE INCHES OF CLEARANCE, AND OUR
ARB AIR LOCKER. ALL I HAVE TO DO NOW IS REPEAT THIS SAME PROCESS. INSTALLING THE GEAR SET, THE LOCKERS, AND FINISHING OUT THE PORTAL BOXES TWO MORE TIMES ON THE REAR.
(ANNOUNCER)>> COMING UP A PORTABLE EASY TO USE PLASMA CUTTING MACHINE.
(ANNOUNCER)>> WELDING TECH IS FUELED BY ESAB, MAKER
OF THE ALL NEW REBEL AND OFFICIAL WELDING AND CUTTING SUPPLIER OF XTREME OFF ROAD.
(IAN)>> SINCE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUTTING WITH OUR WELDING TIPS THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP IS TO HAVE A LOOK AT A TYPE OF PLASMA CUTTING THAT HAS REVOLUTIONIZED THE FABRICATION INDUSTRY, AND THAT IS CNC PLASMA CUTTING. CNC STANDS FOR COMPUTER NUMERICAL CONTROL, AND WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS A COMPUTER USES A
NUMERICAL CODE, OR GCODE, TO CONTROL THE POSITION OF
THE TORCH AS IT DELIVERS PRECISE CUTS IN THE MATERIAL THAT YOU HAVE IT SET UP FOR. NOW PLASMA TABLES USED TO HUGE, COMPLICATED PIECES
OF MACHINERY THAT YOU WOULD ONLY FIND IN VERY HIGH END FAB SHOPS, BUT JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD, TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED TO THE POINT WHERE PLASMA TABLES ARE NOT ONLY AFFORDABLE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT THEY'RE NOW PORTABLE. THIS IS THE ESAB CROSSBOW CNC PLASMA CUTTING SYSTEM. IT IS A 100 PERCENT STAND ALONE CNC THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A CONSTANT COMPUTER INTERFACE TO RUN. IT'S EASILY MOVED AROUND THE SHOP OR FROM JOB SITE TO JOB SITE THANKS TO ITS LIGHT WEIGHT ALUMINUM SUBFRAME TRACK ASSEMBLY. IT COMES PRELOADED WITH POPULAR SHAPES THAT YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE IN THE MENU AND REQUEST MULTIPLE COPIES CUT AT ONE TIME USING THE NESTING FEATURE.
A CNC PLASMA TABLE ALLOWS YOU TO REPRODUCE INTRICATELY DESIGNED PARTS OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BE THE SAME. YOU CAN EVEN DESIGN YOUR OWN PARTS, AND IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT HARD TO DO.
THE FIRST STEP IS UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CNC CUTTER AND CAD, OR COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN. NOW CAD WORKS IN THREE AXIS PLANES. NOW IT STARTS WITH THE "X" AXIS. NOW THAT'S THE TORCH MOVING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE PLATE. THE "Y" AXIS IS EXACTLY PERPENDICULAR TO THAT.
THAT'S THE TORCH TRAVELING UP AND DOWN THE PLANE. NOW ANOTHER AXIS THAT WILL COME INTO PLAY WHEN YOU'RE WORKING IN CAD IS THE "Z" AXIS, AND THAT IS THE PLANE THAT COMES STRAIGHT OUT OF THE PLATE, TOWARDS THE CEILING AND TOWARDS THE FLOOR. NOW YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ADJUSTMENT OVER THAT AXIS IN MOST PLASMA TABLES BECAUSE THEY AUTOMATICALLY USE THAT ADJUSTMENT TO SET THE TORCH HEIGHT IN THE SYSTEM AS THE CUTTER IS CUTTING. SO NOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE TWO DIMENSIONAL PLANE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING IN IT'S TIME TO DRAW A PART.
IT'LL START WITH A BASIC DESIGN ON A PIECE OF PAPER. IN THE WORLD OF OFF ROAD FABRICATION THIS IS NORMALLY DRAWN FULL SCALE, THE ACTUAL SIZE OF THE PART. THEN SOME KEY MEASUREMENTS ARE TAKEN OF THE PART AND LOCATION POINTS ARE MARKED ON THE DRAWING. THE CROSSBOW COMES WITH A SIMPLE TWO DIMENSIONAL CAD PROGRAM CALLED FAST CAM. IT IS VERY USER FRIENDLY AND QUICKLY CONVERTS OUR PAPER DRAWING INTO AN ACTUAL COMPUTER DRAWN PART. WITH THE DRAWING THEN SAVED ONTO A THUMB DRIVE, IT CAN EASILY BE UPLOADED INTO THE CROSSBOW, PREVIEWED, AND CUTTING.
IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW BENEFICIAL A PLASMA TABLE LIKE THIS CROSSBOW SETUP WOULD BE TO ALMOST ANYONE'S SHOP, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO JUST DIVE RIGHT IN AND BUY ONE OF YOUR OWN JUST PICK UP THE CAD SOFTWARE. THAT WAY YOU CAN SPEND SOME TIME PRACTICING DRAWING DIFFERENT PARTS FOR YOUR PROJECT. PLUS THERE'S AN ADDED BENEFIT. IF YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF CAD FILES OF ITEMS THAT YOU NEED CUT AND YOU HAVE A FRIEND WITH A CROSSBOW, ALL YOU NEED TO CUT OUT YOUR PARTS IS A THUMB DRIVE.
(ANNOUNCER)>> UP NEXT WE BUTTON UP BUCKIN' BRONCO'S
CHASSIS WITH A FASTBACK STYLE CAGE.
(IAN)>> UP UNTIL NOW PROJECT BUCKIN' BRONCO HAS LITERALLY BEEN HALF OF A TRUCK. NOW WE'RE GONNA FINISH THINGS OUT TODAY BY STARTING ON THE TUBE WORK THAT'S GONNA MAKE UP THE BACK HALF OF OUR CHASSIS. AND JUST LIKE THE REST OF THIS RIG, WE'LL START WITH A BASIC STRUCTURE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE BODY PANELS FOR OUR CLASSIC BRONCO LOOK. INCH AND THREE QUARTER DOM TUBING IS CUT AND NOTCHED. TEMPORARY BRACE IS SET ON THE REAR AXLE HOUSING TO
HOLD THE BELT LINE BAR.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WANT!
THE LOWER KICKER IS CUT, NOTCHED, AND TACKED INTO PLACE.
THIS TUBE IS THE BEGINNING OF THE BACK SECTION OF OUR CHASSIS, AND IT MAKES UP WHAT WE CALL THE BELT LINE. THAT BASICALLY MEANS IT'S THE EXACT MIDDLE POINT OF THE CHASSIS. NOW IT HAS A COUPLE OF JOBS. THE FIRST IS TO HOLD IN PLACE OUR REAR '66 BRONCO QUARTER PANEL THAT WE GOT FROM LMC TRUCK, AND THAT'LL FINISH OUT THE LOOK OF THIS RIG MAKING
IT LOOK LIKE A CLASSIC '66 BRONCO. IT HAS A MUCH MORE IMPORTANT JOB THAN JUST HOLDING UP THE SHEET METAL. IT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CHASSIS AS A WHOLE. YOU CAN SEE IT HITS THE BPILLAR TUBE DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE DOOR BAR AND IN LINE WITH
OUR BELT LINE BAR.
THIS IS CREATING ONE OF THOSE NODES THAT I'M ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT, WHERE A LARGE NUMBER OF TUBES CONVERGE IN ONE SPOT, MAKING IT INCREDIBLY STRONG. YOU CAN SEE IT CREATES A SLIGHT PROBLEM THOUGH. RIGHT NOW THE TOP OF THE DOOR DOES NOT LINE UP WITH THE TOP OF THE QUARTER LIKE IT WOULD IN A FACTORY BRONCO BODY. WELL THE PROBLEM IS IF I JUST GO AHEAD AND FOCUS ON THE SHEET METAL I'M GONNA BE GIVING UP SOME SAFETY AND SOME PERFORMANCE. IF I DROP THIS TUBE DOWN TO LINE UP THE SHEET METAL IT'S NOT GONNA BE HITTING DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE DOOR BAR TUBE, WON'T BE CREATING THE NODE, AND IT'LL ACTUALLY BE CREATING A FAILURE POINT IN THE CHASSIS. IT'LL LIMIT THE UP TRAVEL OF MY SUSPENSION BECAUSE BOTH THE COIL OVER AND THE BYPASS SHOCK WILL BE TRAVELING UP AT AN ANGLE AND TYING INTO THIS BELT LINE BAR. THE LOWER THAT BAR GOES THE LESS UP TRAVEL I'LL HAVE IN THE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM. SO THE PLAN RIGHT NOW IS BASICALLY JUST TO SORT OF TRICK YOUR EYE. I'LL PULL THE QUARTER PANEL UP AS CLOSE AS I CAN TO THE BPILLAR. I STILL NEED TO MAKE THIS FILLER PANEL THAT GOES BEHIND THE DOOR BECAUSE OUR CHASSIS PASSENGER COMPARTMENT IS LONGER THAN THE FACTORY DOOR, AND I'LL JUST HAVE IT TRAVEL UP AT AN ANGLE. BASICALLY TRY TO TRICK YOU INTO THINKING THAT THIS ISN'T AN ACTUAL BRONCO. MAYBE IT'S MORE LIKE A HALF CAB BRONCO WITH LIKE A PICK UP TRUCK FRONT AND A BED IN THE BACK. WE'LL STILL HAVE THAT CLASSIC '66 BRONCO LOOK BUT WE'LL HAVE A GOOD, SAFE CHASSIS THAT WILL PERFORM WELL OFF ROAD. THE UPPER QUARTER PANEL IS TRIMMED TO FIT AROUND OUR BELT LINE TUBE. [ saw cutting metal ]
[ saw cutting metal ]
(IAN)>> THE OUTER LOWER QUARTER PANEL WHEEL OPENING IS CUT OUT USING A BUSHWACKER FLARE AS A GUIDE FOR THE PLASMA CUTTER.
THE UPPER LIP IS TRIMMED TO RAISE THE HEIGHT OF THE WHEEL OPENING, BENT FOR EXTRA STRENGTH, AND PUNCHED FOR FUTURE SPOT WELDS.
NOW THE BACK OF THE RIG IS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE
A CLASSIC '66 BRONCO. THE NEXT DECISION HAS TO DO WITH THE CAGE. A NORMAL BRONCO CAGE WOULD TRAVEL ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BACK OF THE RIG, HAVE A 90 DEGREE BEND, AND THEN
COME DOWN TO PROTECT EVERYONE IN THE BACK. I DON'T WANT THAT STYLE OF CAGE BECAUSE REMEMBER, AT ITS HEART THIS RIG IS STILL AN ULTRA FOUR CAR. I WANT A FASTBACK STYLE CAGE. WITH ONE AND A HALF INCH DOM SLUGS HAMMERED INTO OUR ROOF BARS, THE REAR KICKERS ARE INSTALLED. NOW WE HAVE A FASTBACK STYLE CLASSIC '66 BRONCO.
Show Full Transcript
SURVIVE FOR LONG WITHOUT RELIABLE, WELL
BUILT AXLE INTERNALS. TODAY ON XTREME OFF ROAD THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT OUR CHEVY GETS, INCLUDING DEEP GEAR SETS, AIR LOCKERS, AND MORE. PLUS A CNC PLASMA CUTTING MACHINE CAN SAVE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT IN YOUR SHOP, AND OUR BUCKIN' BRONCO DESERT RACER GETS SOME CLASSIC FAST BACK STYLE.
(IAN)>> I WILL FULLY ADMIT THAT SOMETIMES THE PROJECTS HERE IN THE SHOP, THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OUT OF CONTROL, BUT COME ON.
THE NAME OF THE SHOW IS XTREME OFF ROAD, NOT SENSIBLY BUILT MILD DAILY DRIVER OFF ROAD.
THAT'S WHY IT'S PERFECTLY NATURAL FOR OUR '91 SUBURBAN FRAME TO NOW HAVE THREE AXLES MOUNTED UNDERNEATH IT. A TRUE SIX WHEEL DRIVE, SIX BY SIX SUSPENSION. WE HAVE A SIX BT UNDER THE HOOD BACKED BY A SIX SPEED TRANSMISSION. NOW TODAY I WANT TO FINISH UP ALL THREE OF THOSE AXLES THAT WE'VE PUT UNDERNEATH THE FRAME, AND THAT MEANS DEALING WITH THE INTERNALS, AND WHEN YOU HAVE THREE AXLES UNDERNEATH YOUR RIG, WELL THE LOCKER SELECTION, IT GETS PRETTY TRICKY. WITH THREE AXLES TO BUILD WE'RE GONNA NEED THREE RING AND PINION GEAR SETS. NOW THESE ARE FROM REVOLUTION GEAR AND AXLE.
IT'S TWO 14 BOLT GEAR SETS FOR OUR REAR AXLES AND A REVERSE ROTATION DANA 60 FOR OUR FRONT. NOW THESE ARE ALL 3.73 TO ONE RATIO, AND I'M SURE THAT SOME OF YOU ARE THINKING, THAT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A DEEP ENOUGH GEAR FOR A RIG WITH A 46
INCH TALL TIRE, BUT YOU'VE GOTTA REMEMBER. OUR PORTAL BOXES GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL ONE AND A HALF TO ONE GEAR REDUCTION.
SO THAT 3.73 TURNS INTO ACTUALLY 5.5 TO ONE WHEN IT HITS THE GROUND, PERFECT FOR OUR RIG. THREE RING AND PINIONS BY WHY ONLY TWO ARB AIR LOCKERS? NOW WE'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THE ARB AIR LOCKER. IT'S AN OPEN DIFFERENTIAL WHEN UNLOCKED, BUT WHEN YOU LOCK IT DOWN IT'S BASICALLY A SPOOL, 100 PERCENT TRACTION TO THE WHEELS AT ALL TIMES.
NOW THAT CAN BE A HUGE BENEFIT WHEN YOU'RE ON THE TRAIL BUT MY CONCERN WITH OUR SIX BY SIX IS IF I HAVE TWO LOCKERS IN THE BACK AND LOCK THEM BOTH TOGETHER I'LL BASICALLY HAVE FOUR HUGE TIRES PUSHING THIS RIG IN A STRAIGHT LINE, ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. SO MY PLAN IS TO RUN JUST A SINGLE AIR LOCKER IN THE REAR AND THEN USE A FACTORY LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL IN THE REARREAR AXLE.
THAT WAY I WILL STILL HAVE FULL TIME FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WITH A LIMITED SLIP REAR AXLE IF I EVER NEED THAT
ADDITIONAL TRACTION, AND OUR BUILD OUT STARTS WITH OUR FRONT AXLE. THE FIRST STEP TO INSTALLING A RING AND PINION INTO ANY DANA SERIES AXLE IS TO DETERMINE THE DEPTH OF THE PINION IN THE HOUSING. THE BEST WAY TO PERFORM THIS IS WITH A PINION DEPTH TOOL. WITH THE BEARING INSTALLED ONTO THE PINION, AND A SCUFF RACE IN THE HOUSING, THE TOOL IS USED TO DETERMINE THE DEPTH OF THE PINION MEASURED AGAINST THE CENTER LINE OF THE AXLE. THIS DETERMINES THE AMOUNT OF SHIMS THAT GO UNDERNEATH THE RACE.
SIDE BEARINGS ARE THEN PRESSED ONTO THE LOCKER AND THE RING GEAR IS BOLTED UP. THE PINION IS THEN REMOVED FROM THE HOUSING AND THE LOCKER IS DROPPED IN TO DETERMINE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SHIMS WE'LL NEED BEHIND THE SIDE BEARINGS.
A LOCKER IS THEN REMOVED FROM THE HOUSING AND A
PINION IS REINSTALLED. LOCKER DROPPED BACK INTO PLACE TO DETERMINE THE RING GEAR SIDE SHIM COUNT. WE KNOW THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SHIMS NEEDED TO PROVIDE PROPER SIDE BEARING PRELOAD ON THIS CARRIER IS 115 THOUSANDTHS OF AN INCH. BY DROPPING THE PINION IN PLACE AND TAKING THE MEASUREMENT AGAIN I KNOW THAT THIS SIDE OF THE CARRIER NEEDS 75 THOUSANDTHS OF AN INCH, WHICH MEANS THAT THE REMAINDER 40 THOUSANDTHS WILL GO ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. ONCE WE HAVE THOSE SHIMS IN PLACE WE'LL CHECK THE BACK LASH OF THE RING GEAR AND FINE TUNE AS NECESSARY, BUT THERE IS ONE MORE STEP BEFORE WE DO THAT. WITH THE HOUSING COMPLETELY EMPTY ONCE AGAIN, THE HOLE IS DRILLED FOR THE ARB AIR LOCKER
BULKHEAD FITTING. THE SETUP BEARING RACE IS REMOVED FROM THE HOUSING, AND THE FINAL BEARING RACE IS HAMMERED INTO PLACE. THE FRONT PINION BEARING RACE IS INSTALLED ALONG WITH THE BEARING.
SHIMS ARE PLACED ONTO THE PINION, AND THE YOKE IS THEN TIGHTENED AND PINION BEARING
PRELOAD IS CHECKED. WAIT UNTIL THE PINION BEARING PRELOAD IS ADJUSTED CORRECTLY BEFORE INSTALLING THE PINION SEAL INTO THE HOUSING. YOU RUN THE RISK OF DAMAGING THAT SEAL AS YOU REMOVE THE PINION AND YOKE MULTIPLE TIMES GETTING THAT SETUP CORRECT. YOU CAN ALSO NOTICE THAT I LIKE TO REUSE THE ORIGINAL NUT AND PUT A SPACER UNDERNEATH IT. PINION NUTS ARE WHAT'S CALLED A MECHANICAL LOCK NUT. THE TOP THREADS ARE ACTUALLY PINCHED IN ON THEMSELVES, AND IF I TOOK A BRAND NEW NUT AND RAN IT ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT YOKE THE MECHANICAL LOCK PORTION OF THE NUT WOULD ENGAGE THE PINION. IF I HAD TO TAKE IT OFF AND REINSTALL IT MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET THE PINION BEARING PRELOAD CORRECT THE CHANCES ARE I'M GONNA AT LEAST DAMAGE THE NUT, POSSIBLY DAMAGE THE PINION. THAT'S WHY I USE THE SPACER AND THE OLD NUT. OBVIOUSLY THIS PRELOAD IS TOO LOOSE RIGHT NOW. SO I'VE GOT TO PULL IT APART, TAKE OUT A COUPLE OF SHIMS.
(ANNOUNCER)>> UP NEXT WE INSTALL HEAVY DUTY PORTAL BOXES ONTO OUR FRONT AXLE.
(IAN)>> WITH THE LOCKER AND GEAR SET INSTALLED, WE ARE NOT DONE WITH THIS FRONT AXLE. I STILL HAVE SOME CUSTOM FAB TO DO. I NEED TO LOCATE AND WELD ON A LEAF SPRING PERCH TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE AXLE.
THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS CAST INTO THE CENTER SECTION. TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF THE PASSENGER SIDE LEAF SPRING MOUNT, THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO
ACTUALLY PUT THE AXLE UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK AND BASICALLY JACK IT UP ONTO THE LEAF SPRINGS AND PULL
SOME MEASUREMENTS. AT THAT TIME I'LL BE ABLE TO DOUBLE CHECK THE CASTOR ANGLE ON THE INNERC, AND THEN THOSE WILL BE READY TO WELD AS WELL.
WITH THE AXLE UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK OUR PLAN HAS NOW COMPLETELY CHANGED. THE IDEA WAS JUST TO LOCATE THE PASSENGER SIDE SPRING PERCH BUT WITH AXLE IN PLACE, IT'S OBVIOUS I HAVE MADE A MISTAKE. THE DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER OF THIS LEAF SPRING TO THE OUTER KNUCKLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE VERSUS THE PASSENGER SIDE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. NOW I DON'T KNOW WHERE I MADE THE MISTAKE BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S EASY TO FIX. AS I COMPARE THE FACE OF THIS PORTAL BOX TO THE ONES IN THE BACK, THIS SIDE OF THE AXLE IS FIVE INCHES TOO FAR OUT. I THINK IT'S OBVIOUS THAT I DIDN'T TRIM THIS TUBE BEFORE I HAMMERED THE INNERC ON. SO NOW I HAVE TO TRIM THIS TUBE SHORTER, MOVE THIS INNERC INTO PLACE, AND RETACK IT ONTO THE AXLE. YET ANOTHER REASON WHY IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO NEVER FINISH WELD YOUR INNERC'S ONTO THE AXLE HOUSING UNTIL IT IS UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK, AND WAIT TO ORDER YOUR CUSTOM AXLE SHAFTS UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO PERFORM FINAL ASSEMBLY CAUSE IF I'D DONE EITHER ONE OF THOSE TWO THINGS IT'D BE A LOT MORE WORK TO CUT THIS "C" OFF AND I'D HAVE AN AXLE THAT WAS TOO LONG.
[ saw cutting metal ]
[ hammer tapping ] [ welder crackling ]
(IAN)>> WITH THE SPRING PERCH TACKED IN PLACE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE TUBE NOW SHORTENED UP, OUR AXLE IS AT THE CORRECT WIDTH. I DO STILL NEED TO ADJUST THE CASTOR ANGLE ON THIS INNERC AND THEN IT IS COMPLETELY READY TO WELD. THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO ACTUALLY PULL THE HOUSING BACK OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK. I'LL THROW IT BACK ON THE STAND, WELD ON THESE INNERC'S AS WELL AS THAT PERCH, MEASURE FOR SOME AXLE SHAFTS, BOLT UP SOME PORTALS.
WITH THE AXLE OUT AND BACK ON THE STAND, THE SPRING PERCH IS FULLY WELDED TO THE AXLE TUBE, AND BOTH
INNERC'S ARE WELDED UP. FIRST WITH A ROOT TIG PASS, FOLLOWED BY TWO MIG COVERING PASSES.
TO MEASURE FOR SHAFTS THE TAPE IS SLID INTO THE LOCKER AND THE LOCATION OF THE LOWER KINGPIN IS MARKED. THIS IS THE CENTER LINE OF THE AXLE UJOINT AND THE LENGTH OF OUR INNER SHAFTS. THE AXLE TECH PORTAL BRACKETS ARE BOLTED ONTO THE KINGPINS...
...ALIGNMENT PINS ARE SLID INTO THE AXLE TECH BRACKETS, AND THE PORTAL BOXES ARE BOLTED UP.
I WILL HAVE TO PULL THE PORTAL BOXES OFF AGAIN WHEN I GET MY CUSTOM LENGTH SHAFTS MADE AND INSTALLED ONTO THE AXLE EARS THAT ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE BOX, BUT I COULDN'T RESIST BOLTING
THEM ONTO THE HOUSING TO GET THE FINAL LOOK OF THIS ONE OF A KIND FRONT END ASSEMBLY. I MEAN WE'VE GOT KINGPIN KNUCKLES, ONE AND A HALF TO ONE RATIO DROP PORTAL BOX THAT'LL GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL FIVE INCHES OF CLEARANCE, AND OUR
ARB AIR LOCKER. ALL I HAVE TO DO NOW IS REPEAT THIS SAME PROCESS. INSTALLING THE GEAR SET, THE LOCKERS, AND FINISHING OUT THE PORTAL BOXES TWO MORE TIMES ON THE REAR.
(ANNOUNCER)>> COMING UP A PORTABLE EASY TO USE PLASMA CUTTING MACHINE.
(ANNOUNCER)>> WELDING TECH IS FUELED BY ESAB, MAKER
OF THE ALL NEW REBEL AND OFFICIAL WELDING AND CUTTING SUPPLIER OF XTREME OFF ROAD.
(IAN)>> SINCE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUTTING WITH OUR WELDING TIPS THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP IS TO HAVE A LOOK AT A TYPE OF PLASMA CUTTING THAT HAS REVOLUTIONIZED THE FABRICATION INDUSTRY, AND THAT IS CNC PLASMA CUTTING. CNC STANDS FOR COMPUTER NUMERICAL CONTROL, AND WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS A COMPUTER USES A
NUMERICAL CODE, OR GCODE, TO CONTROL THE POSITION OF
THE TORCH AS IT DELIVERS PRECISE CUTS IN THE MATERIAL THAT YOU HAVE IT SET UP FOR. NOW PLASMA TABLES USED TO HUGE, COMPLICATED PIECES
OF MACHINERY THAT YOU WOULD ONLY FIND IN VERY HIGH END FAB SHOPS, BUT JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD, TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED TO THE POINT WHERE PLASMA TABLES ARE NOT ONLY AFFORDABLE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT THEY'RE NOW PORTABLE. THIS IS THE ESAB CROSSBOW CNC PLASMA CUTTING SYSTEM. IT IS A 100 PERCENT STAND ALONE CNC THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A CONSTANT COMPUTER INTERFACE TO RUN. IT'S EASILY MOVED AROUND THE SHOP OR FROM JOB SITE TO JOB SITE THANKS TO ITS LIGHT WEIGHT ALUMINUM SUBFRAME TRACK ASSEMBLY. IT COMES PRELOADED WITH POPULAR SHAPES THAT YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE IN THE MENU AND REQUEST MULTIPLE COPIES CUT AT ONE TIME USING THE NESTING FEATURE.
A CNC PLASMA TABLE ALLOWS YOU TO REPRODUCE INTRICATELY DESIGNED PARTS OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BE THE SAME. YOU CAN EVEN DESIGN YOUR OWN PARTS, AND IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT HARD TO DO.
THE FIRST STEP IS UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CNC CUTTER AND CAD, OR COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN. NOW CAD WORKS IN THREE AXIS PLANES. NOW IT STARTS WITH THE "X" AXIS. NOW THAT'S THE TORCH MOVING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE PLATE. THE "Y" AXIS IS EXACTLY PERPENDICULAR TO THAT.
THAT'S THE TORCH TRAVELING UP AND DOWN THE PLANE. NOW ANOTHER AXIS THAT WILL COME INTO PLAY WHEN YOU'RE WORKING IN CAD IS THE "Z" AXIS, AND THAT IS THE PLANE THAT COMES STRAIGHT OUT OF THE PLATE, TOWARDS THE CEILING AND TOWARDS THE FLOOR. NOW YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ADJUSTMENT OVER THAT AXIS IN MOST PLASMA TABLES BECAUSE THEY AUTOMATICALLY USE THAT ADJUSTMENT TO SET THE TORCH HEIGHT IN THE SYSTEM AS THE CUTTER IS CUTTING. SO NOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE TWO DIMENSIONAL PLANE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING IN IT'S TIME TO DRAW A PART.
IT'LL START WITH A BASIC DESIGN ON A PIECE OF PAPER. IN THE WORLD OF OFF ROAD FABRICATION THIS IS NORMALLY DRAWN FULL SCALE, THE ACTUAL SIZE OF THE PART. THEN SOME KEY MEASUREMENTS ARE TAKEN OF THE PART AND LOCATION POINTS ARE MARKED ON THE DRAWING. THE CROSSBOW COMES WITH A SIMPLE TWO DIMENSIONAL CAD PROGRAM CALLED FAST CAM. IT IS VERY USER FRIENDLY AND QUICKLY CONVERTS OUR PAPER DRAWING INTO AN ACTUAL COMPUTER DRAWN PART. WITH THE DRAWING THEN SAVED ONTO A THUMB DRIVE, IT CAN EASILY BE UPLOADED INTO THE CROSSBOW, PREVIEWED, AND CUTTING.
IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW BENEFICIAL A PLASMA TABLE LIKE THIS CROSSBOW SETUP WOULD BE TO ALMOST ANYONE'S SHOP, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO JUST DIVE RIGHT IN AND BUY ONE OF YOUR OWN JUST PICK UP THE CAD SOFTWARE. THAT WAY YOU CAN SPEND SOME TIME PRACTICING DRAWING DIFFERENT PARTS FOR YOUR PROJECT. PLUS THERE'S AN ADDED BENEFIT. IF YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF CAD FILES OF ITEMS THAT YOU NEED CUT AND YOU HAVE A FRIEND WITH A CROSSBOW, ALL YOU NEED TO CUT OUT YOUR PARTS IS A THUMB DRIVE.
(ANNOUNCER)>> UP NEXT WE BUTTON UP BUCKIN' BRONCO'S
CHASSIS WITH A FASTBACK STYLE CAGE.
(IAN)>> UP UNTIL NOW PROJECT BUCKIN' BRONCO HAS LITERALLY BEEN HALF OF A TRUCK. NOW WE'RE GONNA FINISH THINGS OUT TODAY BY STARTING ON THE TUBE WORK THAT'S GONNA MAKE UP THE BACK HALF OF OUR CHASSIS. AND JUST LIKE THE REST OF THIS RIG, WE'LL START WITH A BASIC STRUCTURE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE BODY PANELS FOR OUR CLASSIC BRONCO LOOK. INCH AND THREE QUARTER DOM TUBING IS CUT AND NOTCHED. TEMPORARY BRACE IS SET ON THE REAR AXLE HOUSING TO
HOLD THE BELT LINE BAR.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WANT!
THE LOWER KICKER IS CUT, NOTCHED, AND TACKED INTO PLACE.
THIS TUBE IS THE BEGINNING OF THE BACK SECTION OF OUR CHASSIS, AND IT MAKES UP WHAT WE CALL THE BELT LINE. THAT BASICALLY MEANS IT'S THE EXACT MIDDLE POINT OF THE CHASSIS. NOW IT HAS A COUPLE OF JOBS. THE FIRST IS TO HOLD IN PLACE OUR REAR '66 BRONCO QUARTER PANEL THAT WE GOT FROM LMC TRUCK, AND THAT'LL FINISH OUT THE LOOK OF THIS RIG MAKING
IT LOOK LIKE A CLASSIC '66 BRONCO. IT HAS A MUCH MORE IMPORTANT JOB THAN JUST HOLDING UP THE SHEET METAL. IT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CHASSIS AS A WHOLE. YOU CAN SEE IT HITS THE BPILLAR TUBE DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE DOOR BAR AND IN LINE WITH
OUR BELT LINE BAR.
THIS IS CREATING ONE OF THOSE NODES THAT I'M ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT, WHERE A LARGE NUMBER OF TUBES CONVERGE IN ONE SPOT, MAKING IT INCREDIBLY STRONG. YOU CAN SEE IT CREATES A SLIGHT PROBLEM THOUGH. RIGHT NOW THE TOP OF THE DOOR DOES NOT LINE UP WITH THE TOP OF THE QUARTER LIKE IT WOULD IN A FACTORY BRONCO BODY. WELL THE PROBLEM IS IF I JUST GO AHEAD AND FOCUS ON THE SHEET METAL I'M GONNA BE GIVING UP SOME SAFETY AND SOME PERFORMANCE. IF I DROP THIS TUBE DOWN TO LINE UP THE SHEET METAL IT'S NOT GONNA BE HITTING DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE DOOR BAR TUBE, WON'T BE CREATING THE NODE, AND IT'LL ACTUALLY BE CREATING A FAILURE POINT IN THE CHASSIS. IT'LL LIMIT THE UP TRAVEL OF MY SUSPENSION BECAUSE BOTH THE COIL OVER AND THE BYPASS SHOCK WILL BE TRAVELING UP AT AN ANGLE AND TYING INTO THIS BELT LINE BAR. THE LOWER THAT BAR GOES THE LESS UP TRAVEL I'LL HAVE IN THE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM. SO THE PLAN RIGHT NOW IS BASICALLY JUST TO SORT OF TRICK YOUR EYE. I'LL PULL THE QUARTER PANEL UP AS CLOSE AS I CAN TO THE BPILLAR. I STILL NEED TO MAKE THIS FILLER PANEL THAT GOES BEHIND THE DOOR BECAUSE OUR CHASSIS PASSENGER COMPARTMENT IS LONGER THAN THE FACTORY DOOR, AND I'LL JUST HAVE IT TRAVEL UP AT AN ANGLE. BASICALLY TRY TO TRICK YOU INTO THINKING THAT THIS ISN'T AN ACTUAL BRONCO. MAYBE IT'S MORE LIKE A HALF CAB BRONCO WITH LIKE A PICK UP TRUCK FRONT AND A BED IN THE BACK. WE'LL STILL HAVE THAT CLASSIC '66 BRONCO LOOK BUT WE'LL HAVE A GOOD, SAFE CHASSIS THAT WILL PERFORM WELL OFF ROAD. THE UPPER QUARTER PANEL IS TRIMMED TO FIT AROUND OUR BELT LINE TUBE. [ saw cutting metal ]
[ saw cutting metal ]
(IAN)>> THE OUTER LOWER QUARTER PANEL WHEEL OPENING IS CUT OUT USING A BUSHWACKER FLARE AS A GUIDE FOR THE PLASMA CUTTER.
THE UPPER LIP IS TRIMMED TO RAISE THE HEIGHT OF THE WHEEL OPENING, BENT FOR EXTRA STRENGTH, AND PUNCHED FOR FUTURE SPOT WELDS.
NOW THE BACK OF THE RIG IS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE
A CLASSIC '66 BRONCO. THE NEXT DECISION HAS TO DO WITH THE CAGE. A NORMAL BRONCO CAGE WOULD TRAVEL ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BACK OF THE RIG, HAVE A 90 DEGREE BEND, AND THEN
COME DOWN TO PROTECT EVERYONE IN THE BACK. I DON'T WANT THAT STYLE OF CAGE BECAUSE REMEMBER, AT ITS HEART THIS RIG IS STILL AN ULTRA FOUR CAR. I WANT A FASTBACK STYLE CAGE. WITH ONE AND A HALF INCH DOM SLUGS HAMMERED INTO OUR ROOF BARS, THE REAR KICKERS ARE INSTALLED. NOW WE HAVE A FASTBACK STYLE CLASSIC '66 BRONCO.