BlueBronco budget build

[SMFtwstdHICK]

Gotta be doing another mod to my Bronco!!! Those wheels look tight.

[66sprint6]

Thanks!!! Looks like I got one more week to button a few things up and royally abuse the ole Bronco at Shanty Hollow in KY. I actually dont have much to do which is good cause I got ALOT of work figuring out whats wrong with the Mule which will be my much needed backup rig. Shanty has a way of killing rigs before the days fun is over.
Matt

[66sprint6]

Ready for Shanty Hollow!!! Wheels now actually hold the bead and dont let it slip (so far), new foams are in and I added a small piece to the faux-dana cover. Shanty Hollow isnt very forgiving, even to the taller tire rigs so this should be a great way to abuse test the new setup as well as see what it truely is capable of. Im interested to see what fails and what holds up in both the RC4WD parts and my own fabbed pieces. Ive already noticed that my panhard mount on the frame is bent so itll be swapped out with a steel piece if it gets worse.





Matt

[66sprint6]

Bronco did more than I expected out at Shanty this weekend! It went everywhere everyone else did and I only had to pick it up in two spots and both spots had quite a few others doing the same so I wasnt too dissapointed! I couldnt finish the day tho cause the stupid servo that I just got done putting a new pin in broke the same pin again. I also managed to break the "diff cover" loose and even tho I found the main part and put it in my pocket, still cant seem to find it so I made another and its now epoxied on. Put a brand new Axial servo in and she's back up and runnin again. Lookin forward to LRC and gonna see if I cant get out a couple times before if I can.



Matt

[Bad Apple]

Just checking in to see what's going on with the Blue Bronco

[66sprint6]

Originally Posted by Bad Apple

Just checking in to see what's going on with the Blue Bronco

Just got back from a big ride actually!!! Heres a breakdown

Took the BlueBronco to LRC for the beat down of beatdowns hoping to see how the new setup would hold and anticipating failure like the last ride or two. I had a couple issues along the way including a burned up BRAND new Axial servo (nastiest smell Ive ever smelled and thats not an exageration), broke the aluminum panhard mount on the chassis and partially debeaded one of the rear tires on the inside. I also, like the last ride, lost the danged fake diff cover lol. A loaner servo and some zipties later and the little Bronco was back...and endured 6 batteries worth of crawlin!!! The panhard mount will be redesigned and made outta steel this time and I dunno what Im gonna do about the diff cover. On to the pics!
Group shot of the small tire rigs!











STILL havnt lost a mirror yet...but the driver's side is now firmly smashed into the door! Im just gonna leave it for now.







The biggest surprise to me was how balanced the new setup is!



At the tip top of LRC. Took two attempts (broke the panhard at the very bottom first try) but finally made it up





Bronco Bridge



Gettin ready for the evening run





Once again, I cant say how pleased I am with the little Bronco. I thought for sure I killed the performance going with the shorter, skinnier tires and the skinnier axles with the same gear rations (no more over/stock gearing) buuuuut I was wrong. She does well, the tires are amazing and I already have more plans to continue down the road of making her a tad more realistic! More on that when the ideas start becoming a reality.

Matt

[66sprint6]

Thought ide snap a quick pic of the redneck fix that got the Bronco thru an entire day and 6 LiPos worth of crawlin!!!



ZipTies FTW!!! I put a couple around the panhard mount and the frame and then ran a couple zipties over to the oposite frame rail to keep the mount from moving out of position. Worked like a champ!!! Was really diggin the look with the mud and dust dried up from the run so I snapped these shots.





I noticed that the leafs were pretty bent up after the run so an antiwrap bar will be needed before the next ride. I had one on the SCX10 axle setup but never made one for this. Ill get on it while fixing the panhard mount.

Matt

[66sprint6]

After LRC the Bronco needed a few issues addressed, and after how much fun it was I was more than happy to get to work on it. I fixed the rear tire bead issue and re-designed the panhard mount (still need to fab it and install). I had to set it aside and head to Florida for a wedding, but I took advantage of a bit of free time while I was at it!



Got home and started tackling somethin Ide been wantin to do for a while. Jmel and I tossed the original front bumper together in about 5 minutes shortly before the BlueBronco's first run just to protect the winch. It worked so well that I never touched it since but with a push to make things a little more "scale" and more importantly, a little more like I would have on a 1:1, I finally took it off and got to work on this:

Early shots to make sure it lined up and see what needed to be done alignment wise.



It made out of square tubing like the Mule's bumper. I cut it, bent it and brazed it back together to resemble somethin you would see on Bronco runnin around on the trails.





I had to go thru hell to get the mounting holes correct but I finally believe I got it. I also cut out a place for the winch line and added a spot for the winch hook or recovery strap.







Tucks in really nice to the body. I was gonna pinch the lower corners like the Mule but decided that I liked this look ALOT better. Ill have to see how approach had been effected...I was shooting for making approach angle better but like the looks better so I may have to deal with it.



As of last night Ive made the winch line hole smaller and have added some JB weld in spots to smooth things out. Im hoping to have it completely slicked out and painted tonight if possible. Then itll be on to the panhard mount, rear bumper and even more drastic changed to the drivetrain but that wont be for a while.

Matt

[66sprint6]

Got the bumper finished up and as clean as I could before paint.

Out with the old, in with the new







Painted it up with Satin Black and baked it for about 15 minutes to try and help the finish toughen up. Itll only last for so long but I think itll look better with abuse!!!







Didnt get any other work done, but Im hoping to get the rear started and finish the panhard. Im really thinkin about ways to re-do the rear mounting setup which is my only real holdup. That and whether or not I want to toss a spare on the back.

Matt

[66sprint6]

Rear Bumper time.





Rough early stages of my rear bumper. Ive put more design/cutting/brazing into this bumper than the front and Im not even close to done LOL. Im still up in the air on a spare mount but for now Im liking where this is goin.

Matt

[BigSki]

Loving this build. One of the best non-'Yota uses of the 'yota axles, and that winch bumper looks great. I never thought about making one from square tubing, I might have to give it a try.

[66sprint6]

Thanks man! I love the axles and once I figure out how to make the "diff cover" stay put it'll be better. The bumpers took some work but they are super strong so I'm happy. I got the rear mounted up tonight, I'll post pics tomorrow. Now I gotta figure out if I wanna do a spare tire mount or not.

Matt

[66sprint6]

Here are a couple shots of the rear mounted up as it sits.







Im gonna rebuild the body along the bumper where it has been destroyed and then all thats left is smoothing out the bumper and painting it. Im gonna kick around the spare tire idea first tho.

Matt

[The DC]

Matt,had not seen this thread/build before,am completely LOVING it,nicely built,my friend

[Dowlo]

Bar work looks good...fits in well with the paint job :-)

[66sprint6]

Well...after a good "stare and think" session I decided to get back in the garage and put this together before calling the rear bumper done.



I set it up real simple so itll swing away and can easily be removed if needed on the trail.



I cut a small piece of flat steel for the base and brazed some 3/16 solid rod to it. I then brazed an old spare spindle that I cut down and drilled out to fit the rod. Drilled a hole for the pivot point and then cut a "C" for the latch/release. I run a small screw into the bumper held on by a couple nuts.







Its not rocket science but it works and looks good to me so Ill take it!!! The tire rack is painted and drying as we speak and Im workin on smoothing out the bumper itself then itll be painted and tossed back on the frame. If I were to add anything else from here it would be a Jerry Can mount but that wont be for a while. For now Im happy!

Matt

[66sprint6]

Got the rear bumper finished up last night and mounted...then I realized I forgot to add a recovery point :banghead: Oh well, I might toss one on later and repaint it, wouldnt take me too much extra work but for now, its painted and on the Bronco.







I wanted to cut the "C" notch in the rack backwards so I would have to push it towards the body in order to release it but didnt feel I had enough room. I now wish I had done that, but I think Ill just keep the bolt holding it a little tighter and hopefully it wont swing loose every hard bump lol. I also want to level out the spare a tad, its leaning forward a tad at the top which I can fix easily.

Matt

[lowslowTJ]

Love this thing.

[66sprint6]

Thanks!!! Its comin along nicely and there are really big changes in the near future...so long as I can convince myself that Im up to the task skill wise LOL. This rig is like the Courier, its earned a permanent place in my stash and its not goin anywhere except wherever I tell it too with my remote...or where gravity says but thats another story!

Matt

[66sprint6]

FINALLY got a chance to take the Bronco out and see how she does with the new bumpers. I was expecting to have to relearn a bit with the new weight, lack or approach and departure angles and the spare in the back but to tell the truth, she rock and rolled like nothin was changed.





Pitcher's ride in the background



Im extemely pleased at the moment and look forward to abusing it somemore out at Shanty Hollow this weekend!!!

Matt