Nothing Special's '71 Bronco

[Nothing Special]

I decided I'd start a "project" thread on my Bronco. It's not an '80 - '86. It's not even an F-series. But Gary seems to be encouraging people to have project threads that are a little bit afield of the origins of this web site. So here we go.

I'm not going to start at the beginning. If you want the entire story you can check out my thread on FTE. In this thread I'll just pick up where I am now.

I did start giving updates on this project in the WHYDTYTT thread. I covered changing the rear disks back to drums starting on page 152, and converting the vacuum assist power brakes to hydroboost starting on page 161.

edit to add:

I also have a couple of threads on vavations I've taken that include some rock crawling and trail riding in the Bronco. Here is a trip to Ouray Colorado in 2018 and here is a trip to Moab Utah in 2019.

I should have a picture of it here! This is from the trip we took out to Moab last summer, so it's pretty current. There a black soft top that's usually on it, but not on sunny trail days!

[Nothing Special]

Today I got started on my rock slider project. Here's a picture of the back side of the passenger rocker. You can see why I don't think there was enough structure there to attach armor to the existing rockers!

Here's what I had been looking at on the outside

It looked even worse after removing the Gorilla Tape bodywork:

And after about 15 minutes with a death wheel I had the rocker off:

So I'm halfway done with one side already! (or maybe not quite half way)

By the way, here's a pic of the driver's side. You can see that the aux gas tank fills the area between the frame rail and the rocker, with the bottom of all three at about the same height. This is why doing something like putting nerf bars on isn't an option.

[Nothing Special]

Today I got started on my rock slider project. Here's a picture of the back side of the passenger rocker. You can see why I don't think there was enough structure there to attach armor to the existing rockers!

Here's what I had been looking at on the outside

It looked even worse after removing the Gorilla Tape bodywork:

And after about 15 minutes with a death wheel I had the rocker off:

So I'm halfway done with one side already! (or maybe not quite half way)

By the way, here's a pic of the driver's side. You can see that the aux gas tank fills the area between the frame rail and the rocker, with the bottom of all three at about the same height. This is why doing something like putting nerf bars on isn't an option.

One thing I'd like a little help figuring out. I'm planning on getting a 4" x 4" square tube to weld in place of the rocker. Here's a pic with a wood 4x4 in place. Wood 4x4s are actually about 3.75" square, so a metal 4x4 tube will touch the inner vertical part of the original rocker that I left in place while still coming all the way out to the original outer line where I have the wood 4x4 in this picture.

The problem is the 3/4" step on the outside of the door sill (the metal above the 4x4 in this pic). I was planning on spot welding the inner side of the tube to the vertical inner rocker and the top of the tube to the door sill. But the outer step of the sill isn't as wide as I'd like, and the main sill is 3/4" above the 4x4. So I'm thinking I'll get a 3/4" tube and weld it to the top of the 4x4, and then spot weld the door sill to the 3/4" tube.

Does that seem like a reasonable approach? Or does anyone have a better suggestion?

[Gary Lewis]

One thing I'd like a little help figuring out. I'm planning on getting a 4" x 4" square tube to weld in place of the rocker. Here's a pic with a wood 4x4 in place. Wood 4x4s are actually about 3.75" square, so a metal 4x4 tube will touch the inner vertical part of the original rocker that I left in place while still coming all the way out to the original outer line where I have the wood 4x4 in this picture.

The problem is the 3/4" step on the outside of the door sill (the metal above the 4x4 in this pic). I was planning on spot welding the inner side of the tube to the vertical inner rocker and the top of the tube to the door sill. But the outer step of the sill isn't as wide as I'd like, and the main sill is 3/4" above the 4x4. So I'm thinking I'll get a 3/4" tube and weld it to the top of the 4x4, and then spot weld the door sill to the 3/4" tube.

Does that seem like a reasonable approach? Or does anyone have a better suggestion?

First, I'm glad you started this thread.

And, I see what you were talking about with rust.

On the 3/4" step, can you get a 3/4 x 3" tube to put there. (I picked 3" as the guestimated width of the sill.) That would spread the load out as much as possible, and I like that approach.

Or, can you get a 3" x 5" tube? That way you won't have to add the 3/4" tube. Something like this one?

[ArdWrknTrk]

First, I'm glad you started this thread.

And, I see what you were talking about with rust.

On the 3/4" step, can you get a 3/4 x 3" tube to put there. (I picked 3" as the guestimated width of the sill.) That would spread the load out as much as possible, and I like that approach.

Or, can you get a 3" x 5" tube? That way you won't have to add the 3/4" tube. Something like this one?

Following, because there's always more to learn

[Nothing Special]

First, I'm glad you started this thread.

And, I see what you were talking about with rust.

On the 3/4" step, can you get a 3/4 x 3" tube to put there. (I picked 3" as the guestimated width of the sill.) That would spread the load out as much as possible, and I like that approach.

Or, can you get a 3" x 5" tube? That way you won't have to add the 3/4" tube. Something like this one?

I want 4" wide because that's what spans from the inner rocker to the outer rocker. I need to go all the way to the inner to mount the tube, and if I don't go all the way to the outer the last ~3/4" of door sill won't be supported. Also there will be a sharp piece of sheetmetal sticking out there to slice people's calves. Alternately I could trim it off, but then the bottom of the door would be ~3/4" outside of the rocker which would look pretty schlock I think. So I'm sticking with 4x4 tubing.

As to using a 3/4" x 3" (or so) tube, That's sort of what I'm thinking. But...

I don't think I want or need to go the entire 3". Stock the door sill is only supported by the vertical sheetmetal of the inner and outer rockers. My inner will be spotwelded (many times!) to the 4x4, and the outer 3/4" of the sill will be sitting on the 4x4. So I think it'll be much better supported than stock. So the issue is just making sure that the 4x4 is well attached.

Also I don't really need the 3/4" piece to be tubing. Not that I want it to be solid! But the bottom side will be welded to the top of the 4x4, which will almost certainly be thicker wall than the 3/4" piece. So I'm thinking of maybe starting with a 1x1 square tube and cutting one side off it. The 1" should give me plenty of beef for the spot welds, and with the open side welded to the 4x4 it should have plenty of it's own beef.

Does that seem reasonable?

[Gary Lewis]

I want 4" wide because that's what spans from the inner rocker to the outer rocker. I need to go all the way to the inner to mount the tube, and if I don't go all the way to the outer the last ~3/4" of door sill won't be supported. Also there will be a sharp piece of sheetmetal sticking out there to slice people's calves. Alternately I could trim it off, but then the bottom of the door would be ~3/4" outside of the rocker which would look pretty schlock I think. So I'm sticking with 4x4 tubing.

As to using a 3/4" x 3" (or so) tube, That's sort of what I'm thinking. But...

I don't think I want or need to go the entire 3". Stock the door sill is only supported by the vertical sheetmetal of the inner and outer rockers. My inner will be spotwelded (many times!) to the 4x4, and the outer 3/4" of the sill will be sitting on the 4x4. So I think it'll be much better supported than stock. So the issue is just making sure that the 4x4 is well attached.

Also I don't really need the 3/4" piece to be tubing. Not that I want it to be solid! But the bottom side will be welded to the top of the 4x4, which will almost certainly be thicker wall than the 3/4" piece. So I'm thinking of maybe starting with a 1x1 square tube and cutting one side off it. The 1" should give me plenty of beef for the spot welds, and with the open side welded to the 4x4 it should have plenty of it's own beef.

Does that seem reasonable?

Yes, if I understand correctly, that seems reasonable.

Saying it another way, you'll cut the 1" square tubing and put the open side against the 4x4, welding it many times along its length. So the top will spread the load and the sides of it are plenty strong enough to carry the load. And the welds ensure it won't move.

[Nothing Special]

Yes, if I understand correctly, that seems reasonable.

Saying it another way, you'll cut the 1" square tubing and put the open side against the 4x4, welding it many times along its length. So the top will spread the load and the sides of it are plenty strong enough to carry the load. And the welds ensure it won't move.

Yep, that's the thought.

[FuzzFace2]

Yes, if I understand correctly, that seems reasonable.

Saying it another way, you'll cut the 1" square tubing and put the open side against the 4x4, welding it many times along its length. So the top will spread the load and the sides of it are plenty strong enough to carry the load. And the welds ensure it won't move.

Could you get channel the right width so you don't need to cut the square tube and double it up?

Have to ask does that roll cage go to the frame?

I would hate to see the plates cut thru the floor, you did round the down side edges? and be useless as a cage.

It not hard to do, out riggers from the frame with a plate (rounded edges again) to sandwich the floor at all the cage to floor contact areas.

A dash & behind the seat bars keep the cage square around the driver / passenger, in racing we did not need to worry anyone in a rear seat but could add a removable cross bar across the back gate area.

In racing we X the halo bar back to the rear seat area and the fuel cell was within this X area for protection. With the dash & seat bars the X and 8 frame points you can do a half gainer and end up on the roof and walk away, the truck not so much

Dave ----

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yes, if I understand correctly, that seems reasonable.

Saying it another way, you'll cut the 1" square tubing and put the open side against the 4x4, welding it many times along its length. So the top will spread the load and the sides of it are plenty strong enough to carry the load. And the welds ensure it won't move.

Could you get channel the right width so you don't need to cut the square tube and double it up?

Have to ask does that roll cage go to the frame?

I would hate to see the plates cut thru the floor, you did round the down side edges? and be useless as a cage.

It not hard to do, out riggers from the frame with a plate (rounded edges again) to sandwich the floor at all the cage to floor contact areas.

A dash & behind the seat bars keep the cage square around the driver / passenger, in racing we did not need to worry anyone in a rear seat but could add a removable cross bar across the back gate area.

In racing we X the halo bar back to the rear seat area and the fuel cell was within this X area for protection. With the dash & seat bars the X and 8 frame points you can do a half gainer and end up on the roof and walk away, the truck not so much

Dave ----

Or you could just use 3/4 box...

I think any 4" [] is going to be really heavy wall.

With the rust already there you're going to have to sandblast and phosphate, or something

Any oxide is going to vaporize the sheet metal before you get enough heat into the box tube.

"Welding a rusty razor blade to a boat anchor"