| Ford Bronco Ii |
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The Ford Bronco II was a Compact SUV sold between 1984 and 1990. It was commissioned as a smaller complement to the full-size Bronco as well as to offer a Ford alternative to the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer , Jeep Cherokee and Toyota 4Runner . The Bronco II was Ford's first Compact SUV since the original Bronco sold from 1966 to 1977. It is mechanically and (except in detail) structurally identical to the Ford Ranger. It had a 94 Inch (2,388 Mm ) wheelbase and was enclosed in the rear. ENGINES The 1984 and 1985 models were equipped with the 115 hp Carbureted Cologne 2.8 L V6 Engine which was also used in the Ranger from 1984 to 1985. The 1986 model year introduced the 140 hp Fuel Injected 2.9 L '' Cologne '' V6 . This engine was plagued with internal design flaws in the cylinder heads and oil passages in the block. Overheating the engine usually leads to cracks in the cylinder head between the valve springs or at the base of the rocker shaft pedestals. This results in internal coolant leaks causing contamination of the oil which, if not caught in time, causes severe internal engine damage. High-mileage engines also tend to have excessive wear on the camshaft bearings, causing a loss of oil pressure to both the cam and main bearings; when coupled with faults in the design of the valve lifters, this creates lifter ticking which plagued some engines early on in their service life. Although there were slight improvements to the head castings in late-1989, these heads were not installed on production engines before the production of the Bronco II ceased. Bronco IIs that were still under warranty or at the owner’s desire were retrofitted with the improved heads. The problems haunted many examples of this engine until it was discontinued in 1992, though perversely many 2.9 L engines exhibit no symptoms of these problems. The problems which plagued the 2.9 inspired many of the design features of the 4.0 L engine which replaced it in the Explorer. A small 86 hp 2.3 Diesel engine was also offered through 1987, but this engine was rarely used as it offered poor performance. DEMISE The first Bronco II was developed in parallel with the Ranger from 1984 to 1988. The restyling of the Bronco II and Ranger started in 1989, but ended for the Bronco II with the end of production in February 1990, replaced by the larger Explorer . The restyling is marked not only by difference in physical appearance, but also improved structural support. 1990 models produced after November 1989 with Four-wheel Drive came equipped with the Dana 35 front axle, as opposed to the Dana 28 front axle used in earlier production. The Explorer started where the Bronco II left off with a similar Ranger-based platform, sharing essentially the same front end, but with Ford's new 4.0L 155hp V6 and a four door model with a two door Sport option. The Explorer kept to the Ranger based tradition until 1995 when it was overhauled with a major exterior restyling, and chassis modifications to allow the new addition of Ford's 5.0 L V8, and that was the end of the line for any reminisce of the Bronco II. Ford would not market another compact SUV until the release of the Escape in 2001. MODIFICATIONS There are many common and popular modifications that are done with the Bronco II. One bolt-on modification is on Four-wheel Drive vehicles to replace the earlier Dana 28 front axle with the later production Dana 35s from Rangers. Retrofitting a Ford 8.8 rear axle is not quite as easy, though it is still a very popular modification. Lift kits are also one of the most popular modifications, either by using drop shackles in the back and larger coils in the front with or w/o radius arm drop brackets and axle pivot drop brackets, and/or a body lift. With both the Bronco II and Ranger there are many possibilities for engine swaps, the most common being being either the 302 or 351W Ford Windsor Engine s or the 4.0 L Cologne V6 from a Ranger or Explorer. SAFETY The Bronco II, being a popular SUV choice was dogged by targeted reports that it was prone to , 1989) "Magazine Gives Ford's Bronco II 'Avoid' Rating," Wall Street Journa ( May 8 , 1989), and "Consumer Reports Criticizes Ford Bronco II's Handling," Washington Post ( May 18 , 1989 ) After analysis of SUV crashes of the Suzuki Samurai , the NHTSA opened a formal study of the Ford Bronco II in 1989. There were 43 Bronco II rollover fatalities in 1987, compared with eight for the Samurai, but accident data in four states showed the Bronco II’s rollover rate was similar to that of other SUVs, so the investigation was closed. NHTSA declined to reopen the investigation in 1997 after more Bronco II crashes. {Link without Title} "Rollover complaints dismissed" Jeff Plungis Detroit News Washington 2002 SUVs in general tend to have higher centers of gravity compared with passenger cars, and most come with owner warnings today, but there is little conclusive evidence that the Bronco II is much different from other SUVs in this respect. NOTES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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