79 Bronco

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Q: What are the best things that I can do to make my 79 bronco an off-roading truck?
I have a 79 ford bronco and i was wondering what suspension lift and size of tires I should get for the best off-roading experience. I want to be able to do this for a reasonable price too.

A: 4″ lift and 33″ tires

Q: Can I replace the ignition switch and lock cylinder in a 79 bronco without the key?
It’s the in dash type. Keys are lost. So can the cylinder and switch be removed as a unit? or could I remove the pigtail and connect it into the new one? I know normally the key must me in ACC. to remove the cylinder. Any help would be appreciated, I need to get this running ASAP.
I can’t just disconnect the harness and connect it to a loose (not in dash)switch/tumbler assembly temporarily?
There is no shift interlock or steering lock. Just an in dash piece.

A: thats only on in column locks you dont need the key to take it out worse case you need to brake the metal ring holding into the dash if it wont unscrew unplug it then unscrew it depending on the brand of switch you put in it you may need the key to align it but you can take it out with out the key, if you damage the outside ring dont worry it comes with new switch

Q: How much would it cost to fully restore a 1973-79 Ford Bronco to perfect running condition.?
I have a 1976 Bronco and would like to replace everything so it won’t break down and leave me stranded as I have difficulty walking long distances. This includes new/rebuilt V 6/V8, new/rebuilt auto transmission, complete braking system, lights and wiring, electrical system, exhaust system, anything and everything to make it so it appears as is was manufactured last year.

A: Initial condition of yours is a large factor.

“new/rebuilt V 6/V8″ (V6 was not an option) 4000 to 6000 installed.

“new/rebuilt auto transmission” 2500 to 3500 installed.

“complete braking system” at least 1500.

“electrical system” another 1000 minimum.

“exhaust system,” cheap one here, 800 (more for stainless though!)

“anything and everything to make it so it appears as is was manufactured last year” Now you are talking! Paint, Upholstery, body work, window/body seals etc. all shouldn’t be any more than 12 to 15 grand!

Restorations are expensive. I have made a lot of money in this field!

Q: I have 79 bronco when u start it it makes a sound like the the key is still turned. also when u drive up hills

A: you have a weak bendix on the starter motor – it doesnt kick out of the flywheel ring gear all the way at first and when you go uphill it slides down the starter shaft and starts to hit the ring teeth again

Q: 79 bronco wont start!?
i have a 79 bronco with a 400 m and c6 trans. it startes up just fine 2 days ago. and then i replaced my alternator and charged the battery and now it wont start! what could be wrong. when i turn the key it makes a wierd sound and it is coming from the solenoid. i tried crossing the posts on the solenoid and i get the same thing. any ideas? could it be the starter or what?

A: try tapping the soleniod a few tiomes then start it, might be a bad solenoid… sometimes tapping it a few times will work.

Q: I need help with wiring a stereo for a 79 ford bronco that never had a radio any ideas?
i need info reguarding how to hook up the wires, cuz there has never been a radio in the vehicle

A: the truck should have been wired from the factory they just never installed the radio or speakers. I had a toyota that came the same way and it was already wired but no radio. so you might check and see if it was wired. IF not then you will need to do some wiring. if by chance it was wired all you will need is an adapter and wire it to your radio and hook it up and throw in some speakers in the factory spots and you are jamming. Hope this helps

Q: 79 Bronco wont start?
i have a 79 bronco with a 400m and c6 trans. it started fine 2 days ago but it needed a new alternator. so i hooked it up to the charger after i installed my new alternator. and it woulnt start. i have been asking on a few other sites and they all said check the solenoid, power and ground wires, and starter. so i put a new solenoid on it, and still nothing, i replace the power wire to the starter yet again nothing.. then i pulled the starter and hooked a power and a ground up to it turned the key and it worked fine. so i put it back on and ran a ground to it i am 99% sure everything is hooked up right. and the battery is a fairly new optima that i just pulled out of my other truck so it is for sure a good battery.. but it wont do anything when the starter is bolted in… does anybody have any possible idea what could be wrong with it? i have tried just about everything.
i am sure it is hooked up right. there is only supposed to be 1 wire going to it. thw power wire. the starter worked when it was pulled and hooked up the same way. but when i put it back in it wouldnt work
with the ground i hooked jumper cables up to it at first. i hooked the ground to the negative side of the battery and grounded hooked it to the starter. then i hooked the positive to the solenoid (the side where the power wire for the starter goes) then i hooked it to the starter on the little post where you bolt the wire on. and when i turned the key it worked fine. then i went and got a new power wire for it and a ground wire. i hooked it up the same exact way and it worked. then after i abolted the starter back on i hooked up the power wire and then i hooked up a fround wire from the block where my ground that goes to the battery is bolted on and i bolted it to the starter with the bottom bolt. and it doesnt do anything..
i didnt know there was a coating on them i will pull them off and take a wire brush to them tomorrow. but i did follow all of the wires to make sure they were connected in the right spots. and the solenoid is good. it does click when you turn the key. its just that the power isnt getting to the starter. Thanks for the help. i hope i can fix it. i did give up for today though.. considering it screwed up my new years plans of going wheeling. lol Thanks for the help though
the starter is for an auto tranny i bought it new a year or 2 ago for my 78 f-150 but the motor blew on it. and i put it on the bronco about 6 months ago and havent had any problems until a few days ago.
this is just my wheeling rig. i have it so i can take it and beat the piss out of it in the woods. and i wanted to fix it so i could beat the piss out of it tonight. lol

A: be absoulutely sure the wire are hooked up right on the alternator. are you getting power on the starter solenoid wire when key in start position?

Q: which carb is better for my ‘79 Bronco?
i have a ‘79 Bronco with a built up 460 in it and it has a carter 4bbl on it but i was wondering if an edlebrock would be better or maybe another carb? eventually i would like to fuel inject it but i dont have the money

A: DO NOT put an edlebrock on it. Get a Holley double pumper. Believe me, an edlebrock will not work as good.

Q: what gear ratio would be best for my 79′ bronco?
i am the proud owner of a 1979 ford bronco with a built 429 c.i
the current gearing im running in front and rear end are 3.50
i was thinking about 4.10 – 4.56’s
the reason being is that i have 35×12.50 tires and a 4inch lift
i just wanted the proper gear ratios to get better acceleration but i still want some top end

A: You’ll need 4:56 gears to maintain the amount of acceleration you would have with stock sized tires. We had a Jeep a few years ago with 35’s on it and the 4:56 gears made it livable on the highway.
Keep in mind though especially with big ole 35 inch big lugged tires that you’re gonna be replacing u-joints, axles and driveshafts with that much torque. I’m certainly not trying to talk you out of it, jus get ready, That much torque, with the added leverage the 35’s will cause will make things snap a lot if the tires won’t slip a little.
My son is running Rockwells with I think 6:73’s in them and it accelerates those big 44’s like they were on a race car.

Q: do i have to buy the brake hub and rotor together for my ‘79 Bronco?
It looks like it’s one piece but i have also seen just the individual rotors for the ‘78 – ’79s as well. So i dont know …

A: Most all brake manufacturers make separate rotors for your Ford. These do not just come off like a car, you have to remove the 4wd hub assembly, front wheel lock nuts and bearings (requiring specialized tools) then you have to drive the wheel studs out of the hub/rotor assembly to separate the rotor from the hub. Then you can re-assemble
taking care to put everything back exactly the way it came off. Dont forget to pack the front wheel bearings with grease. also, between the two hub nuts is a locking ring with a key that fits in a slot on the front spindle and numerous little holes that locate on a small pin that sticks out of the inner bearing nut. Make sure you put the proper nut on the inside of the assembly will work itself loose.

Q: 79 Bronco Carburetor problem!!!!!!!!!!?
I have a 79 Bronco with rebuilt 400m, msd electronic advance, and it has a cam but im not sure the size. I just bought a 770 holley 4 barrel truck avenger carb and everything works fine except it bogs and stalls if I punch it at all. I have a new fuel pump, and high flow filter. Idle and jets are set right and if I start by feathering it and build up speed it does fine. Could it be to big of cfm of maybe I need larger fuel hard lines to tank?

A: If the carb is a double-pumper, and you’re running a mild cam with an auto trans and a stock stall speed torque converter could be a problem.

Q: Will the doors from a 78-79 Ford Bronco fit a 78 F-100?
Hi guys,

I’m hoping you guys can help out. I’m in the middle of rebuilding a 1978 F-100, but I want to replace the original doors with ones that have power windows. I was looking into the 78 -79 Broncos because someone told me they would fit the F-100 body style. Has anyone done this before? Does anyone know if the doors of a 78-79 Bronco fit on a 78 F-100? If they do, does anyone know where I can find a pair? I already hit up all the local junk yards but no luck! Any suggestions or advice would definitely help!

Thanks!

A: yes the doors from a 78-79 bronco will fit your f-100. and i just did this with my 79 f150.and your actually better off with used ones(if they are ford) because taiwan aftermarket doors never line up right,and sometimes u have to shave them down.in a nutshell,they are junk!!..if u are looking for a used set,email me and ill give u a place u can go and get a decent set of doors….

Q: will an NP205 bolt up where an NP203 was on a 78/79 bronco?
ok i thought my 78 or 79 bronco (not sure) had an np205 transfercase but i blew it up and while taking it out i realized its an np203 (which explains why i had a hard time keeping it in 2wd.) what i was wondering is will an np205 bolt up where the 203 was?? because i have a built 429 mated with a c6 and i dont think a 203 will take what i put my truck through

A: Ye want the New Process 205FM in specific; it is an all-gear design with a 2.04:1 low, with a six-bolt pattern around the input shaft (the same as the ‘203 that failed you). The NP203 is a planetary-reduced model with a chain drive for the front output. Be advised that the 205FM may require different-length driveshafts fore and aft due to the dimensional differences between both ‘cases.

Some serious off-roaders that use the 205FM in competition modify them for a split-T shifter, with each half controlling one output (left=front, right=rear); this is often referred to as a twin-stick setup (not to be confused with the tandem Spicers in medium- and heavy-duty trucks, where one shifter controls each gearbox).

Q: Frame to fit my ‘79 Bronco XLT?
I know the ‘73-79 Ford F series trucks were the footprint to the second gen Broncos (‘78-79), however there aren’t nearly enough Broncos out there to salvage so I was wondering what other frame of Fords that will be an exact match (no mods needed) to do a frame up rebuild.
My current frame is swiss cheese on the rear driver side. As well as it’s bowed out, tailgate is tied shut. The truck took some abuse from the previous owners. There is no salvaging this frame in it’s current state, I got a 24″ish piece of rear driver frame I was going to weld into it but was looking at other options before going ahead with it, see if I cannot find a proper frame to build up from.

A: If I’m not mistaken, the first poster was correct. The only totally matching frame will be a 1978-79 Bronco. You cannot use the early Bronco frame because it’s too small and none of the body mounting points will match up. As far as I know, you cannot use the 1980 and later Bronco frame because the design is different. What’s the deal there? Ford went to the Twin Traction Beam (TTB) front suspension. Is it possible to modify a 1980 or later Bronco frame to work? Sure, if you put enough effort into it but the modifications needed might prove to be more than modifying a 1973-79 Ford truck frame would. If that’s the case, obviously, it would be wiser to locate and use a truck frame instead of a 1980 or later Bronco frame. You might want to double check that however, just to be sure.

What is boils down to IMHO is whether or not you really need to replace your current frame. What’s wrong with it? Was your Bronco hit so hard in an accident that the frame is warped way out of shape? Normally, if that’s the case the entire vehicle isn’t worth restoring or repairing. If your rig was in a serious accident, my best advice is to seriously look at whether or not the rig is worth putting back together. Why? It might be wiser, less problematic and far less costly to simply find another Bronco to restore and you can use yours for parts. If you’re not sure… enlist the help of a bodyshop or two to get some estimations of costs. Guys in a Bronco club may also be a great help here because many of them will be able to tell you about their rigs and how much they spent on them.

Is your Bronco rusting away due to salted Winter roads? There has to be some reason you want to replace it… but I have to say, I don’t see too many frames that are in such bad shape I think they need to be replaced unless the rest of the rig needs to be replaced as well. Usually, the body gets eaten up long before the frame is. Why? The frames for the Bronco and Ford trucks for 1978/79 are made from stout, beefy steel plate. Body panels are made from much thinner sheet metal. Most of the time, all the frames need to be restored is be stripped of all parts, sandblasted and repainted or powder coated after which new or rebuilt suspension components are bolted back on. If there is one section that’s bad, often a donor section of frame can be welded in to facilitate a lasting repair but even that is rare. Why? Welding in reinforcing plates or boxing the frame is the common sense repair. Bottom line here? Make sure your frame is truly unusable… for whatever reason. Remember, just because it looks ugly doesn’t mean that it cannot be used. Ugly means zippo in the world of automobilia. Actual condition is what counts.

OK, assuming that you truly need a new frame… what to do? I would try to locate a parts Bronco that’s mostly been stripped or that is a rolling frame. That way you’ll get the frame but not have to pay for a lot of parts you don’t need. You might end up having to do a nationwide search… and that can prove to be time consuming and costly. Costly because traveling around long distances to buy a rig eats up gas, money for lodging and food. Not to mention that you’re not at home working at your job. You also have to have a vehicle suitable for towing AND a trailer. Be sure going that route is cost effective… most of the time it isn’t. Be sure to do the math when considering how far to travel.

What else is there? Find a usable truck frame from 1973-79. Either use it to repair your existing frame or rework it to match the frame of your Bronco. Exactly what has to be removed to convert a truck frame into a Bronco frame I don’t know… but what I’ve been told is that it can be done without too much trouble IF you have the talent and time. If I remember right, there’s a section of the frame behind the cab that needs to be removed… but don’t quote me on that because I just don’t know for sure, I’ve never done it myself. I’ve got loads of time spent on trucks… but never on the frame of a 1978/79 Bronco. However, what I do know is that it will be obvious when you set the frames side by side and plan it out. That much I have been told first hand and I’ve read it in a magazine or two. The only question that remains is… can you accomplish something of this magnitude? If you cannot, you’d be best off sticking with locating another Bronco to restore or another Bronco frame.

Splicing and dicing a frame is something that has to be done 100% correct the first time. It has to be 100% safe and be 100% true so that every part bolts onto it as it would from the factory. It also has to be straight and true so there are no driving problems… such as if it doesn’t track right because it just isn’t square. Bottom line here? You must have the talent, tools and knowledge to pull off a job such as that. That excludes the majority of all shadetree mechanics. In the big picture, you need to get the facts together and make a few decisions. Best wishes!

Q: Will an 80’s Ford Bronco Front bake hub and rotor fit on a 79 Bronco?

A: No. they changed in 1980.

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