9/25/2005

I've been so busy catching up with things outside the project I haven't had any time for updates. I did find a better picture of the bronco before I did anything to it. I've also taken a picture of the bronco today with the top back on.

What a difference. You can see I still have some trim items to attach. Instead I've been working on getting things like power windows and locks to function. See video clips below. Sorry about the lighting, but I'm not used to it getting dark this early.

Keyless Entry!
(Mpeg - 9 Sec - 1.4MB)

You're probably going to laugh, but I feel like I cheated a little on the keyless entry. I thought maybe I'd build my own solenoids or try to adapt the mechanism on the '04 but instead I found an aftermarket power lock kit and wired the outputs from the '04 relays to the input trigger on the aftermarket kit. That way I still get to use the stock remote and all the functions that come with it. When I hit the unlock button and it's dark outside, the interior/exterior lights come on to show me where the bronco is. This morning after I'd connected one of the power locks my wife and I took the bronco to go somewhere for breakfast. Halfway down the block the one door locked automatically like all the new Fords do. It scared the crap out of me. Just not used to stuff like that in the old '78.

Power Windows!
(Mpeg - 12 Sec - 1.9MB)

One thing that always frustrates me about an older truck is pulling up next to someone outside your passenger door and having to strain to roll the window down to talk to them. Not anymore. I was just going to steal the window motors out of the '04 but once I got into it I realized the whole system in there was really pretty sweet. It's completely independent of the window guides and simply clamps on to the bottom of the window glass and bolts to the inside of the door. It uses a system of cables thats really pretty slick. The first time I glanced inside one of the '04 doors I thought no way was I going to use that. Once I got it pulled out I could see it was the only way to go. When I install the one on the driver's door I'll take some pics of the installation. I still need to figure out a new handle on the passenger door since one of the mounting points for the window motor interfered with the stock one. I've got a pretty cool idea for the location and type of handle that's better than either truck if you ask me.

12/04/05

I didn't realize it's been so long since my last update. Probably because I've been out having FUN with my new bronco! I actually have gotten some cool things done on the rig though. Regretfuly I didn't get a picture of the bronco balancing on two wheels out on the woods, but there will be other opportunities for that down the road. For right now I need to cover how the armrest from the 2004 fits into the bronco. Check it out.

Yes the buttons for locking the door and operating the window are fully functional. I'd said I had a great idea for the door latch mechanism, but after many hours of debate I ended up scrapping it in favor of my wife's idea. You can't see it from this picture but I mounted a handle inside the gap in the middle of the armrest. I've temporarily installed a plastic handle I had lying around, but when I do the driver's side I'll turn a nice aluminum one for each side.

Thanks to a new software update for my laptop I was able to get all three ABS sensors working as well and now have fully functional ABS on my 1978 bronco! Unfortunately for me it hasn't managed to snow yet in Beaverton so I had to settle for a gravel parking lot test. I got it up to over 20 mph and slammed the brakes. The pedal pulsed rapidly and I could hear the tires making a quick chugchugchugchug sound in the gravel as they applied and released the brakes. Way cool. I occasionally feel some pulsing in the pedal when I'm coming to a stop on wet pavement, but I assume that's the rear drums that are a little over powered with the new 2004 master cylinder. I put in a proportioning valve which helped, but I don't know that the problem will fully go away until I install some rear disc brakes.

Another big success that happened with proper alignment of my wheel sensors was the disappearance of my P2106 code. That stupid code triggers a limp mode with the new Ford trucks that makes you embarrassed to be on the road. The thing starts running like it's missing a couple cylinders every time you back off the gas and when you do punch it you only get about %70 of the power you're used to. I used to get this every time I went over 40 mph which was reduced to intermittent with a software update for my cpu from Ford. I still couldn't estabish the exact trigger since it would come up as I was cruising down the highway on flat ground. Once I pulled over and restarted the engine everything was back to normal. Now that I've eliminated the ABS warning lights on my dash, I haven't seen one P2106 since! This after having done nothing with the "throttle actuator control system". My guess is the ABS system is a serious enough issue that Ford decided to trigger that code purely for the limp mode function just to get the customer to service their vehicle before they get in a wreck. If a Ford engineer who works on the programming of these things happens to read this, CALL ME. I very much want to pick your brain!

1/01/06

I had this whole week off due to a shutdown at work so I was able to get significant work done on the bronco. A buddy came over to help me install a back seat (my bronco was not offered with one) which required some fabrication, but I didn't bother to take any pics as I've never seen another bronco without a factory back seat.

The most significant update was the driver door panel. Here's a before pic as it's been for the last two years.

Notice no armrest and the stock handle is just sticking out which looks bad. I've always liked this replacement of the original panels on the old Fords where you take a piece of hard board and cover it with fabric, but that handle is something I never took the time to address.......until now.

The first order of business was to get the power window hardware out of one of the wrecked doors.

Here is the assembly complete with tracks and motor.

Here's what the door looks like with the power window hardware installed and the original manual hardware removed. Notice the original handle for opening the door is also gone. Going to need to fab something up in its place.

Getting started turning some parts on the lathe.

Here I've bolted an aluminum plate into the door and press fit a bushing that protrudes through the door. The piece inside the bushing is a bolt I modified with a lever on the head which connects to the original linkage inside the door. When the shaft is rotated CCW the door opens. The parts in my hand I machined to fit together as shown in the next picture.

Pretty slick huh? The set screw threads into the larger piece and tightens down onto the shaft of the bolt. I tapped the handle for the same thread as the set screw and simply tightened it down. It works really well.

Here you can see what it looks like once the armrest from the 2004 was installed on the door panel. To open the door you simply pull up on the lever with your fingers. It only rotates about 20 degrees and springs back to horizontal when you release it.

Here's a shot of the driver's side with the door panel complete. All the switches for locking the doors and operating the windows are fully functional. Since the 2004 truck was a four door I used the two front window switches for the two front windows in the bronco and the left rear for the back window in the tail gate. The right rear switch doesn't do anything right now, but I'm sure I'll think of something. The little joy stick for adjusting the power windows also isn't connected to anything, but I'm thinking about eventually having some big KC lights mounted somewhere on each side that could be controlled with this.

1/8/06

This week I decided to upgrade the old Ford 9 inch rear end with new bearings, seals, and some traction control. A standard open differential can be very frustrating in that it tends to distribute all your torque to the wheel that has the least traction. There are a number of upgrades available for the driver who wants a little more traction for off-road or icy conditions. For my needs I decided to go with a Detroit Truetrac. It has the ability to detect which tire has more traction and automatically sends the majority of the engine's power to that wheel. Some upgrades will cause your wheels to chirp on corners or make a ratcheting sound but Detroit advertises that on pavement you won't even know the Truetrac is there. The hard core off road enthusiast may ask what happens if one wheel comes off the ground? Well I'm happy to say that my Truetrac has built in preload that ensures some power will be transmitted to the wheel with traction, even when the other tire is in the air.

Here's a picture of the Truetrac right out of the box. Some day I will do my own gear setup, but this time I decided to let the experts handle it and had a pre-assembled carrier delivered to my door.

Here's what the housing looked like all cleaned up and ready for the new differential.

I have a friend with a press and visted his shop to press on new seals and bearings for both axles.

Here's looking down the tube with the Truetrac installed.

Here it is all done. I followed the break in procedure and drove around for short distances, stopping in between to let the gears and oil cool.

So far I'm pretty impressed. Once I had enough miles on the thing I started putting it in some situations that would normally result in a loss of traction. I pulled far enough off the side of the road to get one tire in some grass, but when I gave it some gas I simply accelerated down the road rather than sitting and throwing sod. Even more impressive was on the way home I got really brave and started trying to make the back end spin out on wet pavement. After a few tries I was taking 90 degree turns and hitting the throttle which would normally have spun me around almost instantly. Instead the worst I could get was a momentary slip for a half second followed by smooth uninterrupted acceleration. It reminded me of driving my buddy's Subaru Forester last week when he told me to try and break the tires loose. I actually did for just a moment, but I had to use the same maneuvers I was doing with the bronco. Not bad. The only complaint I have at all is I do hear a slight high pitched ring at highway speeds but I don't yet have the hole over my gas tank sealed off and still don't have any carpet. Once all that is done I don't expect to hear anything.