Nov 27, 2023
December 10th marks the 2nd anniversary of owning my 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands non-Sasquatch 4-door manual and it has been the best two years I have had with an offroad vehicle in my life! I love everything about this Bronco, but I knew from day one that I could not, and would not, leave well-enough alone. This post is not meant to be a full build documentation, as that would cause most people to check out well before the end, but it is meant to serve as an update to what is about to happen to the Bronco, and I cannot wait to try it out on the trails.
This past Friday, Black Friday, I installed 37" BFG KO2s, a decision I had weighed many times. "Will they make the front drivetrain too weak? Could I tolerate the loss of the manual transmission's extremely low crawl ratio (effective ratio after tire size is considered) going from 33s, 35s, and now 37s? Am I ready to start cutting things to make the tires fit, not only driving down the road, but when fully flexed on the trail? I ultimately decided that 37s was what I always wanted to add, so I will just put them on and figure out the rest as I go. So that is what I did. I stuck with the KO2s, as that is the only tire that has been installed on the Bronco from the factory 33s, the outgoing "35s", and now the 37s. I love the tires and have had no issues with them in almost 60,000 miles.
This week, to help strengthen the front end and maintain the awesome low speed crawling, I will be dropping the Bronco off at the local offroad shop to have the factory 4.70:1 ring and pinions swapped out for Yukon Gears 5.38:1 ring and pinions and replace the factory differential extension tube with BroncBuster's Differential Tube (an absolute monster compared to the OEM tube and another billet piece of art). After all is said and done, I will have the alignment done, for about the fifth time since owning the Bronco. To keep things from slipping, again, while offroading, I will also be adding the BDS Suspension Alignment Cam Lockout Plates, purchased through the Bronco Nation Parts store.
I quickly learned, even with my 1.5" wheel spacers (behind optional Badlands beadlock-capable wheels) and sketchy mix of suspension lift (perch collars and spacers), I ran out of space quickly when steering to full lock in either direction. To get by for now, I took out the Hackzall and cut an angle off the rear crash bar mounts. Also purchased from the Bronco Nation Parts Store, I ordered the JKS Max Tire Clearance Kit to replace the sloppy looking cuts I performed to make room for the new shoes.
I cannot wait to report back how the combination of 37" tires and new gear ratios performs!
This past Friday, Black Friday, I installed 37" BFG KO2s, a decision I had weighed many times. "Will they make the front drivetrain too weak? Could I tolerate the loss of the manual transmission's extremely low crawl ratio (effective ratio after tire size is considered) going from 33s, 35s, and now 37s? Am I ready to start cutting things to make the tires fit, not only driving down the road, but when fully flexed on the trail? I ultimately decided that 37s was what I always wanted to add, so I will just put them on and figure out the rest as I go. So that is what I did. I stuck with the KO2s, as that is the only tire that has been installed on the Bronco from the factory 33s, the outgoing "35s", and now the 37s. I love the tires and have had no issues with them in almost 60,000 miles.
This week, to help strengthen the front end and maintain the awesome low speed crawling, I will be dropping the Bronco off at the local offroad shop to have the factory 4.70:1 ring and pinions swapped out for Yukon Gears 5.38:1 ring and pinions and replace the factory differential extension tube with BroncBuster's Differential Tube (an absolute monster compared to the OEM tube and another billet piece of art). After all is said and done, I will have the alignment done, for about the fifth time since owning the Bronco. To keep things from slipping, again, while offroading, I will also be adding the BDS Suspension Alignment Cam Lockout Plates, purchased through the Bronco Nation Parts store.
I quickly learned, even with my 1.5" wheel spacers (behind optional Badlands beadlock-capable wheels) and sketchy mix of suspension lift (perch collars and spacers), I ran out of space quickly when steering to full lock in either direction. To get by for now, I took out the Hackzall and cut an angle off the rear crash bar mounts. Also purchased from the Bronco Nation Parts Store, I ordered the JKS Max Tire Clearance Kit to replace the sloppy looking cuts I performed to make room for the new shoes.
I cannot wait to report back how the combination of 37" tires and new gear ratios performs!
"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir
"The mountains are calling, and I must go..." - John Muir
BN #0120
"The mountains are calling, and I must go..." - John Muir
BN #0120
ToxawayMTN, Darrel