Today, Ford sent customers the following communication:
“We wanted to give you a look into the journey your Bronco took from the factory floor to your driveway.
Here’s a photo of your Bronco, moments after exiting the assembly line.
After you’ve finished admiring it in all of its Built Wild™ glory, check out this video detailing the final steps of building these beasts.
Think of this as a thank-you for sticking with us.
For your patience.
For your loyalty to the Ford family.
And for your love for Bronco.
We can’t wait to see where your Bronco takes you. Share your adventures with us by tagging @FordBronco.
See you out there,
The Entire Bronco Team.
Final Assembly, Finishing Touches, and Last Inspection
The video Ford linked to gives you a teaser of the stops your Bronco takes in the factory before it can get in your driveway.
Bronco Nation member @SlashRacer gave us some additional insight into the final testing process to make sure your Bronco is perfect.
According to his friend at the Michigan Assembly Plant, this is reportedly what happens once your Bronco comes off the line.
“Once the vehicles come off the final assembly line, they are immediately taken to Wheel Alignment & Headlight Aim (WAHA) to make sure the vehicle tracks right and doesn't have any caster, camber, or toe problems, and the wheels are perfectly straight with the steering.
After WAHA certification, they go to dyno. Every single vehicle Ford builds goes to dyno. They get put on a set of front and rear rollers, and a series of checks is run on the entire system. They make sure the trans doesn't engage into gear when it's not supposed to; they check the 4x4 and 2-wheel drive systems. They drive the vehicle on rollers at various speeds through different test and power loads. Max AC and auto start stop are turned off. They run the vehicle through every gear up to around 70-80 MPH sitting still. Then they check braking performance and Wide-Open Throttle (WOT). That test generally takes less than 2 ½ minutes to complete.
Once that's complete and the vehicle passes, it's certified in the system to not have any mechanical failures or issues. Sometimes vehicles fail for various reasons: different sensors, or not following the prompts correctly.
Once the dyno is complete, they pull it forward into a static testing area where they go over every single electrical component in the vehicle. Windows, wipers, gauges, locks, AC temp, horn, and every single bulb there is imaginable gets turned on and checked.
Once those get all cleared and passed, the Bronco is certified and goes either to a repair area if something needs to be repaired, or if it all passes, it goes on to the water line where it is blasted with water from every single direction for 2 to 3 minutes checking for leaks.
If it passes the water line, it is certified and goes on to additional testing of other things, like verifying all the hood pad retainer pins are installed, HVAC pressure lines are capped, and a few other test.
A rep sits at a section of that line, takes a picture of each Bronco and emails the customer a picture of their truck stating it's almost ready for delivery.
Then it rolls through a tunnel of lights where inspectors check for any anomalies in the paint: scratches, scuffs, nicks, chips, etc.
Once it clears that, it's onto the rough road test where they drive the vehicle down a series of different terrain types, checking for squeaks and rattles. The vehicles get brought off and certified, as long as no issues remain in their computers. Finally, they send the truck out to the mod center for graphics, light bars, and other accessories before being loaded up to go to customers.”
From the Tunnel of Lights to the Light at the End of the Tunnel
The wait for your Bronco has been long and hard for many of you, and some of you still have time to go. We at Bronco Nation can’t wait for the gap between you and your Bronco to close, and we’re glad you’ll be receiving a thoroughly tested vehicle once it does. Then, as Ford says in the video, you can go out and enjoy it.
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