Maybe a Bronco

[CaFordDude]

Saw a 1996 full size bronco for sale today $2900. I have no more information at this point and am considering making a call on it.

I realize this is a 14 year old vehicle. Other then that anything specific I should look at/ask about?

Seemed to be in ok condition driving by it but that is as close as I got.

 

[Skandocious]

Transmission. That seems to be the most troublesome thing in these older trucks. Engines and drivetrains are mostly stout except for general maintenance stuff like ball joints, ujoints, hoses, wiring, etc. Just listen to the engine, feel how smooth it idles, drive it in all different types of driving situations that you can (freeway, stop and go, cruising, etc). Listen very closely for strange noises while driving and ESPECIALLY pay attention for strange vibrations. After I bought my truck I was hunting down strange vibrations for years.

 

[greystreak92]

As with any 4-wheel-drive unit, make certain the transfer case engages in both high and low gears.

Take a good look UNDER the air filter in the filter box. Under the air filter is the breather filter mounted in the rear wall of the bottom of the air filter box. IF it is soaked in motor oil and/or the bottom of the filter box is soaked in motor oil this is cause for concern. Loss of oil control back through the crank case venting system is indication of a 5.0 (302) or 5.8 (351) that is reaching a point of needing an overhaul.

Typical "cancer" points are over the rear wheels and along the bottom edge of the tailgate. These points of corrosion are typically from the inside out so bubbling of the paint in these regions is indicative of the beginnings of the problem. The aft ends of the rain gutters tend to develop cracks due to a lack of gusseting in that area of the body. There is no "cure" for this issue but it can be dealt with with fairly good results.

If you want more info like this about these trucks have a look at the red link in my signature.

 

[nobodyspecial]

I was hunting down strange vibrations for years.

As opposed to the Good Vibrations I have been searching for...

 

[BKW]

Since you "drove by it" I assume it's local to you.

Is all the emissions equipment intact and in working order?

1976 and newer vehicles are subject to smog testing in CA. And...there is no waiver any longer if the parts are obsolete.

It's fix it, or park it. The seller is responsible...if the vehicle will not pass smog.

How long has it been in CA?

If the DSO code on the Certification Label is 71 (SoCal) or 72 (NorCal), the Bronco was sold new in CA.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

Aaron, try out electrical things while you're in there. The windows should take the same amount of time to go up/down. Check to see if the cruise control works - the wiper blade motor too.

Chris is right about the transmission. Get on the throttle pretty good, then when you get to about 55, let off the throttle totally and see if it chokes and shifts hard, or if it figures out what gear it should be in.

Rust isn't much of an issue out there, so if you see any serious amount of rust, it was from another part of the country, but you already know that.

How many miles will determine other stuff. The first resistance you feel in the brake pedal comes from the drum brakes in the back, so if it feels squishy, those shoes are probably worn.

Ryan

 

[LEB Ben]

I agree with the rest of these guys...the biggest issues I've had out of Broncos and 92-96 trucks is rust with the Broncos and transmissions with the trucks. So far, it seems like right around 180-200k is the max time any E4OD I've ever had wants to die, some even earlier. Even though you live in Cali, Broncos aren't immune to rust, so give the floor pans a knock, take a magnet to the rear quarters (or give them a knock as well) and give the tailgate a look. Another personal issue I have, is I don't feel the 302 is well suited in Broncos (or trucks), it's just not enough a$$ for the weight.

 

[polarbear]

Aw hell- I'll jump in here.

#1. Pushbutton 4WD was a PITA and prone to failure. Find one with the lever on the floor if possible. Ditto manual hubs.

#2. Power Rr Tailgate Window was a perpetual nuisance too- but there isn't much you can do about it except have it fixed.

#3. Outside spare tire mount rattled, shook, and was constantly in the way. figure about $250 to have it removed, holes filled, and painted.

#4. Window tracks were prone to accumulate dirt and grime, making you think the PW motor was close to failure. Cleaning out the tracks usually solves the issue (takes about 20 minutes per door).

#5. West Coast rigs were immune to rust- rust on the lower rockers and wheel wells indicate a mid-west/gulf coast truck at some time in it's life. Avoid it. The West Coast rigs are more prone to paint issues because of sun damage unless you can find one that's been garaged.

#6. Yeah, the 351 had more power. It also didn't seem to last as long as the 302 and sucked gas like hell won't have it. Unless you put big-*** tires on it, the 302 is perfectly adaquate. 351's seem to tear up tranny's sooner than 302's- something else to consider. (White '93 had a 302, 4EOD, and 3.55 gears. I never thought it was lacking for power, but that tells you how I drove it).

#7. Yeah, tranny's went south, but that depends on the driver. I got 232,000 out of mine, and it was still going strong (4EOD).

That being said, they're pretty darned solid and rugged. I wouldn't be afraid of one for $3=$4,000 (the money for a nice one). I'd just avoid one that looks like it's been wheeled, spent time in the mud pits, etc. Fast, easy ways to seriously reduce the life expectancy of drivetrain components.

*My old boss @ Suburban Ford still drives his '96 supercharged Bronco as his DD. He loves the truck- interesting since he has an Aston Martin DBS and a Ford GT sitting in the garage as alternates, ya know?

 

[polarbear]

Here's an example of a mint condition, one owner, low mileage, adult-owned Bronco. $$$'s are wat strong for this one, but this is what you'd be shooting for.

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/1839770598.html

*The mid-west and gulf-coast guys wouldn't know what a rust-free 15 yr old car or truck even looks like. In the rest of the southern tier, the high humidity combined with air pollutants causes almost as much damage as the mid-west, so rust is still an issue in virtually the entire 48 states except the West Coast, Nevada, and Arizona. (Utah uses salt in the winter).

 

[LEB Ben]

Don't mean to argue with you Ernie, I rarely do...but I think there are a couple areas where you're simply off base.

The rear window is NOT a perpetual nuisance, seems most guys get about 15 years out of the setup...not too shabby in my book. And if you fix it right the first time, you should get another 15 years out of them.

Rear tire carrier shakes and rattles due to worn out parts...seems to me simple maintenance solves this. You maintain every other aspect of a rig, why neglect a tire carrier?


I don't care what you say about them being immune to rust, the tailgate was a poor design and it doesn't matter where in the country the rig is from, it'll rust out across the bottom. The quarters...maybe in sunny Socal were immune to rust, but that's not the entire west coast and the rear wheel wells are noted among the Bronco community as being a pretty big issue. I'll agree it takes the rust longer to set in in some regions, but it's not an issue of 'if' it's an issue of 'when'.


And the 351...I dunno where you came to that conclusion. Again, take a read on FSB, you'll find more guys get worse mileage with the 302 than the 351 except for in bumper to bumper traffic. The 302 doesn't have the balls on anything but flat ground and on a stock setup, you basically need your foot on the floor to maintain highway speeds (only slightly exagerrated), using more gas than a 351. In theory, yes, the 302 should gt better milage...but in real life, it doesn't.

 

[5.0Flareside]

a 302 will not get better mileage than a 351... my dads 95 302 MAF with AOD-E and a 3.55 rear gets the same as my 351W SD E4OD and 4.10 gear.

and his truck is a ext cab long bed where mine is a ext cab Flareside, virtually same weight actually mine is probably a bit heavier...

 

[BKW]

SoCal vehicles are not immune to rust or black plastic trim turning to grey.

During parts of the year, June Gloom arrives. This moniker is for the marine layer that rolls in off the ocean in the evening and doesn't burn off...sometimes till the early afternoon.

This salty air settles on the vehicles, should be washed off ASAP, otherwise do not be surprised if rust begins to form, or your black cowl panel and etc trim turns mottled grey.

And, like I said in another post in this thread, just because the vehicle is in CA now, does not mean it's a CA original.

Back when these vehicles were new, 10,000 people a week moved to CA from points east.

 

[polarbear]

Don't mean to argue with you Ernie, I rarely do...but I think there are a couple areas where you're simply off base.

The rear window is NOT a perpetual nuisance, seems most guys get about 15 years out of the setup...not too shabby in my book. And if you fix it right the first time, you should get another 15 years out of them.

Rear tire carrier shakes and rattles due to worn out parts...seems to me simple maintenance solves this. You maintain every other aspect of a rig, why neglect a tire carrier?


I don't care what you say about them being immune to rust, the tailgate was a poor design and it doesn't matter where in the country the rig is from, it'll rust out across the bottom. The quarters...maybe in sunny Socal were immune to rust, but that's not the entire west coast and the rear wheel wells are noted among the Bronco community as being a pretty big issue. I'll agree it takes the rust longer to set in in some regions, but it's not an issue of 'if' it's an issue of 'when'.


And the 351...I dunno where you came to that conclusion. Again, take a read on FSB, you'll find more guys get worse mileage with the 302 than the 351 except for in bumper to bumper traffic. The 302 doesn't have the balls on anything but flat ground and on a stock setup, you basically need your foot on the floor to maintain highway speeds (only slightly exagerrated), using more gas than a 351. In theory, yes, the 302 should gt better milage...but in real life, it doesn't.

1. The rear windows were a perpetual nuisance- seems like evwery couple of years they needed attention.

2. Spare tire carrier is a giant PITA. They rattled and shook when they were brand new, fer crissakes (I was there, remember), and it didn't get any better over the years. Simple and popular solution is to remove them, fill in the holes, paint, done.

3. re: 302. Here's some real world for you- I put over 200,000 miles on that '93. 13-15 mpg in town, 17-18 hwy... and that was consistent throughout the trucks life. We both know a 351 couldn't do that in a 4X4 on it's best day- or anything close.

A 351 is a decent choice- i just wouldn't write off the 302 quite so quickly.

BKW's comments about the number of Bronco "imports" is correct. My truck spent one (singular) winter in Iowa, and had the characteristic rust bubbles on the bottom rear edges of the cab.

 

[Skandocious]

#1. Pushbutton 4WD was a PITA and prone to failure. Find one with the lever on the floor if possible. Ditto manual hubs.

After reading these forums for 4-5 years I've seen WAY more threads about stuck, rusted, or broken shift linkage than I have about problems with the electronic shift system. Mine has been 100% pain free in the time that I've owned the truck and I have all the receipts (or lack thereof) to prove that no parts in that system have ever been replaced.

Auto hubs are a different store. Complete garbage. But you can easily and cheaply swap in Warn manuals and keep the shift-on-the-fly. My brother has the lever on the floor and compared to my buttons it's a giant PITA.

 

[Fordzilla80]

I think the Buttons VS Manual Shift Transfer Case is like the TTB VS Straight Axle issue.

A few people have a problem,and then make it their mission to convince everyone else that so and so item sucks,and that they should have the other item instead.Everyone should make their own opinion on items based solely on experience actually testing the item themselves,instead of believing what others say.

 

[polarbear]

I know it's about $150 for an actuator motor on a Ranger (dial instead of buttons).

 

[Skandocious]

I know it's about $150 for an actuator motor on a Ranger (dial instead of buttons).

How much for replacement linkage? Oh and don't forget to factor in the time to swap it out at, say, $90 an hour.

"But I would do it myself!!" -- great, you're time is worth nothing? (not talking to you, Tony)

Fact of the matter is, it's a "relatively" small amount of money for a very large convenience factor. Even if I were guaranteed to need to replace the shift motor sometime in the lifetime of the vehicle I'd keep the SOTF-- it's so nice and convenient.

 

[greystreak92]

Gotta disagree with the rear window being a nuisance. Never had to do anything to my 92 in six years and in the past 9 years the back glass has never flinched in my 93 either. Just because people don't know how it works or what to do to maintain a device doesn't make it a nuisance. Things like this remind me of the misconception that folks had that the Rochester Quadra-jet was a POS because it didn't follow the norm and had mechanics scratching their heads as to how it worked. Ah, don't mind me folks... I just tend to get a little bent when generalizations are tossed around like they are facts. Suffices to say that I disagree completely that the rear window is a nuisance. The E4OD has a worse service record than the back glass in a Bronco.

 

[polarbear]

How much for replacement linkage? Oh and don't forget to factor in the time to swap it out at, say, $90 an hour.

"But I would do it myself!!" -- great, you're time is worth nothing? (not talking to you, Tony)

Fact of the matter is, it's a "relatively" small amount of money for a very large convenience factor. Even if I were guaranteed to need to replace the shift motor sometime in the lifetime of the vehicle I'd keep the SOTF-- it's so nice and convenient.

Welp- again, 232,000 miles, not one single issue with the linkage or the hubs.

On the other hand, I can't count how many 93-97 pickups we had in the shop for issues related to the electronic 4X4 actuation. Ditto Broncos- it was one of those consistent things (like the back window). FWIW, K-5 Blazers were no different (Back windows). We used to joke that Ford and Chebbie must have gotten the parts from the same supplier.

 

[LEB Ben]

Gotta disagree with the rear window being a nuisance. Never had to do anything to my 92 in six years and in the past 9 years the back glass has never flinched in my 93 either. Just because people don't know how it works or what to do to maintain a device doesn't make it a nuisance. Things like this remind me of the misconception that folks had that the Rochester Quadra-jet was a POS because it didn't follow the norm and had mechanics scratching their heads as to how it worked. Ah, don't mind me folks... I just tend to get a little bent when generalizations are tossed around like they are facts. Suffices to say that I disagree completely that the rear window is a nuisance. The E4OD has a worse service record than the back glass in a Bronco.

I'm right there with you man. Ernie, I'm glad you were there, but spend a little more time over on FSB and you'll realize you're just wrong on those topics. I'm glad your 302 outperformed a 351...but that's just not typical. I'm sorry your rear carrier shook and rattled...I've got one that's 31 years old that doesn't shake and rattle. I'm sorry you think the rear windows were a problem, but they're simply not. I'm glad you were there and I know you're well versed, but these just aren't the facts they're common misconceptions. Hell the experience I have are 7 different Broncos since age 16 ranging from 79's to 95's and everything in between...I've never had a 302 outperform a 351W (except in bumper to bumper traffic with nonstop idling), it's always been worn out parts on the gate that cause shaking and rattling (the springs in a drum brake kit usually do the trick) and it is extremely simple and relatively cheap to make the rear window work for quite a while. Hell, seems like there are quite a few folks that agree with these conclusions within this very thread, much less the 50,000 (with God knows how many Broncos) that say the same on FSB...but I wasn't there, so what do I know. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one bud.