Bronco vs. Wrangler
- Thread starter AndyG
- Start date
Miss? They sold more in 7 years than YJ did in 10, then stretched the wheelbase a few inches and added a four door model to create one of the most popular SUVs of the modern era.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/new...explorer-and-small-but-plush-suvs/ar-BB16MlXj
And how many do you still see on the road? There's a reason for that. As for the Explorer...c'mon. That's not even apples and oranges. More like apples and cotton candy.
I'm not comparing the explorer to anything. I wasn't even the one that first tried to compare the Bronco II to the YJ.
The only measure by which the Bronco 2 can be interpreted as a failure is "is it a wrangler". Of course it's not. It was a different vehicle for a different purpose and a different market. But it sold plenty and was an instrumental step in creating the mainstream SUV.
All that said though, the TTB front axle was as close as IFS gets to matching a solid axle in capability, so if you were looking for something that was close in capability to a YJ but more comfortable to commute in, a Bronco 2 wouldn't have been a bad choice. Their biggest flaw in my opinion was being underpowered. I had thoughts of swapping in a 4.0 from a later Explorer/Ranger but it was easier to sell it and buy an LJ.
As I recall, they (the Bronco II) had some stability issues, as well as running that damn 2.8 V-6, which was notorious for having valve train issues. I mean, they were never a serious off road vehicle. They were what they were, whatever that was.
Now don't get me wrong, it's not like I hate on them. I saw one that had been turned into a "panel truck", of sorts, and I liked it. I would also love to turn one into a 2wd (Ranger front suspension?), slam it into the weeds, and drop a 302 into it. Fun stuff. But I never thought of them as a comparable vehicle to even the YJ, and that was long before I had any appreciation for Jeeps. As for the Explorer...eh. Not worth our time discussing, Chief. 
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So what was a serious offroad vehicle in 1990? Does it have to have a removable top? Nobody was making anything Wrangler-like outside of Jeep. I would call it pretty comparable to it's targeted competition, which was the XJ.
There were rollover lawsuits. I daily drove one for 2 years and it didn't seem unstable to me. The thing about introducing the SUV to the masses is there's going to be a lot of people driving them that think they can do the same things they did in their sedans. It had a close to TJ wheelbase and I think a narrower track, so yeah it's not gonna set records at the Nurburgring.
They ditched the 2.8 in the 3rd year of production. Mine had the 2.9 with redesigned heads.
They were what they were, whatever that was.
That's pretty much what I said.
Did anybody? The only comparison I made was in sales volume and that was only after someone else made the comparison incorrectly.
As for the Explorer...eh. Not worth our time discussing, Chief.
Addressing me as Chief comes across as condescending and dismissive; is that your intent? I'll say this again since it doesn't seem to be getting through; no one including myself has implied in any way that the explorer is or was a competitor to a Wrangler, but it seems like there's some defensive attitude coming out as if I had. It's relevant as the model that filled Ford's mid-size SUV segment for the last 30 years between the retirement of Bronco II and the introduction of the new Bronco, so it makes no sense to be forbidden to discuss.
In the end, I feel like I've been drawn into a position like I'm some champion of the Bronco 2,and I'm not. I owned a couple low mileage examples when they were newer than my TJ is today, I had some fun, but they weren't among my favorites and I wouldn't buy another one. I just responded to some comments that I thought were kinda dumb because they were judging it as a failure at being something it was never intended to be.
Ferd dropped it like a bad habit.
Chill, Chief, chill. This is a discussion.
You weren't drawn in. You dove in head first.
WTF? You're reading way too much into that...sir.
I was, however, dismissing the Explorer. I'll give you that one.Gonna bail on the conversation, as it's just not that important to me. Not ready to make an enemy over it. So, have a good'n!
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Other than the shitty little engines I always thought the Bronco II was pretty cool. Never owned one though.
I saw that slide out and it got me thinkingabout making one for my TJ.
I was thinking the exact same thing. "Let's see some aluminum diamond plate..."
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I'm going to have to agree with 4_Low... I'm no Bronco fan boy. I've owned one second generation Bronco with the 302, but I've owned 2 TJ's, one YJ, and about 5 XJ's. However anyone who thinks the Bronco II was a failure for Ford just doesn't understand the point of building and selling cars. It's to create sales and make a profit. Automakers don't build cars to become icons 30 years after they build them. They build them to sell them now and make money. Ford sold a lot of Bronco II's and it set the stage for the Explorer and made the company even more money. If Ford focused on cars that could tackle the Rubicon trail they would already be bankrupt by now.
TJ2
TJ Expert
I disagree.
Cars cannot tackle the trails, reason why they did not focused on that path (like the new Renegade car).
For the record, Jeep Chrysler went bankrupt even without the Ford Bronco competition.
*Daimler Chrysler
*FCA
*FIAT
*Stellantis
What's next Huey-Xing Ho?
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TJ2
TJ Expert
Sorry I was a bit sarcastic.
I just got sick on the JEEP in general ever since they abandoned the TJ platform in 2007 and went to JK - JL.
Still love my 2 TJs, but will go for the Bronco in 2 years. I tried the new FIAT Renegade lasted for 8 mo., the JK is marginal (still have it and will trade it for the Bronco) but then the JL is so stupid.
I just got sick on the JEEP in general ever since they abandoned the TJ platform in 2007 and went to JK - JL.
Still love my 2 TJs, but will go for the Bronco in 2 years. I tried the new FIAT Renegade lasted for 8 mo., the JK is marginal (still have it and will trade it for the Bronco) but then the JL is so stupid.
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I'll admit there's some nostalgia-driven bias on my part as the Bronco is what got me into 4 wheeling. I wish camera phones had been better in 2007.
It's kinda funny looking back how small 35s look on a full size
And the Bronco II was what got me into working on 4x4s, as I bought it off the side of the road with what I thought was a bad clutch, but turned out to be a completely demolished clutch that was the result a de-toothed input shaft causing it to have 4th gear and 4 extra neutrals. I replaced it all with larger Explorer parts including the transmission which also had better ratios. I also swapped the push button transfer case for one with a shift lever.
The second Bronco II was offered to me by a coworker for $100, wrecked and with a catastrophic transmission fluid leak due to some previous owner handiwork on the cooler lines. It happened to be broken 3 blocks from my house so I filled it up and left a solid trail of ATF all the way back to my driveway, where I fixed the leak, removed the bumper, and (bare minimum) straightened out the hood and fender before selling it for $800.
I hear that Kanye West wants to buy Chrysler now that Kim has told him that he can't be President.
TJ2
TJ Expert
I agree, don't be fooled, American Jeep stopped in 2006!
That is why my '14 JK is standby for a '22 Bronco
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I shouldn't............Yeah, I'll poke the bear one more time. @Squatch condescending? Really? One of the nicest online dudes on this forum brah. Have a bowl of raisin Bran and relax a little.
https://www.legalexaminer.com/trans...g-history-of-rollover-and-stability-problems/
https://www.legalexaminer.com/trans...g-history-of-rollover-and-stability-problems/