What IFS? This Ford Bronco Has a Live Front Axle Like Its Jeep Nemesis
11What IFS? This Ford Bronco Has a Live Front Axle Like Its Jeep Nemesis
Trading the new Bronco's independent front suspension for a more hardcore setup.
Since Ford brought back the Bronco, it's been a hit—and a long-awaited solid competitor to the Jeep Wrangler. Speaking of the Jeep, while the Bronco can go knobby tire to knobby tire with one off-road, it does so with an independent front suspension, rather than the Wrangler's live front axle, also known as a "solid axle" in the enthusiast space. The stick axle is seen as better for rock crawling, and more rugged generally, than the Ford's more street-friendly independent front end. So, what if you want that coveted live front axle and a new Bronco? That's exactly why Eric O'Sullivan, owner of Lonestar Ring and Pinion, engineered an SAS, or Solid Axle Swap.
2022 Ford Bronco SAS Solid Axle Swap Live Axle Swap 5
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We'll let Eric O'Sullivan expand on why someone might want to do this, in his own words. "Because there really is no better option in rock crawling and strength aspect," he said, "and, when built correctly, you can still keep most of your drivability." If you look towards the ultimate form of rock racing, the Ultra4 series and the King of the Hammers, there aren't exactly straightforward answers by looking at wins by live-axle rides.
The past three years were won by live-front-axle competitors, but the three years before that were all independent front suspension (IFS) cars. That said, most rock crawlers stick close by the idea that live axles—front or rear—are better because they can articulate well while keeping both tires on terra firma, and because they're just plain beefy and can support larger tires.
Giving It The SAS
2022 Ford Bronco SAS Solid Axle Swap Live Axle Swap 31
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O'Sullivan bought the 2022 Bronco you see here pre-swapped at a large auction for a great price. A former SEMA show truck, it had already been given a live front axle conversion, but one that needed work to make this a properly working SAS Bronco.
For this 2022 Bronco, it's not just the front axle swap that O'Sullivan had to fix. He modified the entire suspension and frame to suit his crawling needs, not to mention the massive 43-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Pro XS tires he wanted. The 17x9.5 Raceline Monster Beadlock wheels attach to a 2005 Ford Super Duty Sterling 10.5-inch axle out back—but you wanna know what's up front, right? That is a Ford Super Duty's Dana 60 you see, which O'Sullivan rebuilt along with the rear axle.
The front axle uses an Eaton electric locker for the Dana 60, while the rear gets a stock Super Duty electric locker and is upgraded to 5.38:1 gearing from Motive Gear. Both ends of the Bronco receive power from the stock four-wheel-drive system.
A new, custom made triangulated four link rear suspension and a new belly pan was fabricated and attached to the Bronco's frame. This required a new fuel tank, so a custom cell was fitted to the frame just behind the rear axle, with enough clearance to allow the Sterling axle to go full bump without any issues. The front suspension required just as much re-work, with a new radius arm design incorporating a panhard bar to centrally locate the axle to the chassis. Because of the original SEMA changeover, the stock steering was replaced with a fully hydraulic steering system. Not only is the stock rack and pinion setup not strong enough for such large tires, it is in no way compatible to the new Dana 60 front axle.
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Controlling This Live Axle Bronco
Rather than convert his Bronco to a drag link steering system and hydraulic ram, O'Sullivan kept the SEMA build's Performance Steering Components (PSC) fully hydraulic steering system and modified it to work better. The setup lacks any mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels, as a valve sends fluid from the hydraulic pump to the steering ram in the direction you want the front wheels to turn. While this off-road-specific design offers the strongest steering you can get for a live front axle, it also doesn't deliver true feedback from the front wheels and, to the driver, can feel very vague on pavement. Hence why you only see it on rock crawlers and open desert racers.
O'Sullivan laid out the axles for maximum travel before fitting a set of new 14-inch King Shocks coilovers with remote reservoirs. He then fabricated driveshafts with 1410 yokes to reach from the 10R60s transfer case outputs to each axle. Even with the massive tires and the full-hydro steering system's additional power draw, it seems that the Ford's 2.7-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 is dealing just fine.