Hit the jackpot now just need some help

Well as fortune would have it I got a call yesterday from my grandfather who wanted me to help him take his 79 bronco to the junkyard. So I get to his house to find out hes only doing it because of the rust. After looking over the vehicle I realized this was a custom model with a 351, D44 and ford 9". I nearly shit myself to find out it only had about 60,000 miles on it. So I asked him how much he wanted for the axles. He told me I could have them for free as long as i paid for it to be towed to the junkyard. So $85 later I now have a D44 and ford 9":sunshine: and to top it off I wont have to regear anything at all!:yelclap:

I know that I'm going to have to get it cut down and what not but what are the other to dos that I will need to complete. New to Jeeps here so I'm a little noobish. Any help is much appreciated!

Definitly search Ford 44/9" swap or something like that in modified section. Tons of info there. I think the front end on that year has the funny tubes but can be used if applied properly. Good luck (you already have some)!

Shoot if all else fails, clean them up and craigslist those puppies! Nice find.

... i think if its only problem was rust i would of used the whole bronco as a project and not the xj, you scored some axles but you wasted a good 4x4 with a bigger more powerful motor... plus it has the removable top so you could cage it and make it awesome... and another thought... the bronco would be alot cheaper to fix up to make trail ready thats just my opinion though

my XJ is already frame stiffened and long armed. The bronco had terrible frame damage. Literally hammered off the shock mounts out of the frame as well as several stress cracks in the frame from the rotting. A downside to wheeling a bronco is size. its rather hard to fit that into tight spots. And I was mistaken it actually had the 400 big block which at about 7 miles to the gallon wouldnt have been much fun either.

93mudspitter said:

So I get to his house to find out hes only doing it because of the rust. After looking over the vehicle I realized this was a custom model with a 351, D44 and ford 9". I nearly shit myself to find out it only had about 60,000 miles on it.

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93mudspitter said:

The bronco had terrible frame damage. Literally hammered off the shock mounts out of the frame as well as several stress cracks in the frame from the rotting.

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so... it went from only rust to frame damage etc etc... guess the information i first gathered wasnt completed... so i understand now why you only wanted the axles now...

MaxxXJ said:

so... it went from only rust to frame damage etc etc... guess the information i first gathered wasnt completed... so i understand now why you only wanted the axles now...

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looks like you assumed rust meant body panels, the frame and all the supports/mounts are also made of metal, so they rust.:dunno:

ive never seen a brono of that vintage not rust to where it wasnt crumbling to the ground, but i live in PA where rust is destroys the frmae and body before the engine ever dies. old toyota trucks are another vehicle that comes to mind when rust just takes over like an evil plague.

surface rust is is one thing, but rust that penetrates will make steel just crumble in your hands. i would love to go out west to see how rust free the vehicles are.

ya see i live in california... so rust isnt really an issue where i live in which is basically the desert. something 100 years old out in the back yard wouldnt be uncommon to still be in fair condition.

89xj said:

looks like you assumed rust meant body panels, the frame and all the supports/mounts are also made of metal, so they rust.:dunno:

ive never seen a brono of that vintage not rust to where it wasnt crumbling to the ground, but i live in PA where rust is destroys the frmae and body before the engine ever dies. old toyota trucks are another vehicle that comes to mind when rust just takes over like an evil plague.

surface rust is is one thing, but rust that penetrates will make steel just crumble in your hands. i would love to go out west to see how rust free the vehicles are.

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I must agree living in south central PA makes it hell because they completly cover the roads with salt if there is any little hint of snow. Body rust didnt bother me he had pulled all of the body off and bought brand new body panels and floor boards. but upon rebuild came to find out the frame was bad... and i mean bad... and lets face it Fords are rust magnets.

Its funny you mention toyotas... my first truck was an 87 toyota.... body was falling off with 230k on the motor, and the truck still ran like new....