You are not what you own. At the same time, what you own is often an outward expression of who you are. Poway, California's Shane Casad is an adventurer and has a '90 fullsize Ford Bronco to match.
"I had a Jeep Cherokee," Shane said. "It worked well, and I took good care of it. The way things have gone for me, whenever I've had a reliable vehicle and I've sold it for something else, I've run into trouble with the new vehicle. I call it 'messing with success.'"
Despite the good run he'd had with the Cherokee, Shane decided to tempt fate anyway. "I decided I wanted something bigger with more interior space. I wanted to be able to sleep inside. I felt like the Bronco would be a solid vehicle and would be perfect for what I like to do," he told us.
It's not too tall, and it's...
It's not too tall, and it's not too wide. Even the white paint, which doesn't easily show scratches, is perfectly tailored for exploring ghost towns and brushy backroads.
Shane's "messing with success" paradigm played out the way he'd feared, as the Bronco needed a new engine not too long after he got the keys. Was it worth it? Even with the hassles, Shane's answer is a resounding "yes."
As mentioned, Shane likes to explore. "I can't stand just sitting in one place," he said. "If a trail has a tough section, that's cool with me, but I'm not one to spend a whole afternoon trying a single set of obstacles. I like to go places." At the top of the "places" list is the Mojave National Preserve, followed closely by Death Valley, the "Old Dale" mining district next to Joshua Tree National Park, and Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. Our photo shoot took place during an adventure that threaded its way high up into the Inyo Mountains and down into Death Valley.
Although well-graded, the...
Although well-graded, the "Yellow Grade" road up to Cerro Gordo ghost town is very steep. Shifting into four-low is a smart move because the gear reduction makes the grade easier on the engine and transmission. On the descent, low range is easier on the brakes. The "Yellow Grade" road (AKA Cerro Gordo Road) was once the only way into and out of Cerro Gordo. Millions of dollars' worth of silver and lead bullion were trekked down this winding route. The road is maintained by Inyo County and is open to the public. There's private land on both sides of the road.
This Bronco was built just right for its intended purpose. Many trail-style fullsize Broncos end up with a solid axle up front. Many prerunner-style Broncos end up with girthy track widths. Shane's Bronco has neither. Instead, he's got long-travel front Twin Traction Beam suspension that's still stock width. Why stay stock width? Lonely dirt roads get narrow from time to time, and errant brush always encroaches from the trail's edge. The rear suspension's got a similar story. The stock 8.8 rearend was fitted with 4.56 gears and a Detroit Locker, and sits under a pair of long-travel Deaver leaf springs. All four corners are damped by Bilstein shocks.
The build doesn't end with the suspension. The interior is also part of the master plan. For now, it's largely stock, and that means it's versatile. When the cargo space is cleared there's enough room for sleeping in the back. Nothing beats a fullsize fold-down tailgate when it's time for trailside cooking. There's probably a full rollcage in the future, but it needs to be built in a way that minimally impacts the overall utility. What will that look like? We're as curious as you are.
If you like exploring in a fullsize, it's tough to beat a Bronco for value and function. If you need a rig that can creep along in low range as well as blister the backroads, check out the way Shane built his. If you see Shane in the dirt, you'll have only one problem: trying to keep up.
Once past Cerro Gordo, you...
Once past Cerro Gordo, you can continue on the Swansea-Cerro Gordo Road, which follows the backbone of the Inyo Mountains. Views are absolutely epic. This road becomes a narrow shelf in a few spots - places where it's good not to have an overly-wide vehicle.
We camped near the Saline...
We camped near the Saline Valley Salt Tram's summit crossover station. Restoration crews had left a big pile of lumber, which made for perfect leveling blocks. Shane stayed in his Bronco, and the rest of us were tent-bound.
Room aplenty. For now, lashing...
Room aplenty. For now, lashing straps keep things from flying about.
As purchased, the Bronco had...
As purchased, the Bronco had a Rancho lift kit that included 2-inch drop brackets for the front Traction Beams. Shane chose to retain the drop brackets, which netted additional bump and droop travel. Big-inch drop brackets are almost always problematic, but the Rancho brackets don't drop an extreme amount and they're plenty stout.
Dig this: the front suspension...
Dig this: the front suspension cycles through a full 18 inches of travel on stock-width Traction Beams. Mark Kiefer of Southwest Performance built the front radius arms, shock hoops, and engine crossbar. Inside the differential there's an Eaton Performance Detroit True Trac and a set of 4.56 gears. Shane swapped the '90 differential third member for a '80-to-'82 non-C-clip style so he could run any Dana 44 differential on the market. The C-clip-style front diff only allows a factory Trac-Loc.
The tailgate chef is in. Shane...
The tailgate chef is in. Shane cooked up plenty of burrito filling. Boy, were we sorry.
Southwest Performance radius...
Southwest Performance radius arms are a study in rugged simplicity. They're long (which improves suspension geometry as they cycle) and they use a spherical bearing instead of a rubber bushing or a rod end. The spherical bearing is tougher than both stock rubber bushings and rod ends. Southwest Performance radius arm pivot brackets bolt to the frame using Grade-8 hardware.
Shane works in the off-road...
Shane works in the off-road division at Bilstein, so there was no question as to what dampers were going on the Bronco. A pair of 9300 Series coilovers (12-inch stroke) are up front. In addition to the Bilstein dampers, you'll find 35-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires at each corner.
A Bilstein bump stop and an...
A Bilstein bump stop and an ORW limit strap come into play when the front suspension cycles to extremes.
A Mag-Hytec diff cover adds...
A Mag-Hytec diff cover adds oil capacity and gets rid of built-up heat. There's a set of 4.56 gears and an Eaton Performance Detroit Locker behind the cover. Off-Road Warehouse (ORW) limit straps are found here as well.
A Southwest Performance extended...
A Southwest Performance extended shackle is mated to a Baja Bushing-equipped Deaver leaf pack.
What's a Baja Bushing? It's...
What's a Baja Bushing? It's a spring eye bushing that uses a spherical bearing (AKA uniball) instead of a urethane or rubber bushing. This keeps the leaf springs from twisting under articulation and lets them move more freely.