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Jeep whoops Bronco's butt

jeepingib

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2 things... he openly says he has suspension mods on his 4runner, and all you have to do is watch him do the measurements and you can see he is way off lol. I'm not gonna say his final conclusion is wrong, but i will say his scores are very unreliable.

And i will also admit, my experience and the reason i defend the Broncos capability the way I do is because I believe I get much more exposure to them than the average off roader. The numbers are what they are, and i do believe those are firmly in the Bronco camp... but i also just can't unsee the things I've seen people put them through. You could make the argument that really i just don't have the same exposure to 4runners at that point. Maybe.
I am not concerned so much about his score vs. what we can observe in the video. Yes, he has some suspension mods, as I said in my previous post, and he said in his video. But he doesn't have anything crazy like the RCLT kit (which is crazy impressive for IFS!). And like I said before, his rig is very similar to what I actually see on the trail for 4Runners. A mild lift, and some 33s. Very few guys here are going to start cutting body mounts to fit 35's. Maybe more common in CO AZ and CA though.

So when his rig, with the sway bar still connected, goes further than the connected Bronco, and almost as far as disconnected, I think it's fair to say that they are comparable.
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ASSFROW

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I like Wranglers, I wish I liked Broncos, The 4Runner would be great for my wife
 

Mocopo

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You know what, I think you're right, I may remember something about that. I think (and I could be wrong again) it maybe actually has to do with the intake location. Either way, it's limited to the 2.3 for some reason specific to water fording.


EDIT: intercooler location! I remember now. The reason the first Rough County hidden winch options came out only for the 2.3 was because RC couldn't yet figure out how to get around or relocate the intercooler located below the radiator.
The 700 for the Bronco is the 2dr in everything I can find. The 4dr is only 620. Still better than the 4runner. Also that's for the non-sasquatch badlands trim as the longer bump stops limit travel.
I believe the suspension travel, ergo the wheel travel on a Badlands is 9.45 inches on the front axle and 10.25 for the rear axle.

Base is 7.88 inches front and rear is 8.46 inches.

Sasquatch package travel is 9.05 inches for the front axle and 9.88 inches for the rear axel.
The actual wheel travel numbers for the Bronco. Still looking for accurate numbers for the 4runner.
Those wheel travel numbers still don't include the sway bar disconnect. Ford never released those numbers.

Just to compare, the wranglers XR package only comes stock with about 8" of wheel travel... but that's still before you disconnect.
 

Mocopo

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Very few guys here are going to start cutting body mounts to fit 35's. Maybe more common in CO AZ and CA though.
Ah yes, another one of those ways the Bronco and 4runner are the same. You have to cut body mounts to fit 35s.... Oops, wait, the Bronco comes with 35s from the factory and fits 37s without any modifications.

If we're looking at overall capability, are we also going to claim that larger tires doesn't really add that much either? Steel bumpers and skid plates from the factory? It all adds up to a WAY more capable vehicle straight from the showroom floor.

The argument here from the haters: "All IFS is the same."
 

BDinTX

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Meh, when it comes to articulation, even Sasquatch isn’t gonna help…Jeep for the win…..…😅
Jeep Wrangler JL Jeep whoops Bronco's butt img_8181-jpe
That picture isn't being fair. His rear swaybar was obviously still connected. If it was disconnected it would only be hanging 14" off the ground instead of 18"...
 

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Zandcwhite

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Those wheel travel numbers still don't include the sway bar disconnect. Ford never released those numbers.

Just to compare, the wranglers XR package only comes stock with about 8" of wheel travel... but that's still before you disconnect.
Shock travel and wheel travel aren't the same. The xr has 8" of shock travel. The badlands has 6.25" of shock travel. I'd argue the solid axle allows for even more of a difference between the shock stroke and the wheel travel as the greater angle of the axle overall vs IFS. That's why the difference is so glaring when they are wheeled through the same obstacles. Further the solid axle can easily gain 50% more travel with just a shock swap. Rocksport reds fit with xr bumpstops and have 12.2" of shock stroke. That's likely 20" of wheel travel. There's just no way to get a short arm ifs to flex like that. All the Bronco proved is what Toyota owners have known for decades. Any 4wd with front and rear lockers and disconnected sway bar can make it through impressive trails. I still see way more 4runners on trails like the rubicon than Broncos, but that's more a result of being out of the market for 30 years. Personally I couldn't care less about comparing stock numbers as I've never kept anything stock to wheel it. The ease at which you can not only lift but also vastly improve wheel travel is the biggest advantage of a solid axle. Most IFS lift kits end up with less travel than stock unless you go too wide track/long a-arms. Then you're making an already wide vehicle even wider.
 

Mocopo

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That picture isn't being fair. His rear swaybar was obviously still connected. If it was disconnected it would only be hanging 14" off the ground instead of 18"...
Despite my defense of the Bronco, I will wholeheartedly admit that on tough trails, they live on 3 wheels the whole time lol. Highest I've seen a Broncos rear wheel was about 5 feet so far.
 

Herkder

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Try this with a Bronco.
Jeep Wrangler JL Jeep whoops Bronco's butt IMG_1744
 

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Personally I couldn't care less about comparing stock numbers as I've never kept anything stock to wheel it.
This. I agree it's one thing to compare stock for stock, but most people who are planning on doing tough trails and want to know which vehicle to get also plan on modifying their vehicles.

For fun i convinced my wife to take our modded wrangler and bronco to one of the tougher trails in the area this weekend and do a comparison video. I know the way I've been talking in this thread would make it seem like lll favor the Bronco, but like I said, there's a reason I drive a wrangler lol. Both are on decent lifts and 37s. I'll make sure to post a thread here with the video to spark a lively debate on what we did wrong =)
 

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Mocopo

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Mocopo

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Herkder

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As my son would say, "Bet".
20250308_154543.jpg

Now what?
It's not the same spot, and I was referring to the extra width of the Bronco. The wife might like an extra four inches but occasionally it's a negative. In regards to that video I thought they did a poor job on that one. TFL needed to at least compare vehicles with the same size tires and lifts. They put that Bronco in a very dangerous position, almost rolled it.
 

Mocopo

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It's not the same spot, and I was referring to the extra width of the Bronco. The wife might like an extra four inches but occasionally it's a negative. In regards to that video I thought they did a poor job on that one. TFL needed to at least compare vehicles with the same size tires and lifts. They put that Bronco in a very dangerous position, almost rolled it.
It is quite literally the same exact obstacle, the squeeze on Elvis Trail outside of Florence, AZ near Box Canyon.
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