Bronco looks legit

[DailyMoparGuy]

Obviously I'm speculating wildly, but I don't think the Bronco its going to appeal to the hard core crawlers that are likely modify things a lot. Simply because its expensive and complex to lift an IFS vehicle. At least compared to a solid axel truck.

A bronco can be optioned to run fast off road much less expensively than a jeep can. So I think the strongest appeal is there.

I'm still struggling between a Jeep and a Bronco. But one of the definite factors in the Bronco's favor is the engines. Yes, Jeep has like 6 options. But there is nothing that can compare to a tuned 2.7 turbo offered by Jeep for anything near reasonable money.
(350 hp and 400 ft-lbs torque with a $500 tune).

And its not available for any money in a gladiator.

39k gets you a base with a V6 and Sasquatch. So for 40k you have a 350 hp vehicle with factory 35s and a rear locker.

That last point is a very important reason that I was seriously considering a Bronco. $40k gets you front and rear lockers and a hell of a lot of torque in a damn good looking offroad vehicle. And as someone who has towed oil and gas equipment across West Texas desert in an EcoBoost multiple times, I can tell you they’re very very capable power plants.

I fell out of love with the 4 door model though. And the 2 door just wouldn’t suit my needs, but it looks great. That’s why I have a Glady now

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[dcmdon]

Except the Gladiator can tow and required the ram suspension to be added. Plus FCA no longer had the Dakota. The Ram is a full size on its own platform.

The Bronco is already built on the next gen Ranger (PICKUP) platform. More than adequate to support Gladiator levels of load capacity or towing.

Remember that these days tow capacity is as much determined by the ability to shed heat as it is strength or anything else. The Gladiator isn't THAT much different from the Wrangler. Things like the presence or size of a transmission oil cooler or load rating of the tires can make a significant impact on the tow rating, but not much overall impact on how the vehicle actually does when it tows things.

The Gladiator isn't TWICE as good at towing as the numbers would suggest. Anyone who has spent any time with a trailer behind them had driven tow vehicles that felt good at the limit and those that felt marginal or overworked.

Given the similarities its pretty likely that both the Wrangler and Gladiator feel similarly good at the Wrangler's limit. (3000 to 3500 lbs). Its also pretty likely that the Gladiator feels like its working hard at its tow limit of in most cases 7000 to 7500 lbs.

The testing that determines tow limits (SAE J2807) is meant to take into account some pretty harsh conditions. (Outside temperature, road gradient, trailer drag) So if you have a vehicle like a Wrangler with solid axels that are strong enough to survive off-road driving, they won't suddenly fail if you put on an overweight trailer. But if that wrangler was used in a way that corresponded to the SAE standards other issues might come up at its tow limit. The tires may overheat. The transmission may overheat, the suspension may sag beyond a certain threshold.

And while it may not be wise to haul a 5000 lb car across country in a Wrangler, driving across town with a load of gravel is another thing entirely.

To really understand things you would need to see what areas limited a vehicle's capacity in the SAE standards. Was it tire load rating? Suspension sag? Transmission oil temp? Acceleration??

In many cases aftermarket parts can appreciably increase real world safe towing ability of any car or truck.

 

[lrtexasman]

Sharing the same platform does not equate to having the same capabilities. See the 2022 Tundra/2023 4Runner/Tacoma. They will have the same platform but end up with vastly different tow and payload. The 2023 Ranger and Bronco will share the same frame/powertrain but that’s about it. I don’t see the likelihood of Ford making two midsize trucks on the exact same platform with one have the ability to take top/doors off and heavy off-road with the same payload and towing as the other. Makes no business sense. Ford is having hell with the Bronco tops color matched tops. Deliveries for color matched tops are now being pushed to 2023. I’ve heard rumors the hardtops continue to come loose at high speeds.

 

[Gladijave]

I’ve heard rumors the hardtops continue to come loose at high speeds.

Do you remember where you heard that? Lots of people just brushing off the delays with reasons like COVID, but I’ve been wondering if something else was going on.

 

[DankjeeP]

The Bronco is already built on the next gen Ranger (PICKUP) platform. More than adequate to support Gladiator levels of load capacity or towing.

Remember that these days tow capacity is as much determined by the ability to shed heat as it is strength or anything else. The Gladiator isn't THAT much different from the Wrangler. Things like the presence or size of a transmission oil cooler or load rating of the tires can make a significant impact on the tow rating, but not much overall impact on how the vehicle actually does when it tows things.

The Gladiator isn't TWICE as good at towing as the numbers would suggest. Anyone who has spent any time with a trailer behind them had driven tow vehicles that felt good at the limit and those that felt marginal or overworked.

Given the similarities its pretty likely that both the Wrangler and Gladiator feel similarly good at the Wrangler's limit. (3000 to 3500 lbs). Its also pretty likely that the Gladiator feels like its working hard at its tow limit of in most cases 7000 to 7500 lbs.

The testing that determines tow limits (SAE J2807) is meant to take into account some pretty harsh conditions. (Outside temperature, road gradient, trailer drag) So if you have a vehicle like a Wrangler with solid axels that are strong enough to survive off-road driving, they won't suddenly fail if you put on an overweight trailer. But if that wrangler was used in a way that corresponded to the SAE standards other issues might come up at its tow limit. The tires may overheat. The transmission may overheat, the suspension may sag beyond a certain threshold.

And while it may not be wise to haul a 5000 lb car across country in a Wrangler, driving across town with a load of gravel is another thing entirely.

To really understand things you would need to see what areas limited a vehicle's capacity in the SAE standards. Was it tire load rating? Suspension sag? Transmission oil temp? Acceleration??

In many cases aftermarket parts can appreciably increase real world safe towing ability of any car or truck.

Maybe it is obvious and why you didn't mention it but wheelbase is a big factor that affects tow capacity. The whole tail wagging the dog thing

 

[lrtexasman]

Do you remember where you heard that? Lots of people just brushing off the delays with reasons like COVID, but I’ve been wondering if something else was going on.

From a former dealership owner. Before he sold the dealership he begged me not to order a 21. Said he wasn’t sold on bugs being worked out. His opinion is the Bronco is a highly capable and complex off-road oriented SUV that is going to have a tough rollout. He also owned a Jeep/Ram, and Hyundai dealership.

 

[lrtexasman]

Maybe it is obvious and why you didn't mention it but wheelbase is a big factor that affects tow capacity. The whole tail wagging the dog thing

Na. The Defender has a similar wheelbase as the Bronco and Wrangler and smokes them both in 2 door and 4 door configurations when comparing payload and towing. The Bronco towing and payload SUCK due to the suspension set up. The Bronco truck’s towing/payload will also SUCK without major revisions, similar to what the JT took from the Ram.

Defender 90 WB/101 Tow/7716 Payload/1653 vrs Bronco 2 Dr WB/104 Tow/3500 Payload/1370
Defender 110 WB/119 Tow/8201 Payload/1984 vrs Bronco 4Dr WB/116 Tow/3500 Payload/1370

 

[DankjeeP]

True, good points. But I was speaking more generally, not about any specific vehicle. Like the delta between 2dr, and 4dr Wrangler, and then JT for example. All similar platforms but the towing goes up as wheelbase goes up. I know there are a lot of holes in this example but just to illustrate the point you could probably never reasonably get to 7K towing in a 2dr Wrangler. .... or could it?

 

[lrtexasman]

Yep. I was very disappointed I had to cancel by Bronco order. I prefer IFS as I do not crawl at all. Only mud, sand, and fire trails. The SFA in the JT is just something I’m going to have learn to love.

 

[mountainpass]

Just saw a pic of the engine bay....it's a poster boy for the plastic engine cover argument, damn what a mess.

 

[Hootbro]

Just saw a pic of the engine bay....it's a poster boy for the plastic engine cover argument, damn what a mess.

Yeah it is nasty. Most Ford's are like that. They tend to not have engine bay covers with them hiring engineers that missed hose and wiring routing management class in school.

 

[Oilburner]

Defender Blah Blah Blah...

Don't the Defenders have air suspension?

 

[lrtexasman]

Don't the Defenders have air suspension?

Yes and that gives them the higher tow and payload ratings

 

[Strommen95]

What are the two most common complaints about the JL? For a substantial majority, it's a combination of power and steering.

Even the 2.3L that comes stock in the Bronco feels substantially better in the Ranger than the 3.6L we get and the 2.7L is just icing on the cake. Want even more power?

The 2.7s 0-60 came out with a professional driver driving it and it's worse than both the 3.6 + 2.0 in the Wrangler. Not to mention there's the 392, Diesel and Electric to sweeten the deal. The 2.3/2.7 is peppy in the Ranger but the Ranger ranges from 400-800 lbs less than the Bronco... Power is not in favor of the Bronco and there's a lot of disappointment over it on the 6G board.

Overall, the Bronco's only distinct advantage is IFS and quite frankly for many buyers that's a disadvantage. People aren't buying an off-roading SUV so it could ride nice on the street. They want something that's rugged and for the ride to fit their perception of what the vehicle will do. It doesn't matter if they don't off-road, perception and image is everything. A Bronco riding like every other SUV out there is not a positive.

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