Maybe you got a Bronco because you like the nostalgia, or you just fell in love with the car. Now that you got one, you’re looking to personalize it, so that it looks and performs the way you want. The revitalized Bronco is incredibly modular in design making it a big blank canvas. That allows you to take your build in any direction you!
For this custom Bronco build we’re going to show you some of the best ways to boost the appearance and performance of your ride. We got our hands on a 2-door manual base model and then added loads of great Bronco upgrades.
| PART LIST | |
|---|---|
| RGB Rock Lights | Rough Country 5-Inch Lift Kit |
| Tinted Emblem | 3M Premium Window Tint |
| Katzkin Leather Interior | Rough Country Drop Steps |
| 37″ Mickey Thompson Baja Boss Tires | 37″ KMC 545 Wheels |
| Rough Country Tailgate Reinforcement | Rough Country Brake Light Extender |
| Rough Country Bumper Guard | Rough Country Lighting Control Panel |
Gritty Offroad Wheels and Tires
Since we’re starting with the base model, it has very plain wheels that are quite small. So, our first alteration on this Bronco build was replacing the factory wheels. We started to seek out a new wheel design that would support larger tires and create stronger look. We ended up with KMC 545 wheels.
What makes these wheels a great choice is they have a bronze color option that isn’t seen on many cars. It gives the build a more unique look, but it also gives off the appeal of being made from a heavy metal. This heavy metal feel delivers a ton of muscle to the base of the Bronco.
The wheel design itself is made up of blocky hexagons and trapezoids in a gear like appearance. Heavy bolts outline the edges making them feel more tough. These wheels are bad to the bone and perfect for this eruption green Bronco. The bronze color also goes great with black, gray, and darker blues like this satin blue Bronco build.
Of course, with nicer wheels we wanted a new set of offroad tires. When selecting larger off-road tires for your Bronco, be mindful that they have way more traction and will affect your fuel economy. That being said the traction they provide is necessary for offroad use. If you don’t plan on taking your Bronco offroad often then consider tires that are more multipurpose.
The offroad tires we chose were 37-inch Baja Boss tires from Mickey Thompson. The 37-inch size delivers an impressive look and is the same size used on the Bronco Raptor trim level. The Baja Boss tires are big burly behemoths and adding them meant we would need to make adjustments to other areas of the build. This would be important to ensure the tires don’t rub against the vehicle.
5-Inch Lift Kit
One way to help accommodate larger tires is by installing a lift kit. Using a Bronco lift kit provides more room underneath the vehicle for the new wheel and tire set-up to fit in place. When the ground clearance is raised it also means that this offroad Bronco can now clear larger obstacles when you take it out. Attaching accessories like these allow you to go more places while driving out on the trails.
Using a lift kit like the 5-inch one we got from Rough Country is practical, but it clearly adds to the style of the vehicle as well. When the Bronco is lifted with its new wheels and tires it has a far more commanding presence. At this point, it starts to embody the idea of what an offroad Bronco should really be.
Lift kits usually come with a large instruction manual but can be a pain to install. If you haven’t done anything like this before we recommend going to a professional so you can have it installed correctly and protect your investment. If you install the Bronco lift kit on your own, just be mindful of any harsh scraping noises or tire rubbing that would tell you something’s wrong.
Spare Tire Reinforcement and Brake Light Extension
Another area that requires a bit of adjustment when changing over to bigger tires is the spare tire rack. Big ole 37-inch tires weigh a lot more than the tiny factory standard ones. To compensate for the extra weight a bolt-on reinforcement plate provides more surface area and stability. The Rough Country tailgate reinforcement we used is made from durable powder coated steel that evenly distributes weight to reduce the strain of the new tire.
Before putting the spare tire back on we also had to hook up a brake light extension piece. This is used to ensure the brake lights visibility above the new tire to withhold public safety laws. It’s a super easy part to install and you don’t have to mess with any wiring.
Drop Steps
With this custom Bronco being lifted we wanted to add some drop steps. Similar to side steps or running boards, drop steps have small stirrup like steps that extend down a bit rather than being flat along the side of the car. Any of these steps will help make access to your lifted Bronco a lot easier though.
Even if you don’t care about using them, drop steps help out your passengers. If you’re 7ft tall and have no problem swinging on into the cab keep that in mind. Aside from easily accessing the inside of the car, drop steps have other purposes. Not only do they add to the look of your vehicle, but they also help protect the lower sides. It’s also worth mentioning they give you a boost upward to adjust things attached on the roof.
Offroad Bumper Guard
Now we get to add a bit of armor by attaching an offroad bumper guard. After adding extra height with the lift, the area directly in front of the bumper can be harder to see. Just in case you come up on a jagged rock you weren’t expecting it’s a good idea to have a bumper guard to cover any serious damage. Bumper guards also prevent any branches or flying debris from whacking your ride while off-roading.
The bumper guard that we installed is also from Rough Country. It comes with built-in 2-inch square LED flood lights and a 20-inch light bar. Each LED part helps to increase the visibility in front of the vehicle. It’s nice to have these features built-in for some added convenience and practicality.
Rock Lights and Lighting Control Panel
On the topic of lighting, you’ve probably noticed many off-road builds have light bars or ditch lights. Every attached piece of lighting could really use a control panel. In order to accommodate for future additions and what we’ve already added, we installed one from Rough Country. The rock lights attached to this offroad Bronco build are Oracle RGB lights.
There are a lot of great options for rock lights out there like these rock lights you can buy right from Amazon. Some big things to consider when you go to buy rock lights are the strength of lumens and their durability. The lumens matter since most of the time your lights are going to be covered in mud splatter, so it needs to be able to shine through it. In addition, durability matters because you want them to last against the elements and the debris that gets flung at them.
If you run in to trouble installing your rock lights or you want us to install them along with another piece, we are always happy to do so.
Tinted Emblems
Where we decided to add a subtle detail of style was with a tinted emblem. Tinted emblems create a blacker look that got rid of the blue color from the classic Ford oval which was feeling out of place. Tinting is the quickest, easiest, and cheapest option to change the way an emblem looks. Besides black goes with everything! That’s why we really enjoy making blackout builds and chrome deletes.
Custom Leather Seats
You can’t ignore the custom leather seating on the inside of this offroad Bronco build. None of the Bronco trim levels offer leather seating, only cloth and marine grade vinyl. We changed out that cheap cloth upholstery for some custom black and gray leather. The gray center strip has perforation to let the leather breath during the summertime which helps reduce sticky back and thighs. Custom leather like this from Katzkin can come in a bunch of different designs and colors to match your build.
Getting custom leather seats from Katzkin is surprisingly affordable and can raise the value of your vehicle in some cases. If you decide on getting leather seats, make sure you find a preferred Katzkin installer for a professional installation. We offer factory match, or custom leather seating from Katzkin and Alea, so you’re more than likely to find something to fit your ride at a shop like ours.
Window Tint
Since this Bronco was nearly done, we decided to add a window tint. Often times window tint gets a bed reputation but applying a tinted film to your windows has loads of benefits. The tinted film can protect your interior, your valuables, and most importantly you from the sun’s rays. Of course, having darker windows can also provide privacy and give the vehicle a more serious tone. Tinted windows tend to look really good with the black hardtops and soft tops that that the Broncos have.
In our shop we use a high-quality 3M Premium FX tint film that comes in a 5%, 20%, and 35% VLT (visual light transference). The lower percent of VLT the darker the film. We applied a 35% tint on the front windows and a 20% tint on the back windows. Rear windows can sometimes be darker when they leave factory and don’t always require an additional tint, it just depends on the make and model. We like to match all the windows the best we can, but we always keep in mind tint laws.
When you go to select your tint, you need to keep in mind your local laws so that you don’t get ticketed. We always recommend a professional install for this modification. Poor tint jobs will bubble and discolor over time which then ends up looking pretty awful. Make sure your window tint installer has a good warranty to protect your hard-earned money!
Paint Protection Film and Potential Accessories
We would also recommend applying paint protection film to parts of your Bronco that take more wear and tear. Areas such as the grille, door sills, door edges, and beneath door handles should all be protected from scrapes and paint chips.
PPF is especially important on vehicles that have a boxier design like the Bronco. The impact is straight on instead of a curvier sedan to where the impact can roll off. Using PPF helps the vehicles life span and can help maintain its value over time.
This is not an exhaustive list of potential Bronco accessories by any means. There are plenty of other parts that can be used to modify or upgrade your Bronco. From small things such as grab handles or interior decor to larger add-ons like engine performance kits or roof rack attachments. With that said we hope your custom Bronco build comes out totally wicked and that this gave you some helpful info!
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Looking to customize your Ford Bronco? We offer aftermarket accessories internationally and services across the contiguous U.S. to help you get your car exactly how you want it. Reach out if you’d like a quote for your custom vehicle build!
