FINALLY : Real Competition for the Jeep Wrangler - Solid Axle Ford Bronco!!

wayoflife

wayoflife

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As much as I love Jeeps and will always think they are the best off road vehicle you can buy right off the showroom floor, I have been and always will be an enthusiast of off-road vehicles. Over the years, it's pained me to see so much of the competition drop out of the market and I can't help but to think that's had some effect on the crazy steep costs of a Wrangler today. As some of you know, Ford has confirmed that they will be bringing back their famed Bronco in 2020 but today, Dana confirmed that it would also be getting a pair of their solid front axles!! Unlike the now defunct Toyota FJ Cruiser, this will be the first REAL competition to the Jeep Wrangler is decades and I for one am excited to see it. What do you guys think?

Ford will put solid axles under the Bronco as the off-roading gods intended
Alex Kierstein

We've been wondering what sort of creature the Bronco would be since we first heard of the thing last October, when a union chairman spilled the beans on the SUV and the Ranger pickup. Ford confirmed a 2020 arrival date for the Bronco at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, but at that point pretty much all we were sure of was that the Ranger and Bronco would be returning. The open question would be how hungry Ford was to spoil the Jeep Wrangler's solo party as a compact(ish) off-roader with dual solid axles, since the easiest thing would be to carry over the suspension design of the presumably related international Ford Ranger and its Everest SUV version: independent front suspension with either a leaf- (Ranger) or coil-suspended (Everest) solid rear axle.

Enter Dana, the long-time supplier of Jeep stick axles, to confirm that the 2020 Bronco is getting a pair of them. That means solid axles front and rear, just like under a Wrangler.

So reports Automotive News, citing an investor presentation from Dana. All signs so far, such as the report that the Bronco would be engineered by the same team in Australia that created the Ranger pickup, indicated that the Bronco would share a platform with the Ranger and thus be body-on-frame. The solid axle confirmation essentially confirms that theory. Some off-road-capable vehicles have paired solid axles with unibody frames, like the Jeep Cherokee (XJ generation) and Grand Cherokee (ZJ and WJ generations), but they are outliers. Generally, if you've got solid axles at both ends, they're going in a vehicle with a ladder frame. It also lends credence to the notion that our Bronco won't simply be an imported Everest, which might be too understated to stand out from lesser crossovers anyways.

This is good news if you have Blue Oval in your blood and pine for a modern SUV that'll show up the Jeep guys on the trail. Less directly, it could mean a wholesale assault on the formula that makes Jeeps successful in the first place: the massive aftermarket of off-roading equipment and dress-up bits that appeal to Jeep buyers almost as much as a Trail Rated badge. At a minimum, Bronco enthusiasts can breathe easy that the reborn SUV won't merely be a light-duty crossover with styling "inspired" by true off-roaders.

http://www.autoblog.com/2017/01/25/2020-ford-bronco-dana-solid-axles/
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2020-ford-bronco-render003-1.jpg
 
It's a win for everyone...

I've owned Ford pick ups for a long time...and my very first offroad experience was in my dads '68 Bronco as a kid...it was the early Bronco's & Scout's that gave Jeep early competition and drove that market segment...eventually, Wrangler sales will cool off, and with no competition, both the 4wheel drive vehicle market and aftermarket mfg's would dry up, forcing less choices & higher prices...

A new Bronco is good for the consumer...


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Always had a soft spot for the first gen broncos. Buddy had one in high school that had a 305 v8 and was on 35s, d44 front and a 9 inch rear with a detroit.
 
I've never been a fan of fords per say, though I do like certain ones and certain years. I am glad to see something new still have the straight front axle.
 
Thats awesome. I just shared the news with a die hard Ford co-worker of mine. Can't wait to see his reaction..haha.
 
I am actually looking forward to this new version of the ford bronco to come out. Interested to see the price tag on one.
 
I'm hoping they are going to be more affordable than a Jeep.

Their F150 line can be had for much cheaper than any other pick up and still has some decent tech inside.

I'm looking forward to some competition to maybe bring in some reasonable pricing. I'd say to help with forcing the factory to bring some asked for features but the new JL has addressed some of that, so time will tell.

As for me, I'll never be able to buy one because I'll never hear the end of it from my father in law.
 
I cannot wait to see this Bronco! Not so much as competition but rather a complementary vehicle. I'll seriously look at one of these as a second vehicle

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I'm just fairly stoked to see the bronco make a come back, regardless. You'd like to hope the folks at Jeep will push just a little harder on the JL knowing the bronco is right on its heels.
 
The only "advantage" (if you want to put it that way) is ford has great motor platforms for a bronco possibly running an ecoboost 4cyl or even a bigger V8... Would deff buy one if a 5.0 option was available!
 
That'd be pretty cool to see a two door suv on solid axles with a factory V8 option. Hopefully it'll push jeep to offer a diesel or hemi from the factory.

Cant wait to see what the final body is going to look like.
 
JAGS said:
I'm just fairly stoked to see the bronco make a come back...
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My sentiment as well. I agree the added competition is good for all. Besides, if we all do the same thing, it gets boring. Besides, might give us something else to help get unstuck ;).

I hope they do it well and it's a truly competitive offering. My expectation, is that its a more-refined interior than we might expect/desire for a 'utility' vehicle. And, the price is going to be pretty darn close to $50K nicely equipped. Be nice if I'm wrong...
 
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