ford bronco or K5 blazer?

silver

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Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Location
winston-salem, nc
I have had the itch to get either a 87-96 full size bronco here lately or an 85-91 k5 blazer. Which do you guys like better and why? for me:

bronco: I have access to small block ford parts at great deals such as performance mods and such. And I like the EFI setup on the broncos

Blazer: owned a couple in the past and had no trouble. Really dont like the throttle body injection and also not really wanting something that is carburated.

any thoughts? I just want something fullsize that I can take the top off of. would like an old pre-72 blazer or bronco but those are not in the budget lol
 
TBI is awesome offroad, Carbs suck. I'm a long time ford man, But the ford TTB front end sucks as well. Id have to go K5 Blazer, or like you said an older bronco.
 
I like both, but am partial to the Bronco. I think it is a little better looking.

Bronco:
Get one with the 351W motor. I believe the 351W got EFI in 87, so that would be the first year I would consider. The 302 carbureted models were slugs. I drove a couple when I was looking for a Bronco in the past. (I've owned two 85 models with the 351W)

Blazer:
Get one with the 350 motor. Again I believe the 350 got EFI in 87, so that would be the first year I would consider. I drove a 85 model with a 305, and thought it was a slug too.
 
I think the Bronco rides much smoother than the Blazer, but the Blazer is much better suited to rough trail riding. The Bronco's TTB front end gets knocked out of alignment fairly easily when riding semi-rough to rough trails. I think that it is mostly due to weak tie rods. Some beefy tie rods or a better stronger steering system altogether would probably eliminate the vast majority of alignment knockouts from trail riding. I really like the TTB for its smooth ride, but it doesn't flex well compared to a solid axle.
 
Get a bronco, but 79 or older so it comes with a solid front axle. Get 77 or older so you have a smaller body. Then do a holly fuel injection kit.
 
the k5 is much easier and cheaper to lift and upgrade. parts are easily available because most of the stuff works on trucks also. i would much prefer working on a chevy than a ford,everything just seems easier.
if your still on the fence,

ai218.photobucket.com_albums_cc317_putzarerequired_jeep_20carnb9c878027ea3dbfd95986770ba841af1.jpg
 
I prefer broncos. but ya gotta have a love for them.

The blazer seems the most logical route.
 
i was leaning towards the bronco until I read this. Just to be clear, the only off roading I will do is out on the beach on the sand lol. I dont really do off roading. but will do a 3-6in lift and 33-35 in tires. Just want something thats gonna be a good driving play toy.
 
I have a Ford bias, and have owned 5 Broncos 1- '83, 2- '87's 1- '89 and now my current 79. I have no experience with Blazers...so I may not be much help, but here are the Bronco drawbacks as I see them. I'm not a fan of the TTB for anything more than stock sized tires and whatever that can accomplish on the trail (bigger if it'll just be a street rig). It offers a nice and comfy street ride though...so if you're aiming at a grocery getter, the TTB is just fine.

IMO...the FI 302 was a mistake to put in a full size rig. I know they're a big heavy truck, and I wasn't expecting a speed demon in the least, but I'd never wish a stock 302 in a full size rig on anyone. I had a couple different gear sets installed/swapped, and nothing seemed to help. 351's seemed to be able to handle the task just fine, and since my foot wasn't constantly in the floor, mpg's weren't that much worse.

Finally, I know I'm in the minority, and probably have a skewed perspective (because of shops I had do the rebuilds sucked...hindsight is 20/20), but I have no love for the AOD. Of the 3 AOD equipped rigs I had, I sold one rig with a trashed trans...had another rig's trans rebuilt then sold it...then the rig I dd'd in college had the AOD rebuilt twice and brought back for other issues a handful of times. Now, I'll admit, I was dumber then, and I'm still a trans dunce, but that's my experience with them.


You say that you're looking through 96...from what I've seen it's not uncommon for a 96 to have a 5k price tag with it, while a 78/9 is in the 2500-3000 range...just something to think about. But if a 78/79 is out of the question, I think I'd focus on acquiring a 95/96 with a 351.



Edit...just saw your last post...personally, I'd top out at a 35" tire on the ttb, and if you do...you'll be fine. Sandy beach driving will be just fine.
 
silver said:
i was leaning towards the bronco until I read this. Just to be clear, the only off roading I will do is out on the beach on the sand lol. I dont really do off roading. but will do a 3-6in lift and 33-35 in tires. Just want something thats gonna be a good driving play toy.
Click to expand...

If that is all the offroading you are going to do, then the Bronco's front TTB suspension will be fine. The lift kits for the Bronco are more expensive and take much longer to install though compared to the Blazer. Just another thing to consider. I've installed/help installed both.
 
yeah but you can stuff 33s onto a stock bronco. no need for a lift.
 
silver said:
i was leaning towards the bronco until I read this. Just to be clear, the only off roading I will do is out on the beach on the sand lol. I dont really do off roading. but will do a 3-6in lift and 33-35 in tires. Just want something thats gonna be a good driving play toy.
Click to expand...

then go with the bronco and put a small lift and 35s love the look of the bronco over the chevy junk any day.

My 4 year old son will tell you friends dont let friends drive chevys and he is just 4 :lol:
 
TTB won't be a problem in the sand the way they are in the rocks.
 
Another "interesting" idea would be the M1009 Military version of the K5 Blazer.

You will have a diesel that gets decent mpg (low to mid 20s depending on gear ratios / tires / if you build the 6.2L any) and you can put 35s on with just a small lift and no cutting.

I saw 3 or 4 of the FSBroncos on the OBX on my last trip all out on the sand having fun. Really the biggest question is which YOU prefer the look of. (My wifes LEXUS does fine for that kind of wheeling...that is what we were in)
 
thanks for the input guys. I want a good looking rig that LOOKS like it could do something haha. But yeah. Driving out on the sand and in the snow is all the 4 wheeling I will do. I can take my z71 on the sand, but really want a bronco or blazer that the top can come off of. I can strip the carpet, rhino line it, carry my dog in it. get it dirty and sandy and just blow or rinse it out.

As far as driving/handling, one any better than the other? I dont want something that drifts all over the road and is a pain to drive on the highway.
 
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