Bradley Kummler has been an off-roader for more than 28 years. His off-road journey started in the sand at Michigan’s Silver Lake Sand Dunes before progressing to trail riding and rockcrawling a few years later. The push to buy and build his 1990 Ford Bronco II came from his wheeling buddies. He says, “Friends had similar Bronco IIs, and after riding in one, I decided it was time to have one.” His Bronco II also carries an interesting backstory, including a major rebuild after a trail mishap.
It Began With A Trip From Michigan To Kentucky
Finding a suitable Ford Bronco II for the build he had in mind was no easy task. One of the biggest problems during the search was finding a corrosion-free vehicle in the Midwest. “Our search started in Michigan for a clean Bronco II, and that was futile. Right before Covid, in February 2020, we ventured down to Kentucky to pick up a Bronco II we found that was a good platform to begin our journey,” Bradley says.
The vehicle he found was rust-free and powered by a 2.9L V6 engine. A previous owner had installed a 4-inch suspension lift and 29-inch-diameter tires, but Bradley quickly ditched that setup for a 5.5-inch lift with long radius arms and a set of 33s. However, his rockcrawling ambitions soon demanded more strength and capability, so the factory Twin-Traction Beam frontend was replaced with a solid axle. But that was just the beginning. Through a steady stream of upgrades, the vehicle became what you see here.
Stroker V8, C4 Transmission, Atlas 2 T-Case
Under the hood sits a fuel-injected 347-cubic-inch stroker V8 built by Bradley. Highlights include a Howards Cams camshaft, MicroSquirt ECU, Speedmaster 190cc aluminum heads, and upper and lower Explorer-sourced intake manifolds. Spent gases exit through headers and a custom exhaust fitted with a Dynomax muffler. Cooling duties are handled by a Northern Radiator unit and a belt-driven fan.
Backing the V8 is a Ford C4 three-speed automatic transmission. Bradley scored the transmission from a friend who was parting out his modified Bronco II. It replaces the original A4LD automatic and Bradley had it rebuilt by Sean’s Transmission Service. Features include a reverse manual valvebody kit and an 1,800-rpm stall converter. Bolted behind it is an Advance Adapters Atlas 2 transfer case with 4.3:1 gearing.
Bronco Front Axle, Explorer Out Back
Replacing the Bronco II’s Twin-Traction Beam frontend is a high-pinion Dana 44 sourced from a second-generation Bronco. It was narrowed by 6 inches to match first-generation Bronco width and loaded with a pneumatic Yukon Gear & Axle Zip Locker and RCV Performance chromoly axle shafts. Out back sits a Ford Explorer-sourced 8.8-inch axle with disc brakes. It is equipped with an ARB Air Locker and a Yukon Gear & Axle Ultimate 88 Kit featuring double-drilled chromoly axle shafts. Both axles spin Yukon 4.88:1 gears.
Linked With Coilovers
Bradley reworked the Bronco II’s suspension, and now it runs Fox 2.0 remote-reservoir coilovers, F-O-A 2-inch bump stops, and limit straps at each corner. Up front, Duff Tuff solid axle swap components handles business, including long radius arms and a Heim-jointed track bar. Bradley says his goal was to keep the SUV’s center of gravity as low as possible while still ensuring parts like the front pinion yoke stayed clear of the exhaust Y-pipe.
Out back is a four-link setup. The lower links are built from 2-inch-diameter, 0.250-inch-wall tubing, while the uppers use 1.750-inch-diameter, 0.250-inch-wall tubing. Every link is fitted with Heim joints. Bradley frenched Barnes 4WD shock towers into the frame, added Fox 2.0 remote-reservoir coilovers, and installed a sway bar kit from TK1 Racing.
Bradley says the new suspension delivers about 6 inches of lift over stock. That creates room for massive 40×13.50R17LT Maxxis RAZR MT tires mounted on 9-inch-wide Dirty Life bead lock wheels.
A New Roof And Many More Mods
A less obvious upgrade to the Bronco II is the new roof and driver-side sheet metal Bradley installed in 2024. As every off-roader knows, bent metal comes with the territory, and for him it happened during a driver-side flop on gnarly Walden’s Ridge at Tennessee’s Windrock Park. Fortunately, he scored a replacement roof for $100 and swapped it onto his Bronco II along with all the driver-side sheet metal. He says the rebuild took seven months to complete. He also ditched the factory two-tone paint scheme for a garage-applied Fire Red Pearl finish.
The Bronco II packs a long list of additional upgrades. They include a boxed frame, an RLC Welding front bumper with a homemade brush hoop, a Duff Tuff rear bumper, and Diode Dynamics plus “Amazon special” LED pod lights. Other highlights include a mechanical idle speed adjuster and a 1-inch body lift. Bradley notes that the latter makes access to the bellhousing bolts much easier. An Optima RedTop battery supplies the juice, while a 10,000-pound-capacity Smittybilt winch stands ready to work.
What’s Next?
The Bronco II is already a capable machine, but Bradley is not done yet. A roll cage and full-width axles are next on deck. Check out Brad’s YouTube channel for more about the Bronco II’s roll, recovery, and rebuild. Also, peruse photos of some of the Bronco II’s build below.
Photos by Bradley Kummler
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