Not Your Average Bronco Restomod - How a Monster Motor and a SAS Transformed This Rig Into a Trail-Walloper

The SuperBronco isn’t just another restomod sitting pretty in someone’s garage - it’s a purpose-built beast that proves what happens when you take a classic ‘96 Bronco and give it the full treatment. This rig recently hit the trails at Anderson Creek in Vernal, Utah, and the footage shows exactly why building a truck right matters more than building it flashy.

The heart of this transformation starts with what’s under the hood. The original 302 and 5 speed combo got the boot in favor of Ford’s 7.3L Godzilla V8, backed by a Tremec 4050 heavy-duty transmission and an Atlas 4 speed transfer case. That combination delivers a final crawl ratio around 350:1, which means you can pick your way through technical terrain with surgical precision. The parasitic losses from heavy axles and bigger tires that would choke a stock motor become irrelevant when you’ve got that much torque on tap.

The axle swap makes all the difference in how this Bronco behaves on technical terrain. Out went the factory TTB setup, replaced by a Desolate Motorsports straight axle conversion kit. The added weight down low drops the center of gravity and gives the truck that planted feel you want when you’re picking through boulder fields or side-hilling across loose shale. Super Duty axles front and rear handle the abuse, with ARB lockers at both ends controlled by onboard air.

Suspension tuning shows the attention to detail that separates a real trail rig from a mall crawler. Up front, coilovers and Fox bump stops work with an anti-rock sway bar to keep things controlled without sacrificing articulation. The rear runs Wild Horses leaf springs with custom spring hangers dropped 2 1/2" to dial in the ride height and get the driveline geometry perfect. When your pinion angle is correct and your suspension is properly tuned, the truck works with you instead of fighting you on every obstacle.

The build philosophy here focuses on capability over flash. The Hefty Fab bumpers got reinforced mounting points that tie into the frame behind the crumple zone, because nobody wants their recovery points failing when things get serious. A Warn Zeon 12,000 lb winch handles the heavy lifting, while onboard air at all four corners means you can air down for traction and air back up for the highway without hunting for a gas station compressor.

Inside, the modifications stay practical. The back seat disappeared in favor of a 40" spare tire mount (!) and storage for CO2 tanks, tools, and recovery gear. A 110 watt solar panel feeds a dedicated battery that runs the air compressor and accessories, while a Red Arc brake controller handles the 13 foot long off-road trailer that follows this rig into places most people wouldn’t take a dirt bike.

This isn’t about building the loudest or flashiest rig at the trailhead. The SuperBronco represents the kind of thoughtful engineering that creates a truck you can depend on when you’re miles from cell service and the nearest tow truck. Every modification serves a purpose, from the reinforced bumper mounts to the custom spring hangers that perfect the driveline geometry.

Building a truck like this takes commitment, patience, and a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. The SuperBronco proves that when you do it right, the results speak for themselves on the trail.