The primary query I requested Ford Bronco Automobile Engineering Supervisor Jamie Groves was, “What broke?”
“Nothing,” Groves stated.
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
Ford ran a inventory 2022 Bronco Wildtrak with the Hoss 3.0 suspension improve within the Mexican 1000 to check the SUV in excessive situations. The terrain ranged from on-highway transit sections to blinding silt, sand, and desert terrain that might swallow vehicles. The thought was to be taught what excessive Bronco house owners may endure, and to make the Bronco higher for it. Final 12 months, Ford ran a inventory 2021 Bronco Badlands that encountered its limitations. The teachings realized? There’s a necessity for Ford Efficiency’s equipment division to supply some additional safety for consumers who wish to race their inventory Broncos on and off-road.
The Hoss 3.0 suspension bundle was the large information for the 2022 Bronco Wildtrak. It swapped the Hoss 2.0’s Bilstein shocks with Fox shocks which have bigger distant reservoirs and aluminum our bodies that extra effectively dissipate warmth. Ford revised the spring charges, added a brand new rear stabilizer bar and internal and outer tie rods which are 32% stronger. Moreover, the Hoss 3.0 bundle has a steering rack used within the Bronco Raptor, offering a 40% acquire in most load in comparison with the usual Bronco rack.
For Bronco house owners, the manufacturing Wildtrak now has a better efficiency threshold as a result of higher shock thermals and physique movement management when optioned with the Hoss 3.0 bundle.
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
For Ford, the Wildtrak was a lot simpler to pilot by means of the grueling NORRA Mexican 1000 than the 2021 Badlands the staff ran final 12 months, in response to Groves. The rationale was the 1.2 inches of elevated floor clearance, elevated thermal capability of the Fox shocks in order that they wouldn’t fade and lose efficiency, and a 1.9-inch wider monitor for additional stability. The place final 12 months the Bronco Badlands generally needed to be pushed round obstacles because of the suspension’s limitations, this 12 months there was none of that. The brand new shocks by no means skilled fade and the Hoss 3.0 suspension system was far more able to taking a bounce than final 12 months’s Badland’s setup, Groves stated.
Ford added security upgrades akin to race seats, a roll cage, harnesses, and an additional tire together with a trolley jack. This equated to additional (and unwelcomed) weight placing the Bronco at an obstacle.
The Bronco ran within the Evolution Pre-Runner Truck class towards race-built pre-runners that weighed much less and had much more energy.
“We introduced a knife to a gun struggle,” Groves stated.
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
Groves famous that the five-day Mexican 1000 is completely different from the Baja 1000, because it’s a staged and timed occasion. The Baja 1000 is simply timed and also you run till you’re performed. With the Mexican 1000 every stage is a day with various distances. It’s timed, however the clock stops at night time. Through the day the one stops on the clock are for gas. The Bronco stopped quite a bit, averaging about 100 miles per tank as a result of not having a gas cell. The staged setup allowed the staff to undergo the Bronco every night time and dissect its situation.
Each night time a torque audit was carried out on joints across the Bronco to make sure the bolts hadn’t moved through the day (a paint pen was used to mark the position earlier than the race). The undercarriage was checked for injury as a result of floor contact, and tires had been checked.
Although nothing broke, there have been three gadgets that ended up needing to be addressed: tires, brakes, and a shock.
Three tires ended up springing leaks through the occasion, however with the inventory built-in tire strain monitoring system the staff monitored the strain and saved driving till a driver change or refueling cease was wanted.
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
Each night time the entrance brake pads wanted to be modified as a result of excessive put on from the aggressive on- and off-road use. The rear pads had been solely modified as soon as through the occasion. Groves famous the brake system’s nice for on- and off-road, however they merely weren’t optimized for racing
.
“Clients don’t need squealing brakes,” Groves stated. Anyone planning to race their Bronco will wish to improve the brake pads, Groves recommended.
Ford spokesperson Sam Schembari famous that if Ford Efficiency Components develops efficiency brake pads they’d be capable to de-prioritize noise and mud whereas prioritizing stopping efficiency, fade resistance, and put on.
Underbody safety was additionally a sore level. For anyone planning to race, the Wildtrak’s skid plates won’t be sufficient. Significantly, the entrance bash plate may use an improve. Groves famous the aftermarket is presently addressing this, however there’s a chance right here for Ford Efficiency equipment to step in.
However of all issues it was a rear shock that ended up being the susceptible spot on the SUV. At the back of the Bronco the shocks are mounted on the entrance facet of the axle. The dampers’ distant reservoirs sit on the ahead facet of the damper, and through an off-road stage the staff realized simply how susceptible these reservoirs are to break, particularly on the passenger facet.
“It’s at all times the passenger (facet), the driving force at all times protects their facet of the truck,” Groves stated whereas laughing. The staff needed to nurse it again in to switch it, and couldn’t determine what precisely occurred to the shock’s reservoir, whether or not it was a rolling rock or from being dragged on one thing.
Groves famous that aftermarket safety has already arrived to {the marketplace} for the Bilsteins, however Ford Efficiency wants to check out how you can provide safety for the brand new Hoss 3.0 Fox setup.
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
2022 Ford Bronco Wildtrak with Hoss 3.0 bundle at Mexican 1000
In a category with constructed trophy vehicles and pre-runners working 40-inch tires, the inventory Bronco Wildtrak took third out of 9 opponents and arrived on the rostrum. Nothing broke and the Bronco fared significantly better than final 12 months’s Badlands, which suffered a lot better underbody injury. It appears Ford Efficiency’s equipment division will doubtless be trying into providing some added off-road safety bits for Bronco house owners within the close to future.