Utente:LukeWiller/Sandbox/10
| Ford Bronco II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Descrizione generale | |
| Costruttore |  Ford
|
| Tipo principale | Sport Utility Vehicle |
| Produzione | dal 1984 al 1990 |
| Serie | Prima serie (1984–1988) Seconda serie (1989–1990) |
| Sostituita da | Ford Explorer |
Il Ford Bronco II è stato un compact SUV prodotto dalla Ford dal 1984 al 1990 in due serie.
Il contesto
Il Bronco II fu commercializzato dalla Ford per essere complementare al full-size SUV Bronco e per competere con i compact SUV delle altre case automobilistiche, come il Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, il Jeep Cherokee seconda serie ed il Toyota 4Runner
It was commissioned as a smaller complement to the full-size Bronco as well as to offer a Ford alternative to the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, Jeep Cherokee (XJ), and Toyota 4Runner. The Bronco II was Ford's first compact SUV since the original Bronco sold from 1966 to 1977. It is mechanically and (except in detail) structurally identical to the Ford Ranger. It had a 94-pollice (2 388 mm) wheelbase and was enclosed in the rear (e la parte posteriore della carrozzeria era chiusa).
Unlike the Bronco, the Bronco II offered four wheel drive as an option (all full-sized Broncos were four wheel drive) and did not have a removable roof.
|transmission=Manual
4-speed Mazda TK4
5-speed Mazda TK5
5-speed Mazda M5OD-R1
5-speed Mitsubishi FM145
5-speed Mitsubishi FM146
Automatic
3-speed C5
4-speed A4LD
|engine= 2.8 L Cologne V6
2.9 L Cologne V6
2.3 L Mitsubishi 4D55T Turbodiesel I4
|assembly=Louisville, Kentucky, USA
|layout=Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Engines
| Ford Bronco prima serie | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Descrizione generale | |
| Versioni | Sport Utility Vehicle |
| Anni di produzione | Dal 1984 al 1988 |
| Dimensioni e pesi | |
| Lunghezza | 4.021 mm |
| Larghezza | 1.727 mm |
| Altezza | 1.732 mm |
| Passo | 2.388 mm |
The 1984 and 1985 models were equipped with the 115 hp (86 kW) carbureted Cologne 2.8 L V6 engine which was also used in the Ranger from 1984 to 1985. The 1986 model year introduced the 140 hp (104 kW) fuel injected 2.9 L Cologne V6. Overheating the engine usually leads to cracks in the cylinder head between the valve springs or at the base of the rocker shaft pedestals. This results in internal coolant leaks causing contamination of the oil which, if not caught in time, causes severe internal engine damage. Although there were slight improvements to the head castings in late-1989, these heads were not installed on production engines before the production of the Bronco II ceased. Bronco IIs that were still under warranty or at the owner’s desire were retrofitted with the improved heads (Surriscaldare il motore portava di solito alla rottura della testata nelle zone tra le molle di richiamo delle valvole o nella zona dei bilancieri. Ciò portava anche a perdite di liquido refrigerante, che andava a mischiarsi con l'olio, e se non si interveniva in tempo si giungeva a seri danni al motore. Sebbene vi siano state leggere migliorie alle testate nella seconda metà del 1989, queste non sarebbero state montate sui motori di normale produzione prima dell'uscita dai listini della Ford Bronco II. Le Bronco II ancora in garanzia o quelle per le quali il cliente lo chiedeva espressamente a pagamento, venivano equipaggiate in seconda battuta con le nuove testate).
A small 86 hp (64 kW) 2.3 L Diesel I4 engine was also offered through 1987, but this engine was rarely used as it offered poor performance.
Demise
| Ford Bronco seconda serie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Descrizione generale | |
| Versioni | Sport Utility Vehicle |
| Anni di produzione | Dal 1989 al 1990 |
| Dimensioni e pesi | |
| Lunghezza | 4.112 mm |
| Larghezza | 1.727 mm |
| Altezza | 1.775 mm |
| Passo | 2.388 mm |
The first Bronco II was developed in parallel with the Ranger from 1984 to 1988. The restyling of the Bronco II and Ranger started in 1989, but ended for the Bronco II with the end of production in February 1990, replaced by the larger Explorer. The restyling is marked not only by difference in physical appearance, but also improved structural support. 1990 models produced after November 1989 with four-wheel drive came equipped with the Dana 35 front axle, as opposed to the Dana 28 front axle used in earlier production.
The Explorer started where the Bronco II left off with a similar Ranger-based platform (La Explorer cominciò dove la Bronco II aveva interrotto con una analoga gamma basata sul pianale della Ranger), sharing essentially the same front end, but with Ford's new 4.0 L OHV Cologne 155 hp (116 kW) V6 and a four-door model with a two-door Sport option. The Explorer kept to the Ranger based tradition until 1995 when it was overhauled with a major exterior restyling, and chassis modifications to allow the addition of Ford's 302 cu in (4,9 L) V8, and that was the end of the line for any reminisce of the Bronco II.
Ford would not market another compact SUV until the release of the Escape in 2001.
Safety
The Bronco II was dogged by targeted reports that it was prone to rollovers.[1] Some of the headlines in 1989-90 included "NHTSA Investigates Bronco II Rollovers," Automotive News (March 20, 1989) "Magazine Gives Ford's Bronco II 'Avoid' Rating," The Wall Street Journal (May 8, 1989), and "Consumer Reports Criticizes Ford Bronco II's Handling," The Washington Post (May 18, 1989).
After analysis of SUV crashes of the Suzuki Samurai, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a formal study of the Ford Bronco II in 1989. There were 43 Bronco II rollover fatalities in 1987, compared with eight for the Samurai, but accident data in four states showed the Bronco II’s rollover rate was similar to that of other SUVs, so the investigation was closed. NHTSA declined to reopen the investigation in 1997 after more Bronco II crashes.[2]
There were, however, reports that the Bronco II's suspension contained a design flaw that, when turning, forced the side of the vehicle on the outside of the turn upwards, opposite of what a safe suspension should do.[3] The Bronco II was not only top heavy, but it forced itself over. "[I]n a hard turn, this suspension will cause the front end of the vehicle to rise and the track width to decrease, making the vehicle taller and narrower and elevating the center of gravity."[3] Ford engineers "suggested various changes that would have reduced the chance of rollovers, but these recommendations were ignored by the company."[3] Documented evidence showed that Ford knew about this problem, but found it less expensive to hire a team of lawyers to prepare for the oncoming lawsuits before the vehicle was even released, than to make the investment for a costly redesign.[3]
The successor vehicle, the Ford Explorer, would suffer a similar fate with the Firestone and Ford tire controversy.[4]
Collegamenti esterni
Altri progetti
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Note
- ^ Safety Research Report Index - Ford Bronco II Rollover (PDF), su autosafety.org, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. URL consultato il 1º aprile 2011.
- ^ Jeff Plungis, Rollover complaints dismissed, in Detroit News, March 4, 2002. URL consultato l'11 novembre 2008. [collegamento interrotto]
- ^ a b c d Howard Latin, Bad Designs, Lethal Profits: the duty to protect other motorists against SUV collision risks (PDF), in Boston University Law Review, vol. 82, 2002, pp. 1195–7. URL consultato il 1º aprile 2011.
- ^ Latin, page 1198.
