Blake Wilkey’s Solid-Axle Swapped ’92 Ford Bronco 

When we heard that Blake Wilkey of Urban Assault video fame was taking a quick pause from shredding asphalt to building a rock crawling Bronco he refers to as Bloodshark, our attention span was locked on nothing else. We’ve all seen footage of Wilkey ripping though cities from Las Vegas to Tijuana at breakneck speeds and flying over obstacles with the greatest of ease. The level of excitement his driving skills delivers blows right off the charts, but with his latest project he was forced to slow down dramatically as he approached a project with a different set of obstacles ahead.

“Blake was lucky enough to utilize a good amount of readily available, off-the-shelf products that cut down on overall cost and down time.”

The vehicles that Blake typically fabricates and drives in his videos are all purpose-built to go almost anywhere. We were able to take a closeup on his Bronco when we caught up with him at King of the Hammers earlier this year, and it is impressive to say the least. While the cost of most of Blake’s projects no-doubt hover in the hig  her-rent district, the build of his ’92 Ford is much more relatable to what most regular Joes could pull off with the required knowledge and due diligence. ”

“Even though Blake is used to ultra-high performance horsepower output in his project vehicles, he has chosen to make do with the OE engine—for now.”

Ready To Rock 

Blake was able to score the Bronco from a friend’s father at a great deal, so his initial investment into the truck was low to begin with. While budget wasn’t exactly a driving theme throughout the entirety of the project, Blake was lucky enough to utilize a good amount of readily available, off-the-shelf products that cut down on overall cost and down time.

To get the suspension system dialed in to take on the rocks at King of the Hammers, he began by ordering a Desolate Motorsports solid front axle swap kit, a Quixotic Motorsports rear C-notch, rear 4-link and billet trailing arms, King Shocks 3.0 and 2.5 coilovers for the front and rear respectively, Eibach shocks along with all the parts and pieces to put it all together. Blake whipped up his own engine and transmission skid plates and opted for a plate from Desolate to protect the factory fuel tank. To help propel the Bronco through the rugged terrain, a set of Method Race Wheels 103s wrapped in X-Comp X/T tires were mounted and put into position.

Purpose Driven

Aside from a 3-inch Magnaflow exhaust system, an S&B air intake kit, and a Desolate Motorsports PS bracket with PSC pump, the Bronco’s factory-equipped 1992 Ford 351ci V-8 is still largely in stock condition, which is fine for truck’s intended purpose. Even though Blake is used to ultra-high performance horsepower output in his project vehicles, he has chosen to make do with the OE engine—for now. He has already hinted about possibly making a significant upgrade at some point, but there are currently other items a bit higher on the priority list. We will have to wait and see what develops. As for the Bronco’s factory-equipped ’92 E4OD transmission, it is also remains in place, although a manual shift case has been migrated over for additional control.

The Bronco’s exterior was also left largely alone save for the necessary armoring up with chromoly rock sliders and custom bumpers. A healthy dose of illumination was also added to the exterior with a row of front LED lights from Baja Designs, as well as two S2 Sport work lights sunk into the tailgate for increased rear visibility. To clear out enough fender space needed for full articulation of the wheels and tires, Blake reached for his trusty angle grinder and got to work. These OJ-era Broncos look great as-is without too many outwardly modification, and Blake has done his part to keep his looking as OG as possible.

Rockin’ & Rollin’ 

On the other side of the coin, things have changed for the better inside the confines of the Bronco. A Desolate half cage has been incorporated into the interior, as has a pair of massive Quixotic rear tubs that were designed in-house to fit the space perfectly. The Full Throttle battery has been relocated into the cab right behind the passenger seat to keep it away from the elements. A Switch Pros panel has been positioned where the original transfer case panel used to be on the dash. Blake and crew then fabricated a one-off aluminum center console to house the Rockford Fosgate stereo and Rugged Radio unit so he can choose to either rock out or holler at the homies while he’s out shredding. Even though you may only see the driver- and passenger-side PRP high-back bucket seats at any given time, there are brackets to mount a matching third seat whenever an extra buddy wants to hop in and go along for a ride.

“A healthy dose of illumination was also added to the exterior with a row of front LED lights from Baja Designs, as well as two S2 Sport work lights sunk into the tailgate for increased rear visibility.”

Surprisingly enough, it only took Blake the better part of five weeks to transform a bone stock Ford Bronco into the capable rock-climbing machine that it is today. While the change in speed and overall objective is vastly different when he’s behind the wheel of this truck compared to the high-intensity style vehicles Blake drives in his video series, making the steady and steep hike up to the top hill gets his heart pumping just the same.

While some minor tweaking still needs to be done to push the truck at optimum performance, Blake has built a radical foundation for his latest project so far. Be sure to stay posted to see what’s next for this rig, as well as whatever else Blake has coming up in the form of other exciting vehicle builds and video work.

“A Desolate half cage has been incorporated into the interior, as has a pair of massive Quixotic rear tubs that were designed in-house to fit the space perfectly.”

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UPGRADES

1992 FordBronco 

OWNER:

Blake Wilkey
Ramona, CA

Shreddy Lyfe / Terra Crew

Engine/Drivetrain: 1992 Ford 351ci V-8, 3-inch Magnaflow exhaust system, S&B air filter kit, Desolate Motorsports PS bracket w/ PSC pump, speed density sensor, 1992 E4OD transmission, Arizona Driveshaft w/ Neapco U-joint and components, RCV Performance front and rear drive axels, 5.38 Motive Gears, Front ARM Air Locker, rear welded differential

Chassis & Suspension: Shop: Wilkey Works, Ramona, CA, Wheelbase stretched 1.5 inches, Desolate Motorsports solid axle swap, full front arms, shock mounts, transfer case skid plate, King Shocks front 3.0 IBP coilovers, rear 2.5 coilovers w/ clickers, Eibach springs, Quixotic Motorsports rear C-notch, rear 4-link kit, Billet trailing arms and shock mounts, WFO Concepts rear axle truss and drag kit, Synergy tie rods and ends, Wilkey Works engine and transmission pan, PSC steering box and stabilizer

Wheels, Tires & Brakes: 17-inch 103 Method Race Wheels, X-Comp X/T tires

Body & Paint: Wilkey Works/Quixotic Motorsports bumpers, Chromoly rock sliders, Baja Designs lighting, Full Quixotic Motorsports rear tubs designed in-house

Interior: Skinny PRP high back seats w/ adjustable headrestCherry red suede upholstery, Solo Motorsports seat slider, Desolate Motorsports 1.75-inch DOM half cage, Wilkey Works center console w/ Switch Pros 12-button panel, cup holders, Rugged Radios F-Series antenna and intercom, Full Throttle battery mounted behind passenger seat, Baja Designs interior lights, Rockford Fosgate stereo

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Editor’s Note: A version of this article appeared in TREAD May/June 2024.