Heather Storm

View Original

Upgrades for my new Ford Bronco

Two years ago, I ordered a brand new 2022 Ford Bronco and my life hasn’t been the same since.

I originally ordered a Bronco Badlands V6 with a 2.7L engine, extra big screen, fancy lighting and heated seats. Yes, I wanted it all! My only car for the last 5 years has been my 1965 Mustang; plus I love heated seats, that instant warmth from my butt to my bones when the air is brisk is life saving. Due to the supply shortages that were happening during that time, however; I was faced with a choice, accept a more basic Bronco (for a reduced cost of course) or wait until ‘no one knows when’ for my original specifications. Having recently moved (part-time) to the Colorado mountains with no other vehicle than my ‘65 Mustang, I was eager to have a capable vehicle to explore the back roads.

Last spring, my Bronco arrived, minus any upgrades and still I wasn’t at all disappointed. 

Picking up my new 2022 Ford Bronco Badlands at the Ford Dealership

MY 2022 FORD BRONCO BADLANDS

  • 2.3L Eco-Boost Engine

  • 33 inch tires

  • dual locking front & rear differential

  • front stay bar disconnect

  • reverse camera

My new 2022 Ford Bronco Badlands

A factory issue with the hard top left me with a factory soft-top that wasn’t too pleasing to the eye. The boxy style caused the rear windows to sag and it looked sloppy. I immediately found a replacement, the Bestop Trektop Soft Top and my Bronco was transformed. A few months later I added the Bestop Accesss Bimini under my Trektop Soft Top.  The mesh fabric gives the perfect amount of shade from the harsh midday sun. 

Bestop Trektop Soft Top

Poking out of the Bestop Acess Bimini in Canyonlands, Utah.

The next accessories I focused on were lights. The Bronco actually comes with pretty bright stock headlights, but when you live in the mountains and are camping and off-roading, additional vehicle lights become super important. 

Installing a fog pocket light kit was my first choice. The Ford Squadron SEA/Dual S2 Sport Fog Pocket Light Kit is top of the line. It has 3 different lights and the amber light is street legal. I use the Amber light on the highways at night, it’s really helpful for spotting deer along the road. 

The new Bronco is not a cheap toy, it’s a beast meant to explore and I planned to do just that. But I also didn’t want to mess it up. The Ford Squadron Pro A-Pillar Lights are a must for tight 4x4 roads with scratchy branches and big boulders and they help spot wildlife off the side of dark roads as well. 

And lastly, for lights, I added the S1 Dual Reverse Lights. I’ve used this countless times for backing into tight spaces at night or lighting up an area to assess the situation.  

Baja Designs SEA/Dual Sport S2 Fog Pocket Lights

Baja Designs Ford Squadron A-Pillar Pro

Baja Designs S1 Dual Reverse Lights

My one concern with having a soft top (verse a hard top) is security. I like to go to remote places and sometimes have quite a bit of camera equipment or other items with me. This is why I installed the Tuffy Deluxe Deck Enclosure.  I can lock my valuables in the trunk and keep the Soft Top completely down.  It’s a time saver and gives me peace of mind. 

Tuffy Security Products Deluxe Cargo Enclosure

When I attended Bronco Off-Roadeo in Texas, one of the first accessories that caught my eye was the Tuffy Swing Gate Table.  It attaches to the inside of my Bronco swing gate and folds down for easy use. I love this table. I use it every day when camping or off-roading. It’s so nice to have a table at the back of my truck. 

Tuffy Security Products Swing Gate Table

I like to make my Bronco my own, with my own personal style, and I love classic styles. The Bestop Fender Flares are a throwback to the 1966 style with the rivets along them. They are easy to install and I think they give my Bronco more of a retro bad-ass look. 

I’ll be doing more this summer!

I plan to continue to upgrade my Bronco both aesthetically and mechanically. I’d like to upgrade the suspension and add a few items like PRP Seat Covers and MGP Caliper Covers. 

SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH VIDEO UPGRADES AND OFF-ROAD ADVENTURES.