Early Bronco Door Assembly

The Evolution of Early Bronco Doors: 1966 to 1977

Alright, folks, let's talk early Bronco doors for a moment. Though they might all look pretty similar at first glance, there are some key differences between the 1966-1967 Bronco doors and the 1968-1977 versions. Let's dive into the specifics and explore the four different door shells produced for our beloved classic Ford Broncos.

1966 & 1967 Ford Bronco Doors

• Lock Cylinder Placement: The primary difference between 1966 and 1977 Ford Bronco doors was the placement of the outer lock cylinder. This was a small change between the first year classic Bronco and its successors, but was necessary to accommodate the new body chrome trim offered in Bronco Sport packages starting in 1967.

  • 1966 Bronco Door Lock Cylinder Location: Directly above the center body line.
  • 1967 Bronco Door Lock Cylinder Location: Moved up to just under the door handle to make room for Bronco Sport body chrome.

• Unique Features: Upon inspection, you will notice several unique features in 1966-67 Ford Bronco doors as compared to later 1968-77 Bronco model doors.

  • Door Latch Mechanism: The door latch on 66-67 doors had a more rectangular shape and featured a larger plastic bushing for the outside door rod connection.
    
    
  • Door Striker Post Variance: It's also worth noting that the door latch striker location on 66-67 Broncos was about 3/4" higher than 68-77 Bronco strikers. The striker post was also round whereas the later models had an oval striker post. For these reasons, it is not possible to install 66-67 Bronco doors on a 68-77 Bronco tub and vice versa without changing out the rear B-pillar.
    
    
  • Inner Door Panels: The inner door panels on a 66-67 Bronco were always stamped steel and were much more basic than the 68-77 Bronco panels. There was a circular hole for the window crank and the door handle, and some but not all panels had two holes to support an arm rest. The arm rests were notably smaller than 68-77 Bronco arm rests, and the door handle was a rotary lever as opposed to the paddle handle style used in later models.
    
    
  • Removable Upper Window Frames: The 66-67 Broncos stood apart from later models in that they had removable upper window frames. These frames bolted in and could be quickly removed by just a few bolts allowing for a shaved style when the top was off the Bronco. 1968 Broncos also had this removable window frame feature, but in 1969, Ford began welding the frames to the door shell.

1968-1977 Ford Bronco Doors

• Lock Cylinder Placement: In 1968, the Bronco saw one more final relocation of the door lock cylinder. The lock cylinder was relocated to sit below the Bronco Sport body chrome. This new location was retained for the rest of the year models of early Bronco through 1977.

• 1968 Bronco Doors - One year only: The 1968 Ford Bronco saw a major overhaul of the door assembly. 1968 Bronco doors are unique in that they were transitional between the early and late model classic Broncos. The inner door panel and related parts were all updated, but for one year only, the Bronco retained its classic removable upper window frame design. 
  
  The following features were updated in 68-77 Ford Bronco Doors:

  • Door Latch Mechanism: A new door latch mechanism was developed for the 68-77 Ford Bronco that required a new door stamping altogether. The most notable change was the evolution to a paddle handle for the inner door handle that was integrated behind the newly updated arm rests.
    
    
  • Door Lock Cylinder Relocation: Once again, the door lock cylinder was relocated. This time about 5 inches under the outer door handle, just below the body line.
    
    
  • Updated Arm Rests: The arm rests were made larger for 68-77 Ford Broncos and were mounted using three screws as opposed to the original two screw mounting solution. The new paddle handle design was integrated behind the arm rest which had a cut-out molded into it for clearance of the paddle handle acctuation.
    
    

• 1969 Bronco Doors - The Final Change: The early Bronco doors saw a minor change in 1969, and from that point no additional updates were made to the Bronco's doors through 1977, the last year of the first generation Ford Bronco.

  • Removable Window Frames No More: The singular change in 1969 Bronco doors was that Ford switched from the removable, bolt-in upper door window frames to welded window frames. This made the window frames more sturdy, but eliminated a classic styling option. But don't fret, if you purchase new 68-77 Bronco doors from WILD HORSES, they will be modeled after the 1968 version and you can once again have the option to remove the upper window frame for cool beach cruising!

Conclusion

While early Bronco doors might look quite similar from the outside, the differences between the 1966-1967 and 1968-1977 models are significant. From the location of the door lock cylinder to the design of the inner door components and the upper window frame, each update Ford made was a step towards improving the functionality and durability of these classic vehicles.

Got any questions or need some personalized advice? We're always here to guide and support you. Let's keep those Broncos looking sharp and running strong!