The little things... accessories so far.

[supaDean]

Hello. This is a great community. I enjoy the sharing of pics and ideas. My 2023 Big Bend was purchased off the lot this past October. Located in Northern Ontario, Canada.

Useful things I've added to date:

First up were license plate covers. A pet peeve of mine is how awful license plate screws can look over time, especially when mounted to an otherwise like-new vehicle. So I drilled the two bottom holes for the rear, got plate covers and screw caps. We'll see how long it holds up.

Winters in the north can have lots of snow. And lots to explore. I plan on photographing winter landscapes and will often be on remote highways. On the off-chance I slide off the road or get stuck, I installed a 2" shackle on the trailer hitch which might help pull me out. It also looks a lot better than a bare trailer hitch.

Rear bench seat cover / cargo area cover. I'm often lugging stuff around in the rear seats, and cargo area of course. And in the summer with windows open dust and dirt gets into the car. I opted for simple pet covers to help keep the seats clean and to protect them from stuff being lugged in and out. They're easy to remove and clean. And they keep dog hair off the seats.

Molle bags for back of front seats. Can never have too much storage.

Center console and center armrest covers. Not a fan of the bare silver finish of the center console. Had something similar on my previous vehicle. It is easy to scratch. Armrest cover is more comfortable and protects the original covering.

Last but not least: Bullet Mounting Solutions magsafe phone holder. Installed just yesterday.

Couple of other useful things that every car owner should have is a 12 V Portable Air Compressor / Tire Inflator and a NOCO Car Battery Jump Starter (or something similar). Also got a sun shade for the front window.

Cheers.

My Sport, with winters on.

Sponsored

 

[Mark S.]

Lot's of nifty mods; I like it! One note of caution: Leaving the shackle mount in your hitch receiver makes it more difficult to get all the crud out of it when you wash the vehicle. The salt-encrusted dirt and grime captured between the shackle mount and your receiver hitch will accelerate corrosion (rust). If it were me, I'd leave the shackle out of the receiver, but if you decide not to you should at least remove it when you wash the car to make sure you're getting all the crud out of it.

Following that, keep an eye on the hitch and touch it up with some rust-encapsulating paint when necessary.

 

[supaDean]

Lot's of nifty mods; I like it! One note of caution: Leaving the shackle in your hitch receiver makes it more difficult to get all the crud out of it when you wash the vehicle. The salt-encrusted dirt and grime captured between the shackle mount and your receiver hitch will accelerate corrosion (rust). If it were me, I'd leave the shackle out of the receiver, but if you decide not to you should at least remove it when you wash the car to make sure you're getting all the crud out of it.

Following that, keep an eye on the hitch and touch it up with some rust-encapsulating paint when necessary.

Hi and thanks for your feedback. Really appreciate your thoughts on the rear shackle. I imagine with it being located where it is it'll be right smack in the middle of stuff flying off the rear wheels, even with the splash guards in place. I don't know off the top of my head if the full-size Broncos have rear shackles. And if they do, they're part of the rear bumper so wouldn't hang as low and be as susceptible to salt / rust?

I wouldn't think I'm the only person with a DIY shackle attached to the trailer hitch. In particular the exposed nuts and bolts facing down on the hitch tightener. Do folks spray them with an oil or some type of rust inhibitor ahead of winter's arrival? I'm not against removing the shackle at all. I could simply plug the hole with one of those silicone / rubber hitch plugs and keep the shackle in the car for when and if it's needed.

Thanks.

 

[The_Jimmer]

I got this for the hitch. Step, and pull/attachment point all in one. You can clip into one of the openings or throw a loop around one of the ears for a quick light pull.

 

[supaDean]

I got this for the hitch. Step, and pull/attachment point all in one. You can clip into one of the openings or throw a loop around one of the ears for a quick light pull.

That's a great attachment. Would you be able to share more info, i.e., a web URL? Thanks.

 

[The_Jimmer]

Here ya go..https://www.amazon.com/TGL-Hitch-Step-inch-Receivers/dp/B06XZLSFKT And to be honest it makes a great place to scrape the mud/snow off your boots!

 

[Mark S.]

I don't know off the top of my head if the full-size Broncos have rear shackles.

From the images I've seen, there is a shackle mounted to the rear bumper on full-size Broncos, but I don't know if it's removeable, or if it's welded in place.

I wouldn't be as concerned about the shackle itself as the shackle mount, i.e. the part that slides into the hitch receiver. The small space between the shackle mount and the hitch receiver is a magnet for gunk that cannot be easily cleaned without removing the shackle mount from the receiver.

Do folks spray them with an oil or some type of rust inhibitor ahead of winter's arrival?

There are any number of rust inhibitors available on the market. Paint and/or powder coat is, of course, intended to be a rust inhibitor, but it's not permanent. One of the better spray-on products is something called ACF-50. I spray a coat of this on everything that can rust on the underside of my cars every fall before the first snow of the season. It can help keep corrosion at bay, but it won't prevent the collection of salt-encrusted crud in all the nooks and crannies--such as the space between the shackle mount and the hitch receiver--where corrosion begins.

 

[Scapino]

My Sport, with winters on.

I've been to Ryden's many times - even had my Bronco there once or twice!

 

[supaDean]

From the images I've seen, there is a shackle mounted to the rear bumper on full-size Broncos, but I don't know if it's removeable, or if it's welded in place.

I wouldn't be as concerned about the shackle itself as the shackle mount, i.e. the part that slides into the hitch receiver. The small space between the shackle mount and the hitch receiver is a magnet for gunk that cannot be easily cleaned without removing the shackle mount from the receiver.


There are any number of rust inhibitors available on the market. Paint and/or powder coat is, of course, intended to be a rust inhibitor, but it's not permanent. One of the better spray-on products is something called ACF-50. I spray a coat of this on everything that can rust on the underside of my cars every fall before the first snow of the season. It can help keep corrosion at bay, but it won't prevent the collection of salt-encrusted crud in all the nooks and crannies--such as the space between the shackle mount and the hitch receiver--where corrosion begins.

Thanks for your feedback! I'd be interested to apply this to my vehicle. When I agreed to purchase Ford's rustproofing when I bought the Sport I was told I would never need to apply rust-proofing in the future. I felt that couldn't be true. Anyway, could you point me in the right direction of how to apply ACF-50 myself... i.e. type of sprayer, do I need a compressor? Can I do this in my drive or do I need to get the vehicle onto a lift? Many thanks.

 

[Mark S.]

Thanks for your feedback! I'd be interested to apply this to my vehicle. When I agreed to purchase Ford's rustproofing when I bought the Sport I was told I would never need to apply rust-proofing in the future. I felt that couldn't be true. Anyway, could you point me in the right direction of how to apply ACF-50 myself... i.e. type of sprayer, do I need a compressor? Can I do this in my drive or do I need to get the vehicle onto a lift? Many thanks.

You can purchase ACF-50 in an aerosol can or spray bottle (search on Amazon--lots of options). According to the product brochure, you can spray it on, or use a rag and wipe it on. You don't need a lift if you can get under your car in your drive, but definitely want to wear eye protection if you intend to spray it on.

I usually drive my car up on ramps in the garage, put some cardboard under the area I intend to spray, then apply liberally with an aerosol can.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Adding to the rust talk-- a solid point like this won't have the same issues as a shackle (less nooks and crannies). https://yankum.com/collections/tow-points/products/2-inch-hitch-receiver-recovery-point

Otherwise the best option IMO is to keep your recovery point safely stored inside and attach it when needed.

 

[Big Ben]

Hello. This is a great community. I enjoy the sharing of pics and ideas. My 2023 Big Bend was purchased off the lot this past October. Located in Northern Ontario, Canada.

Useful things I've added to date:

First up were license plate covers. A pet peeve of mine is how awful license plate screws can look over time, especially when mounted to an otherwise like-new vehicle. So I drilled the two bottom holes for the rear, got plate covers and screw caps. We'll see how long it holds up.

Winters in the north can have lots of snow. And lots to explore. I plan on photographing winter landscapes and will often be on remote highways. On the off-chance I slide off the road or get stuck, I installed a 2" shackle on the trailer hitch which might help pull me out. It also looks a lot better than a bare trailer hitch.

Rear bench seat cover / cargo area cover. I'm often lugging stuff around in the rear seats, and cargo area of course. And in the summer with windows open dust and dirt gets into the car. I opted for simple pet covers to help keep the seats clean and to protect them from stuff being lugged in and out. They're easy to remove and clean. And they keep dog hair off the seats.

Molle bags for back of front seats. Can never have too much storage.

Center console and center armrest covers. Not a fan of the bare silver finish of the center console. Had something similar on my previous vehicle. It is easy to scratch. Armrest cover is more comfortable and protects the original covering.

Last but not least: Bullet Mounting Solutions magsafe phone holder. Installed just yesterday.

Couple of other useful things that every car owner should have is a 12 V Portable Air Compressor / Tire Inflator and a NOCO Car Battery Jump Starter (or something similar). Also got a sun shade for the front window.

Cheers.

My Sport, with winters on.

I'm pretty sure your license plate cover is illegal in most areas. It interferes with the police automatic plate scanner.

 

[kshaw]

I believe that ACF-50 was developed as an anti-corrosion product for aircraft but it has multiple uses. It competes with Boeing's Boeshield T-9 and Corrosion-X. I bought a gallon of this (about $100) when my aircraft mechanic recommended that I apply an anti-corrosive to the inside of my aircraft wings. I sprayed with a Harbor Freight engine cleaning wand and my air compressor. I used a painting mask and goggles to prevent any health issues. It worked great. You only need a light coat and I set the wand to a mist. ACF-50 can also resurrect electronic devices and is good for connections on wiring harnesses. The vendor said that some of his customers are using it to clean firearms but I have not tried that.

 

[RushMan]

I'm pretty sure your license plate cover is illegal in most areas. It interferes with the police automatic plate scanner.

The OP is in Ontario Canada not Ontario, California, where plate covers are illegal.
In the U.S., license plate laws vary from state to state.
This listing may not be totally accurate and laws can be interpreted differently.

https://www.buyradardetectors.com/blog/2019/03/state-license-plate-laws.html

This tally shows that plate covers are legal in my state, but another search says that they are not legal because a clear cover can cause reflection making the plate unreadable.
https://www.carcover.com/blog/license-plate-covers-legal-or-illegal-what-you-need-to-know

 

[Big Ben]

The OP is in Ontario Canada not Ontario, California, where plate covers are illegal.
In the U.S., license plate laws vary from state to state.
This listing may not be totally accurate and laws can be interpreted differently.

https://www.buyradardetectors.com/blog/2019/03/state-license-plate-laws.html

This tally shows that plate covers are illegal in my state, but another search says that they are not legal because a clear cover can cause reflection making the plate unreadable.
https://www.carcover.com/blog/license-plate-covers-legal-or-illegal-what-you-need-to-know

I am in Alberta. Alberta was the last jurisdiction in North America to use the reflective plates for police scanners. A cover over the plate prevents the scanner from reading the plate. A buddy here in the RCMP said it is technically illegal to cover a plate in Canada, but probably not strictly enforced. It does give police a valid excuse to pull you over.

Sponsored