At this point in your game, you are probably not looking to build a 'cruiser' type rig. I get that, you want to get out and do the big boy trails and have some fun. Hell, what trails have you seen? K2, Clayton, TTC? Of course you want to go big now. But going big now (one tons, 40s, tube) is very expensive. It has taken me maybe 7-8 years to go from basically what you have now, to what mine is now. I irrationally spend way to much money on it still to this day. If I had it, I could easily drop another $5k on driveshafts, t-case, rear bumper/winch, synthetic winch line, stereo, bling inner shafts, bling rear shafts.

You need to figure out first what your DD situation will be. If you are going to be DD'ing a stockish Jeep, and wheeling the Bronco, that is fine, but tracking down a trailer spot/truck everytime you want to go wheeling is a bitch. Is finding a decent used pickup for a DD out of the question? Borrowing a trailer is a little easier if you already have something to pull it with. If a truck DD is not going to happen, then you need to keep the Bronco rolling. Of course you would need to fix any of the ghettoness that prevents it from being a viable means of transportation. Maybe weld the rear, lockright the front, 37s?? Wheel it like that for a year or two? Build sliders/cage etc as you go, while still keeping a running rig on 4 tires ready to go. Seems like you could have alot of fun right now for just $1k. So you break a 44 shaft every so often, boohoo.

Its up to you. I personally enjoy the wheeling more than the wrenching. Not that I dislike the garage time, I just prefer getting out there more. Seems like right now, some minor changes to what you got, a plan to get a pickup as a DD, and your set.

On a side note, I do not get the whole parents not wanting you to have job thing. You are by no means the first person whose parents do not want them to work in college, but I just think that is dumb. I have had a job since I was maybe 13, and though some of them sucked, I always had my own beer money. Working part time at say O'Reillys shouldn't take away too much of that "study" time.