Most folks don't seem to know Ford made two different 2.3's. The old 2.3 Lima engine in Pintos,Mustangs and Rangers has nothing in common with 2.3 Eco boost except displacement. I will say both engines proved to be reliable however.
Two fold problem here. First brake pads and clutches for that matter used to have asbestos in them since they can't do that anymore pads are not as heat resistant as the used to be (asbestos is a heat insulating material) so heat build up changes the pads properties and allows for glazing...
As Professional driver of 37+ yrs dropping a gear and running a little more rpm and less boost under your conditions is the right way to do it. Less boost = less stress on the engine and less boost = less fuel use. On long drags like you're talking it's better to drop a gear and take some load...
Truck was fairly common for Bronco's Blazer's and Ramchargers Scout's. Jeep's were called Jeep's. In some parts of the midwest and plains "rig" was common.
Actually primo examples of full size Bronco's particulary 2nd gen's are bringing serious money. And truthfully 1st gen's have only been high the last 10 or 12 years after some yahoo paid an inflated price for one at a major vehicle aucton.
The first gen had a pretty targeted market namely Jeep people. The 2nd through 5th gens were f150 based so they had a broader market appeal. By the way we didn't use the term suv back in 78.