Hello I was just wondering the difficulty of the swap and what all parts I need to do so, thanks in advance, the truck is a 1988 f350 460 automatic, ext cab. Regular length bad.

 

Search for 4x4 conversion...

 

Step 1, sell 2WD truck
Step 2, buy 4WD truck


Much more cost effective.

 

This......

Unless you come across a complete donor, sourcing parts is going to become a second job. Yes, it can and has been done, but it really is not cost effective IMHO.

 

the problem is they did not make a Dually 4wd pickup, so.......

I say build what ford never did

 

I'm surprised by you Brad, you know was well as anyone else that the easiest path to a 4WD dually is to start with a 4WD SRW and convert it to DRW, not to start with a 2WD DRW and convert it to 4WD. It all depends and sure anyone can make anything they want, but given the OP that's still the best advice.

 

The Brad we know has been abducted by aliens.

 

So you want to start with a f250 supercab SWR

Put a dually dana 60 in the front(with springs, track bar, driveshaft, etc)
Put a dually sterling 10.25 in the rear
Paint a dually bed and not have it match
then STILL have a 8600lb GVW

Na, I learned my lesson.
I'll start with a 2wd F350 dually, add a front axle(springs, hangers, track bar, etc)
-t-case
and 4wd trans.

Then still Have a F350 DRW with a 10,000lb GVW

 

I guess, might be worth it to deal with the commies on the east coast, IDK I don't have to. Here GVWR don't mean jack legally, not in any way that matters.

EDIT.. In fact here having a lighter truck could save money, minimum fees are based on the scale weight on the title.

If I wanted a 4WD Ex-Cab dually I'd start with my 90, toss in a dually axle, flat bed, front spacers, and maybe a D60 but likely for dually use lower is better. I got all but the spacers and it needs a paint job anyway. MUCH less work then doing the frame modifications and the transmission swap needed to do it your way. And less money, a whole truck is cheaper then the parts needed.

It's worked out well for FORDF250HDXLT and he's east coast.

 

I agree. It's not that hard to do. You will be ok if you can use one of these:

 

has Nothing to do with the coast, has everything to do with the state

And what does FORDF250HDXLT have his truck registered for?

 

A lot of the variations in vehicle laws cluster in consistency between the coasts, but yes technically you are correct. What you aren't correct about is that GVWR matters at all unless PA has some very unusual law. There is no federal law or State law I'm aware of that legally enforces the ratings from Ford. The Ford ratings are only a suggestion based on the truck as sold new. For example the RAWR is 6400 cause they came new with tires rated for 3200. Put a higher rated tire on it and legally your RAWR goes up. This is cause the tire combination is the primary limiting factor legally as well as physically.

Only other weight limits with legal consequences are:
-The registered weight on your registration which is chosen and includes trailer(s) in this state.
-The axle/bridge formula limits which for anything with 2 axles and a wheelbase over 10' is 20k per axle 40k total, so not an issue.
-The tire per inch limit, which in this application is 600lbs per inch, so for example a 12.5 tire is 7500lbs, so not an issue.
-The steer axle limit, there is a law enforcing the axle manufactures rating for the steer axle, a D60 is 6500lbs. Possible but very unlikely issue.
-If commercial then that's a whole other thing.

So under these limitations the total weight legally allowed on my SRW F350 with tires rated at 3970 each is 14,440. 7940 on the rear plus 6500 on the front. More to the point though this is true no matter what is says on the title or fender F250 or F350. Only variation would be the manufacture rating on the D50TTB vs. D60. The D50TTB is rated at 4600 which FWIW I don't get all the weight bearing parts are the same as a DJ D60. But none the less my F250 with the same tires could legally gross at 12,540. Convert it to dually and that goes up a good chunk depending on tire and how much you want to push the rear axle, the DRW 10.25 is rated around 10K I think.

 

It is VERY simple in PA.

Door jam GVW is the MAX the truck is rated for. They do NOT go by axle weight or my tuck would of been rated at 10,684. Tire rating does not effect it either.

I had a COMBINATION registered weight of 26,000lbs but the Truck could not exceed the 8,600GVW

 

I looked there is no law that I could find. Don't believe me as the hot shot guys, they have these laws dialed in.

 

I fought with PENDOT for 2 years trying to raise the register weigh of my dually(F250) and they simply would NOT do it without reconstructed title

As for hot shot guys, they STARTED as dually and 10k+ GVWs, EXACTLY what I told the OP to do