Hello everyone in Tennessee! I wanted to introduce myself after a few weeks in the forum. I recently acquired a '71 F100 from my dad (the Joadmobile) and am going to begin restoring it this winter (see gallery). Most of my previous car experience is with a '72 VW Superbeetle - how hard can it be to add 4 more cylinders and water, right? I'm still in the planning stage now but I want to add disc brakes, A/C, and 4x4 (anyone got a chassis?). I'll be rebuilding the 302 and adding a 4 barrel carb.

Thanks to all of you who have already answered my questions. If you are ever in the Chattanooga area, look me up.

 

Welcome to the TN chapter house... converting a 2x4 to 4x4 is not particularly difficult, there are a few things to add, and maybe lifting things would make it easier to fit a diff under there. All 4x4 consists of is Front axle, drive shaft, transfer case, and selector lever. You don't need a different chassis at all, unless the one you have is unrepairable.

Theo

 

Hmmm, several other posters have told me that it is best to get a whole new chassis as the front of the 4x2 frame has a dip in the frame crossmember that gets in the way of the front diff. I would be pleased as punch to not have to get a whole new frame.

 

I am not familiar with the year that you are restoring, but I have ridden in a number of trucks that started off in life as a 2x4, my '96 being one of them.

If there is a dip in a cross member in the frame of your vehicle, getting a lifted suspension would deal with that quite nicely. It probably is favorable to have a higher truck if one is go to the effort of making it 4x4.

Theo

 

That would be a cool project. I probably would lean toward the new frame but if that's not an option there is always a way. You have enough work just converting over to disc brakes and AC.

You either have deep pockets or are well connected. Either way it will look cool when you get it down.

 

My pockets aren't very deep. What I have a lot of is time and a desire to do a project slowly for once. I can build this truck exactly as I want it over time and rack up dept slowly or I can go buy one and be even deeper in debt very quickly. Since time is not a factor, I took the fun/hard work option. I am either dedicated or insane - time will tell. The real factor here? My wife blessed the project. Lets just say up front that her supporting this idea has been a big factor. Anyway, enough of that. Begin the disassembly!

 

I picked the deep pocket route.... At the time I bought my truck, I had landed a fantastic contract with a heck of a salary, so I paid to get a Superduty standard cab, long frame, turned into a Superduty crew cab, 4x4 medium frame, with a 9 foot bed.
Now I do not have deep pockets....

Theo

 

Do it slow and learn the truck!

(best way of all, IMHO)

The x-member dip can't amount to much - maybe 3 inches tops. I never noticed that before, and pictures of the difference in the frames would be nice to have.

My own 82 F-100 is going 4X4 soon, but it's also going to go diesel as well. The combination ought to be interesting...


~Wolfus Maximus

 

A diesel to mate with the other.. It is nice to have two diesels even on won't start when it is cold.. (mine, not yours)

Theo

 

It is even better to have a diesel that can figuratively "climb trees"...