Hello, my name is Charlie and I am a new member to this site. I have a 1986 F-150 4x2 302 efi and 4 speed granny trans this truck has a great deal of sentimental value so I dont want to sell it to buy a 4x4. I have been told it is simple but others have told me I need an intire new transmission because the NP208 or other 4x4 transfercases wont fit the 4 speed. If this is true what trans and tranfercase will I need. Im only 14 so I dont have to much money so if its not worth it please let me know.

Thank you,
Charlie

 

It's not worth it, sorry bud. Keep your truck if it has sentimental value, and save up for a 4x4 later on.

 

If you have parts, or can get them cheap/free, and can do the work yourself, it's worth it, but you do indeed need to change the transmission to a 4x4 unit.

 

Charlie

I'm about ready to do the same thing this summer. I have a 4x4 donor with great running gear that was wrecked by a drunk driver, and just purchased a 4x2 to swap to. Do some searches in this forum and in the 4x4 offroad forum under "conversion" or "swap" and read up as much as you can so you can get an idea of what you'll be in for (ie in terms of work, money, etc.) before you start.

Good luck!

 

you definatly want to find a good donor parts truck in a junk yard for this project as you will need the tranny, transfer case, all the brackets that hold them in place, the drive shafts and you will also have to change your rear so that you can match up the front rear and the back rear gear ratio wise. you will want the front components from the donor truck as well. if you can find a good donor truck with good suspension, good steering components and a good drive line for say 500 bucks or less, then this swap would be possibly worth while, but would still be a lot of work. i would say save up your money for a 4x4 and remember that some states allow you to register a vehicle as a classic after 20 yrs old. you could register this two wheel drive truck as a classic an then have a good 4x4 at the same time. if you insurence is done up right it would only cost you about another 300 bucks a year to have both trucks on the insurence.

 

If your body abd interior are real good, and thats what you want to keep, the best way is to get a 4x4 that is trashed in the body interior areas. Watch the papers, or get to know your local junk yard guys. I work at one, and if someone was cool and around alot, and i knew what they were looking for, I might turn them on to one of my buys for little profit, i might actually be able to shop for them if i knew what they could spend, when i went to the sales. Did this for a buddies car when it blew up, saw the same car at a sale for 50 bucks, wrecked, but good motor trans and wheels/tires. He got a 50 motor, we got the rest to sell. Not something i would do for everyone, there is overhead to pay. But anyway, find a truck like yours but 4x4, and you might even want to look for an OD trans truck while your at it. Just anouther mod you wont have to do later. This is the easiest and cheapest way. I did the same thing before i worked at the yard, and bought a rusted out 79 ext cab 4x4 for 800, and sold the engine for 400. 400 to convert to 4x4 and all i had to do was swap bodies and part of the steering column, is all i remember.

 

Can be done if you have the place, tools, and know how. I've done it...However, the next time I found a good body, I found a good frame and running gear and swapped the body over.