78 F250 2wd To 4wd Swap
#1
78 F250 2wd To 4wd Swap
I Am Thinking Of Purchasing A 1978 4wd For Parts And Turning My 1978 2wd Into A 4wd. I'm Sure There Are A Lot Of Things I Need To Know Before I Attempt This And I Am Pretty New To The Car Modification World. Have Worked On Motorcycles For Years But I'd Like To Do A Nice Job With This As I Have A Strange Attachment To My 1978 2wd F250. I'm Sure There Are Plenty Of People Out There Who Might Be Able To Give Me Advice. One Question I Have Is Which Motor Would Be Better To Rebuild. The 2wd Has A 460 In It. The 4wd Has A 351 In It. Let Me Know If You Have Any Advice. Thanks In Advance.
#3
I've done 2 2wd to 4wd conversions and it's really not that bad as long as you have a welder, drill press, torch, Uni-bit, Right angle drill, cut-off wheel and some other tools but thats the majority of the necessary tools. If you have a front 4wd axle and springs, 4wd 77.5-79 4wd Steering box, & Shock mounts.
If you have a lot of mechanical skills and have good welding skills you can do this fairly easy... It takes me approx. 18 hours converting it from pulling it in my shop and putting it on the lift... my first took me about 29 hours but i can cut a lot of time off of this second one....
The only thing about the conversion is it sets about like a 2" higher than a factory highboy.... Because of the 2wd motor crossmember... you can change it if the height bothers you but it's really not worth it. If you want pics i'm in the middle of a conversion right now....
I personally would rather convert the suspension than the whole body and drivetrain...
If you have a lot of mechanical skills and have good welding skills you can do this fairly easy... It takes me approx. 18 hours converting it from pulling it in my shop and putting it on the lift... my first took me about 29 hours but i can cut a lot of time off of this second one....
The only thing about the conversion is it sets about like a 2" higher than a factory highboy.... Because of the 2wd motor crossmember... you can change it if the height bothers you but it's really not worth it. If you want pics i'm in the middle of a conversion right now....
I personally would rather convert the suspension than the whole body and drivetrain...
#4
#6
#7
Sorry, i just saw this thread and was just starting this conversion. My 4x4 frame is a reg cag and I am swaping it into a exended cab so a frame swap is not really an option unless I lengthen the frame. Was just looking here for advice but I guess I will figure it out myself.
thanks.
thanks.
Just my .02
Matthew
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#8
Thanks guys. I am putting the f250 front end into the f150 frame too. I found a good deal on the extended cab frame and body. There is no rust on it at all. just a bent front fender and grill gut the guy gave me a new ford fender and grill. I am going to use the truck for pulling so i am going to swap in the 4 spd and transfer case and 460 i got. I have a pretty good idea on what I have to do but I was just looking for some ideas.
Do you heed to remove the 2x4 crossmember in the front and weld in the one out of my 4x4 frame?
What oilpan will i need for the 460? it was originally out of a 2x4 too.
Will the 4x4 rear susprnsion just bolt up?
Do you heed to remove the 2x4 crossmember in the front and weld in the one out of my 4x4 frame?
What oilpan will i need for the 460? it was originally out of a 2x4 too.
Will the 4x4 rear susprnsion just bolt up?
#9
Mine is the 3 link.
#10
If you have the F150 4x4 setup already-check out this link;
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...0-highboy.html
Or if you want leafs up front-and keep it simple, just convert your outer ends to the F250 8 lug setup-still a Dana 44.
Altho for a pull truck, I would think a Dana 60 would be best for the front.
I would have to say a rear sump pan works best, unless clearance is an issue.
Some ideas for ya.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...0-highboy.html
Or if you want leafs up front-and keep it simple, just convert your outer ends to the F250 8 lug setup-still a Dana 44.
Altho for a pull truck, I would think a Dana 60 would be best for the front.
I would have to say a rear sump pan works best, unless clearance is an issue.
Some ideas for ya.
#13
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