Can anyone tell me how I can gather information reguarding how to go about converting my Truck to a 4X4 model. I know where I can get a complete Ford F250 with a 4X4 suspension. The only problem with the swap is that my truck is an automatic truck...automatic transmission, and the truck I have located for the suspension donation is a Manual shift transmission truck and it is a shortbed where my truck is a longbed. I would like to keep my truck an automatic truck and I dont think the transmission will work with the transfer case off of the manual transmission. I am not at all against using the manual tranny ...I just like the idea of keeping the truck an automatic. I know I will have to do many things to make this work...but compared to a new truck...
I like my old workhorse with its 460 motor and heavy duty body and the cheap price I paid for it compared to the cost of a new one.

Any help would be appreciated ...

Thanks Mike

 

It would take more fabricating than it is worth
to use the two wheel drive frame the early fords use two different frames for two wheel drive and four wheel drive It would be easier to change the transmision and engine than converting the two wheel drive frame to four wheel
I hope this helps

 

Hey...well i am not sure about early fords but the dude above said that they used to diff frames. Go for the 4X4 frame and make a stop at the Ford house and get a tail houseing that will work with the transfer case. Then take your Auto tranny to a good trany shop and explane to them that you wnat the tale shaft shortned to accepet the trasfer case. (might want to take the T C so they can match it up) But that is what i had done with my C6 tranny. It ran me about $100 for the work but i think that they gave me a good deal...and the houseing cost me about $175.....that Ford parts houses for ya....haha...but it can be done rather panlessly. AND it will give em a chance to inspect you trany to see if anything is worn out....they found some fried clutch disks in mine. Hoped i helped ya......

Dan

 

I did this conversion on my project truck. You didn't say whether you trucks were ½ or ¾ ton rigs. A year or so ago one of the 4wd magazines did a series on converting the ½ ton trucks. If you need it drop me an e-mail and I will see if I can locate it.

My conversion was the F250. I know of only two ways to do the super cab 4WD conversion. Either lengthen the frame of a 4x4 donor rig or weld the front frame rails of the 4x4 frame to the super cab frame. The folks I have run into went the frame lengthening route. I chose to graft the front frame rails of the 4WD donor rig to my 2WD super cab frame. As far as I know I pioneered this. At least I haven't heard of any one that has done the conversion this way.

If you proceed with a project of this magnitude be forewarned it is quite an undertaking. I really like my project so I am glad I did it, but It is quite a project.

I started with a 1975 F250 super cab. I used a 1977 ½, which is the same as through 1979, F250 as the donor. I cut the frame rails slightly ahead of the front cab mounts. I made the same cut on the super cab frame and then did the welding.

The frame rails on the 1977 ½ to 1979 are 5/16" wider than the 1975 2WD super cab frame. I used the bottle jack from my hoist to expand the super cab frame to mate up with the donor front frame rails. I know that the frame rails on the 1973 to 1977 F250 high boys are different than the 1977 ½ to 1979 series of trucks. I do not have the dimensions of the earlier rigs.

I hope this helps. If I can answer any questions drop me a note.

 

I thought the reply would post my e-mail address.
It's rcollins@micron.net