4x4 conversion, what do i need
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Paradise CA
4x4 conversion, what do i need
I have a 95 f150 2wd and was wanting to make it 4x4, and i have one person with a 86 bronco and a nother with a 89 f150 4x4, I know i need front drive train, trans case, tranny, drive shafts front and rear, block lift on back... Now will i also need the rear axle as well or anything else, and will those fords 4x4 fit on my truck
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,346
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From: Baltimore
The 89 F150 would be the better donor. One reason is the rear axle
assembly has the tone ring which you need for the VSS signal.
You could use your rear axle as long as the gear ratio is the same as the front.
The transfer case on the 89 has the mechanical speedometer output which
you won't use on your 95. Hopefully the transfer case is a manual shift and not an
electroinc one. In 89 they used either a BW1345 or BW1356.
You didn't mention what transmission you have.
You will need the radius arms from the 4x4, and the transmission
rear support mount.
The 2x4 uses 2.5 inch wide rear leaf springs. A 4x4 uses 3 inch wide
springs. Unless you swap to the 4x4 springs you can't use 4x4 lift blocks.
You could purchase lift blocks for a 2wd.
Also the the rear sway bar end links are different. Not sure about the front
sway bar end links.
assembly has the tone ring which you need for the VSS signal.
You could use your rear axle as long as the gear ratio is the same as the front.
The transfer case on the 89 has the mechanical speedometer output which
you won't use on your 95. Hopefully the transfer case is a manual shift and not an
electroinc one. In 89 they used either a BW1345 or BW1356.
You didn't mention what transmission you have.
You will need the radius arms from the 4x4, and the transmission
rear support mount.
The 2x4 uses 2.5 inch wide rear leaf springs. A 4x4 uses 3 inch wide
springs. Unless you swap to the 4x4 springs you can't use 4x4 lift blocks.
You could purchase lift blocks for a 2wd.
Also the the rear sway bar end links are different. Not sure about the front
sway bar end links.
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Oak Grove Heights, AR
Should be a bolt in swap on a 2wd from either of those trucks. You'll need the transfer case as well, and would prolly be easiest to have a lever shift case, which I prefer anyways. There may be an issue with the tranny depending on what either of the donor trucks have and you computer on your truck. If they're both auto they prolly have either a C6 or an AOD. The C6s can be bulletproof, but no overdrive. You can use your exsiting rear depending on the gearing. The only differences on the rear of a 2wd vs a 4wd is the leaf springs on your truck are only 2.5" wide where a 4wd will have a 3" wide leaf and it also has a lift block on it from the factory. You can simply add a 2-3" block to what you currently have or do a shackle flip which will also put you pretty close. Alot of this depends on your uses for the truck, daily driver, mall crawler, or off road only.
*edit, F150xlt beat me to it
*edit, F150xlt beat me to it
Thread Starter
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Elder User
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From: Paradise CA
ok,, the tranny i have is the one with over drive, and my truck dosnt has anit sway bars, and im useing it as a dayly driver... And what about the rear shocks, if the 2wd is be slightly lifted for the 4x4 then wouldnt i need rear shocks too
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Oak Grove Heights, AR
Yes you would need new shocks, but depending on the condition of the ones on the donor truck you could use them as you would just be "lifting" it to a stock 4x4 ride height.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Paradise CA
Alright, yeah im just doing the stock lift.. And what about the front, my dad has a 91 f150 4x4 and his front shocks are like the same size as my front,, plus i just got new front shock, $60 a piece, Gabriel maxx control
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Central, Florida
I just want to point out that there is no such thing as 2wd and 4wd lift blocks..a Lift block is a lift block is a lift block is a lift block is a lift block.
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Freshman User
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I done the same swap on my 89 i used a 82 bronco frontend with manual hubs. The hard part for me was removing the glued on cover over the dogleg hole cut from the factory. My stock rearend had 308, i swapped it out for a 91 4x4 with 3.55 and the front third member,the front right side axle is diffrent on a 82 to 91. My trans was a mazda 5speed swapped in a t18 4speed. I want to do the rear spring swap to the 3" I know the front spring hanger will have to be swapped, but the rear shackle hanger?? is it the same with a wider shackle???
Thread Starter
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Elder User
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From: Paradise CA
Alright, it looks like ill be buying my friends 89 bronco for $100 for all the 4x4,, now can anyone tell me if the 2wd rear axle pitch is the same as a 89 4x4 axle, so that way i dont have to swap the rear axle to match the front,,
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Baltimore
Are you sure about that?
A 4x4 uses a 3 inch wide leaf spring and a 2wd uses a 2.5 inch wide leaf spring.
The top mounting plate bracket holes the U bolts go thru are drilled at a different width.
The lift block is clamped to the leaf spring by the U bolts, top mounting plate and
positioned in place by a locating pin.
You can't use a lift block for a 4x4 in a 2wd because it won't fit between the two U bolts.
The U bolt holes drilled into the mounting plate are drilled for a 2.5 inch wide spring.
You could use a 2wd lift block with a 4x4 3 inch wide spring but the block could move
around because the lift block is 2.5 inches wide while the mounting bracket/plate is drilled for
a 3 inch wide leaf spring.
