ive decided i want to convert my 82 f100 to 4x4 i have the 300 and 3spd manual trans. no pwr steering. any suggestions on easiest way to go about this??

 

Just do it.

It's really not that hard at all, except that you're gonna have to convert your 3spd to 4x4 spec with a new tail shaft to accept the transfer case. If that's the column shift 3 spd I'm thinking of, you may have a hard time with that swap since column shifts are hard to come by. You may be better off switching to a 4 speed that is already set up to work with a transfer case.

As far as swapping the front axle in, are you going SAS or TTB? Twin Traction Beam D44's are a direct bolt in, your steering linkage, springs, and shocks can all be retained, unless you want to lift your truck as well. If you're going with an SAS, there is much more work involved.

 

The best way to go is a donor pickup. You should be able to find one easily with a worn out engine or a rusty body. You will then have everything you need to do the swap, including the tranny if it's good. Don't be fooled into thinking you can swap the tailshaft out of your 2wd tranny to convert it to a 4wd tranny. It's more complicated than that, and it's not worth the trouble and the expense to do it, you are better off getting a 4x4 tranny.

In this day and age of high fuel prices, if it were me I would look for a late 80's model truck with a 5 speed overdrive tranny and 4x4, and swap all that in. It will have a hydraulic clutch system, and the hardest part will be locating and making the hole for the clutch master cylinder, but you will have everything there with a donor to measure by.

 

well i do have the column shift truck thats been converted to the floor and i planned on going to the non solid front axle due to simplicity of conversion compared to solid axle. the idea of a donor truck is hard to find around here

 

Franklin, if you read the original post, the O.P. stated he had the rare 3 speed column shift. If he wanted to retain that 3 speed column shift, then finding a 4x4 3 speed column shift trans would be even harder than swapping the internals, tailshaft housing, and output shaft in his current 3 speed transmission , as long as he could utilize parts from a 4 speed or another junk 3 speed. I know I personally would want to retain that 3 speed column shift since it's a rare option, so swapping it over to 4x4 would be a very likely option for me in order to keep my truck original. Not everybody feels the same way about originality as I, however I like to present every option just in case.

However, now the O.P. has stated that he has the floor shift 4 speed, which means that his truck isn't original, so now it really doesn't matter.

I do admit that I wasn't very clear in my original post, and that I did leave out some info, however the transmission CAN be swapped over. Since the O.P. now has the more common 4 speed, the swap is not really worth it as you said since 4 speed 4x4 transmissions are far more common. The same goes for C6 and AOD transmissions.

Carfreak, if you can't locate a parts truck, then it will be a bit difficult to get all the parts you need. You're gonna have to find everything separately, unless you can find a 4x4 4 speed truck in your local junkyard(s).

 

op here. i have the 3spd column. been converted to floor shift due to broken column. i would love to retain my 3spd to keep it original due to the same reason you would. hence why i still have no PS

 

im in understanding it would be rare to find a 4x4 3spd column truck but im willing to search. when i said its hard to find a donor truck. its because we have a lot of mudders out here who take these trucks and use them so its not the lack of them is the lack of being able to find one thats not already in a junk yard

 

So you still have your 3 speed, you just converted it to floor shift?

I will admit that it will be hard to find the parts for your 3 speed, especially a 4x4 3 speed, however it can be done. What you should do is hang around here and post up in other threads and ask some questions so that you can add to your post count. Then, once you reach 25 posts, you can post a Want ad in our Classifieds section and see if anybody may have a 4x4 3 speed laying around. Other than that, you're gonna have to keep your eye out on Craigslist, Ebay, and other classified outlets, as well as make calls to all the junkyards you can.

I'm not really sure if you can use 4 speed parts on your 3 speed, but if so, that may be an option as well.

 

if pictures of everything such as engine bay and under the truck would help just let me know. i can supply those

 

yes i still have my 3 spd and alright i will get that done so i can post a wtb ad. im still searching near me. shaun are you in VA?

 

is it wise to use the D44 or should i got for a solid axle? because due to it being 2wd i have the ability to go either way with this

 

a 2-4" lift is planned in the future but ill deal with that later down the road

 

D44 TTB is a true bolt-in swap, no custom fab required. Going to a straight axle is 100% custom fab required.

 

thank you rogue i wasnt sure. as this is my first 4x4 conversion but i do have alot of familiarity with both TTB and straight axles being that i had a 74 highboy with a straight axle conversion that my buddy and i did until i rolled that totaling it. and i had an 81 bronco and an 86 eddie bauer bronco both with the D44

 

Carfreak, I'm down in Florida.

As for the TTB vs. SAS, do NOT listen to those who are quick to talk down stock TTB using the alignment defense.

I would personally go with TTB for ease of installation. However, when you do the lift kit, that is when you will run into alignment issues since none of the aftermarket lift manufacturers took alignment into consideration when they designed the springs and lift brackets. It's not the TTB system that is the problem, it's the poor engineering and consideration of the Aftermarket that makes the TTB nearly impossible to align. Ford wouldn't build a truck for 16 years that can't be aligned. These trucks didn't roll off the assembly line with camber issues.