When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hey everyone, im very new to the forums, and im very thankful for you all, and other forums, you all keep people being able to buy, and drive these trucks without headaches, having to pay mechanics! THANK YOU!
I recently traded my 04 grand cherokee to a 97 Crew Cab 7.3
I had wanted this exact truck, the 4 door short bed for a long time, i saw the chance and i got one.
However, the truck has a very strange, and odd background.
Over the next year ill be asking alot of questions, because it has alot of problems. not really with the engine or trans, but rust and stuff like that, Anyways, im wanting to fix this truck to be perfect, or as close as possible, make it ride well, start easy, and just overall, restore it, and give it a facelift, stuff like that.
My first question is this. This truck was a 4wd truck from the factory, it still has the front axle for it, i have the truck now as a 2wd 5 speed, i looked at the spec sheet from the vin number, and it says it came from the factory as a 5 speed 4wd truck. ill preface this by saying that, i thought it was a auto to manual truck, because it has had the floor shifter removed, and a metal plate put there, and it looks like it has PRNDL on the guage cluster, as if it was auto, also on the right side it has what looks like was an electronic 4wd system at one point, however it may have been another switch for a lightbar or something.
What is the easiest way to see if i just need to get a transfer case, and all that, without having to get a new trans + everything that goes with the 4wd. Because if the trans really is the one from the factory, it should be able to have a t case put on it, and a driveshaft for the front axle and it work, because thats all i can see thats missing.
Welcome to the forums, that is a nice looking truck. I don't know why someone would convert from 4X4 to a 4X2, but that is just me. Unless the transfer case is in place, you will have to get a 4X4 transmission, as the rear of the transmissions are different. The transfer case bolts to the rear of the 4X4 tranny, and the 4X2 transmission has no place to bolt the transfer case to. The 4X4 trucks left the factory with leaf springs on the front, while the 4X2 has coil springs up front. The exception is the Super Duty 350, what would be called a F450 now, they had leaf springs up front. I Think the only 4X4 F super duty were converted by some company such as Marmon-Harrington. Your truck is a F250 as there were no F350s from the factory with a short bed. I am not aware of an electric shift option on the OBS for the transfer case. The dash for the manual shift trucks has a spot for the PRN12D for the auto tranny, but the were covered.So depending on how the front end is set up, you have a lot of work a head of you if you want to put it back to a 4X4.
thats the strange part, the truck has the leaf springs, and the front axle already there, it has had a hole cut in the floor from where someone has patched where the floor shifter was for the 4x4, vin decoder says its a 5 speed 4x4 truck from the factory, so im gonna go look in a minute and see if i can find out if the tranny is a 2wd or a 4wd, i guess someone may have swapped it.for whatever reason, thank you by the way, did not know that they didnt have electronic 4wd systems in these years, also i guess my truck has the shifting slots or PRND12 uncovered, so it may still be the original guage cluster.
Does the TTB front axle still have the differential and axles in place, or were those removed leaving just the beams? If those are there, a 4X4 ZF S47 tranny, and a BW 4407 transfer case with the correct drive shafts and you will be golden. The rear drive shaft is longer on a 4X2 tranny.
yes, so its like, someone has just disconnected the front driveshaft, everything is still there, diff and locking hubs, it kinda seems like a transfer case went out, but i did check and the transmission is 2wd, from what i can tell. i dont see anything leading off to the left to go to the place where the front driveshaft should be, just see a normal trans.
so it does seem i will need to buy a new transmission + tcase, gotcha, when i go to buy one ill probably get one thats been rebuilt so that it should be close to new, hopefully lasting a while
The PO probably cracked the bell housing on the 4X4 tranny, and replaced it with the cheaper 2wd version. I looks like you need to rebuild the oil cooler from the oil stains on the oil filter. The rebuild kit consists of 4 O-rings and 2 gaskets. It is not to bad of a job, just messy, as the coolant needs to be drained to remove the oil cooler. Use LOTS of lube on the o-ring when trying to install them.
The PO probably cracked the bell housing on the 4X4 tranny, and replaced it with the cheaper 2wd version. I looks like you need to rebuild the oil cooler from the oil stains on the oil filter. The rebuild kit consists of 4 O-rings and 2 gaskets. It is not to bad of a job, just messy, as the coolant needs to be drained to remove the oil cooler. Use LOTS of lube on the o-ring when trying to install them.
Same thought I had, PO killed the trans and tossed that in its place. Took cheap way out, means they cut corners all over the truck.
That trans in there is worth decent money if not fully torn up.
it seems to be a good trans, i havent been able to see anything wrong with it but im no expert, it shifts well, and doesnt grind or anything in any gear. geared low though. really low lol
i planned to rebuild the engine due to blowby and oil consumption ( may try hotshots additive for oil and fuel before i do that, seems to be really good ) then i was gonna move to the trans , ill check the oil cooler too when im doing all that and rebuild if necessary, i was really just wanting to go through the engine and trans to see what i needed to do to make it near perfect, after that i was gonna tackle the cab, it has an insane amount of cab rust, im gonna try to fix that too, if possible, thats really the big problem with the truck is the cab rust but i thought it was best to get the engine and trans perfect first, then move to cosmetic stuff, also, this truck for whatever reason has cab rust but no frame rust really, some surface but none of its deep, kinda odd if you ask me, a guy thats owned a few toyotas LOL
I live in Kentucky, also the truck was built here apparently which is cool, if i ever come to texas i might trailer one back or something lol, rot free seems to be hard to find around these parts.
they came with the truck when i got it, they seem to be pretty new bullet holes, and the back are cooper discovery AT's, the front are hankook dynapros, dont know why he went two different types but he did lol, theyre 35's
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
