I have a 56 F100 that I'm converting to 4 wheel drive using the running gear out of a 59 F100. Has anyone on this site done this before? Any problems?

 

My only question is why? It'd be painful to see such a classic body all jacked up and sh**. Rare sheet metal doesn't belong off-roading, and if you're not going off-roading with it there's no good reason for 4WD.
Why not keep the 59 as a 4x4, and make a cool ride out of the 56?
MHO YMMV

 

id have to agree with AX, a 59 all jacked up with 4x4 would look damn nice the way it is, id kill to find one around here to do.....the older effies look much better all lowered and rodded out....

 

One persons pain seems to be anothers pleasure.Imho rare sheetmetal belongs everywhere whether its street cruzin, off-roading,or snow trips. I love driving vintage tin! This truck has always been a work/hauler since the early 70s and I'm just going to expand its capabilites to further suit my needs. So I can drive it all the time. As far as the 59 4x4 goes I only have the drive train from the engine back.The swap appears to be a bolt-in, I was hoping someone on this site might have done this before.

 

Sorry, not trying to seem hostile, but just protective. Everyone who apreciates the best looking truck ever designed would understand that it raises visions of the poser 4 wheeler cruising the mall with their truck jacked up like a monster truck for no good reason other than he has more money than sense.
There is no difference between a 4x4 and a 2WD "from the engine back", and little changed chassis wise from 56-59, so yes that part should be relatively easy. It's the front where the complications arise. Obviously haven't done this myself, but I would be suspect of the 56 steering being up to the task. I'd also be thinking in terms of boxing the frame, at least from the firewall foreward.

 

This seems to go hand in hand with the occasional frame swap question. Not that the frame is swapped but that the end result might create a less than pleasing F-100. Some of us have seen the mid-fifties truck mounted on another 4wd frame... believe it was up in Colorado. It looked awkward and didn't draw a lot of positive comments.

I'm all for the guy who wants to do something different from the rest of us, whether it is changing a grille bar to fitting his offroad dreams. Like AX, I sometimes have trouble seeing a good reason for someone else's automotive vision. Not in this case, however. Bob's got the best reason of all for pursuing this... it suits his need.

Seems like a straightforward swap and the frame stiffening gets my vote too. Using the stock frame with the 4wd suspension/steering would add to the insight that folks seek here in the frame swap question division. It would really be interesting to see how this one turns out. best, himmelberg

 

"it raises visions of the poser 4 wheeler cruising the mall with their truck jacked up like a monster truck for no good reason other than he has more money than sense."

AX

Please expand your explanation. I'd like to hear the good logical reason for slamming an Effie into the weeds. Other than the "Objective" because we think it looks real good part. We already covered that.

Bob,

Welcome to FTE. I have an affection for 4x4s. Anyone who thinks they don't have a use off the trail don't live where I do. But don't you be bouncing that 56 off no trees either now you hear?


'fenders
"Just posin' at a lower elevation"

 

It would be interesting to see how it turns out. IMO I think it would be neat if you could keep the truck at stock height with airbags then raise it when you go 4 wheelin. Hey Fenders your still using my trademark .

 

Didn't say to slam it into the weeds either! Sorry, I wasn't trying to offend anyone. I just got visions of some of the 4WD "conversions" I've seen, bodies that were never meant for 4 wheelin, lift blocks tall enough you could park a small car underneath, dual/quad shocks, 50" tall mud bog tires sticking 1/2 outside the fenders etc cruising down the highway or parked in the corner of a mall parkinglot (or worse yet stuck in a back lot 1/2 done and such a mess that it's unwanted by anyone). Can't make a turn @ >20mph without serious risk of landing on it's side, closest it gets to offroad is parking it on the front lawn to wash it. If someone wants to build a 56 F100 version of Gravedigger, fine, but please buy a FG body, don't tear up good tin. I can admire a GOOD 4WD conversion that looks like it came from the factory that way, but wouldn't a 3/4 or 1T chassis make a more suitable platform?.
My panel is to be a working vehicle too (tow vehicle), so I am building it for that purpose, rather than as a show truck. But I'm having to replace a lot of original parts that were modified along the way for reasons that turned out to not be such a good idea, or poorly done.
I've already tried to atone for my "sins" by offering what I could in my second post.
Peace!

 

"I just got visions of some of the 4WD "conversions" I've seen, bodies that were never meant for 4 wheelin, lift blocks tall enough you could park a small car underneath, dual/quad shocks, 50" tall mud bogsticking 1/2 outside the fenders etc cruising down the highway or parked in the corner of a mall parkinglot (or worse yet stuck in a back lot 1/2 done and such a mess that it's unwanted by anyone). Can't make a turn @ >20mph without serious risk of landing on it's side, closest it gets to offroad is parking it on the front lawn to wash it."

AX

I know what you mean, but I think Bob said something a little more like a stock 59 4x4 conversion. In any case, not a deal. Just jerking your chain . It worked too. That was a nice rant.

I gotta start looking for a 1976 F250 4x4 donor. Thinkin maybe I'll call her "EffieFoot"

 

If it were me, and I did strongly consider doing this when I started mine in the early 80's:

Use the existing effie frame and box it where necessary. If you are not planning big engine, monster tires, >2" lift etc, I would skip the boxing.

The diffs out of a pre '73 F250 should bolt in with proper width. Otherwise use pre '73 9" and narrow a D44 from a later F100/150 and install spring perches.

Use t/c out of mid to late '70's Ford attached to tranny.

Easiest p/s box would probably be toyota.

 

Thanks for all the input both pro and con its all helpful. On the steering issue.... I currently have the ram assist ps unit and I think somewhere on this site I read a post about using a steering box out of an F600 from the 50s or 60s which is larger than the
ones on the 56 f100 and easier to steer.Maybe I'll be able to combine the two! I'm looking into the toyota box also.When boxing the frame would it be necessary to weld
tubes across where the mouting bolts pass through or is boxing the frame strong enough.Basically I'll be using 292 ci engine, t98 grannie trannie, rebuilt stock t/c (divorced) big tube 9"rear axle.I have some concerns about the closed knuckle front axle, so I may go with the D44. Maybe even a 9".

 

D44 is probably a good plan. My buddies are passionate about their four wheeling. I have watched them go to great expense and trouble to adapt the D44 to fit non-Fords, so it must be one of the tougher and servicable options you have. Short of getting into the one ton stuff.

 

Definitely weld heavywall tubing through the boxed frame for any structural bolts! Boxing is strong in bending direction, but is weak in crush. Depending on plate thickness and how it's attached to the frame (inset is best) you could also weld blind nuts to the plate. If you are planning OR excursions, I'd use the tubing.