I had a 1972 F-250 for many years and wanted to turn it into a 4X4, but everyone shot me down and it would have been around $5,000 to do it all.

So I sold the 72 and bought an 1988 4X4, which I really do not like, but am stuck with it.
So be sure and get something you really like and do not be impulsive like me !

 

I already have a 1990 f 150 4x4. Was considering the swap as a father son project. Just looking under my 4x4 and comparing it to the 4x2 it doesn't look too complicated.Thanks everyone for your input.

 

keep us posted. I have a 1990 4x4 reg cab. Am thinking about buying a 2w drive club cab and just switching everything over. like you said, cant be that difficult. good luck!!!and git er done!

 

I am thinking of doing such a swap starting this fall. I have a 88 that is in very good shape. under 100,000 miles. Have had the truck for over 10 years now. its lifted with 35" Problem is its 2wd, 302 with a AOD that I eat one every year or two. very little to no rust. ( some bed stuff and hood ) I have a 91 F250 4X4 I picked up to plow with for a few years. Body is trash, truck runs good could use a once over on the motor and trans. I would like to body swap, or ??? To get a good 3/4 ton 4X4 here. I have room to work and tools to help me. I know its going to be a bit of work but I figure I'll have a pretty new truck and still have the same looking tuck I love.

 

I did this swap on an '85 2wd extended cab F150. The truck belonged to my dad and he wanted 4wd but didn't want to part with the '85. I found an '86 4x4 F150 that had cab damage from a combine. I pulled the doghouses off both trucks and went to unbolting, drilling, and grinding. It took a month of weekends to finish. The rear leafs in a 2wd truck are narrower than a 4wd truck. You can cut and weld to swap the 4wd leafs over but I just left the 2wd leafs in place. Both trucks had 351W and C6s so I unbolted the C6 and transfer case off the '86 and bolted it behind the 351W in the '85 along with the driveshafts. It's really not that hard if you have time and the right tools. Total spent was $900 for the damaged '86. I could have done it cheaper by going to the local pull-it-yourself junkyard but i wanted a complete donor truck. We put a 2.5" lift on it last year and just used the correct rear blocks for a 2wd truck. He's put 15,000 miles on it with no problems.

 

I'll throw in my two cents here.

Plan A:

If you are impatient, and unwilling to shop wisely for good bargains at the wrecking yard, and are not capable of doing the vast majority of the labor yourself, then find a clean 4x4 and upgrade it, or you probably will be sorry.

Plan B:
However, if you are willing to come up with a solid plan before you turn the first bolt (do it like you would to a business plan; know how you will begin and how it will end), willing to wait until God blesses you with the parts you need at the local U-Pull yard, and are capable of doing the work yourself, have an attachment to the truck, are slightly crazy, and don't mind that it's probably not a bargain, have a go at it. If nothing else, you'll know your truck much more intimately than most others know theirs, and you of course have the option of building it the way you want it to be.

I personally am a Plan B guy, but I am NOT advocating this, I just don't see it as being majorly absurd like some do.

 

If you find a donor 4wd F150 or Bronco with the same model transmission and ring & pinion ratio as your '90, it'll be a 100% bolt in. No need to swap the body, the mounting points for the front axle and transmission crossmember on 2wd F150s are exactly the same as 4wd F150s and Broncos (all of them are 4wd. well, in this county anyway). Sourcing the parts one at a time makes the swap a tad more drawn out, but potentially cheaper, especially if you're patient and find a good deal or two.

I converted my '92 to 4wd four years ago and haven't looked back since. Parts were about $1000 and it took four weekends +/- over the course of the six or seven months I spent gathering parts and looking for deals to get everything swapped out. The only downtime I had was the week I swapped in the trans/t-case and had to get my driveshaft shortened. See my gallery for some pics of the swap.

Bottom line, if you love your truck but hate that it'll get stuck in wet grass like mine did one time (which was once too many ), and are handy with a wrench, I fully recommend the conversion.

 

Thanks for the input guys. Just looking at it I thought it should be a bolt in swap. I only have about $450.00 in the 2wd and I have my eyes on a couple of donor trucks I think I might be able to get cheap. What year models will interchange? The one wrecked truck I found is a 93 or 94. Guy wants $450 for the trans (5spd) and transfer. I think I might be able to buy the complete truck once he gets the engine out but haven't asked him to price it yet. I am checking on another that has the clutch out and think I might be able to pick it up for less than $700.

 

Is there a difference in the transmission?
Do you need to use the tranny from the 4wd?
I ask, because I am also looking at doing the conversion.

 

The year range you're looking for is '88-'96.

Yes, you'll need to swap transmissions; the 4wd version is different than the 2wd. In the later model trucks like ours, the transfer case bolts directly to the back of the transmission. The output shaft and rear part of the transmission case itself are not the same.

 

Thanks Tom....I am looking for an entire donor truck, so what I need from the truck will sort of dictate what I would be willing to pay for the donor. I was just curious when I saw the earlier post about needing the tranny.
Thanks for the reply

 

There is another option no one has mentioned. You can leave in your 2wd trans and use a divorced NP205. You will need to build a mount for it and make drive shafts for it. But it is an option. RB

 

Hey RB, there are likely a few such options, but in the long run I suspect I would run into less surprises or headaches going with the easier bolt in swap.
Love the Aerostar btw!

 

i havent heard good things about the TTB, wouldnt a straight axle be better if your doing a swap? i was thinking about doing this for my truck, the TTB looks like a great low buck swap, but idk if i'd really want a IFS on my truck. i had to deal with that crap with my old S-10, didnt like it, also it dosent look like it the TTB could go to full drop (like if by chance your front end is in the air) unless the right side axle is telescoping...also wouldnt something like a dana 60 be just as easy to install? mabey some welding for tabs but still just as easy...just my .02

 

Thanks! RB