4x4 conversion

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Mar 10, 2010 | 06:47 PM

fordmudgrappler

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4x4 conversion

Okay I know that there is thousands of these threads. I'm only 18 so I'm wondering if this can be done for my truck. But before all this I went off roading and pulling some people out of this underground lake with my buddy. So we ended up getting this kid fully free and his friend's new f150, it was actually his dads and his dad was pissed it was so funny, but when we tried to pull this other Toyota out my buddy got stuck. So when i tried to pull him out I got stuck. And I mean our trucks sank. my rear end was so deep it looked like i was going up hill and my buddy was so deep we could see over his truck (2005 F250 V10 Fx4 8in lift 37in mud grapplers). We had to leave our trucks there over night.

His wife and my gf were pissed when my brother came to pick us up we didn't sleep at all that night. We got up the next day and he called his uncle with a back hoe and came to pull us out just in time for work. the last Toyota that didn't get out with our help ended up staying there for 3 days and his brakes don't work anymore. But I got to thinking...I need 4wd! but i don't wanna sell my truck I love it too much. So does anyone have any tips and pics for me about all this??

Mar 10, 2010 | 07:19 PM

BucksTrucks

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From: USCGC Never Home

If you have a F150 this can be a fairly straight forward job if you are fine with a stock TTB front axle. Go to a junkyard, get you self everything under the front end of a 4x4, and be sure the gears match your trucks current rear end gears. Then you need to find a 4x4 E4OD transmission and the matching manual transfer case and linkage, shifter, and shifter boot. Pull out your carpet and unbolt or cut out the cover for the the linkage and bolt everything else up. You may want to get a donor truck to have all the parts you need right next to the project spot. If I was going the swap I would also replace all 3 universal joints, all the ball joints and the steering linkage. I would venture to say you could do this in a weekend with a friend or two, IF you have all the parts on hand.

Mar 10, 2010 | 08:03 PM

fordmudgrappler

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yeah but mines an F250, does it make that much of a difference?

Mar 11, 2010 | 12:27 AM

9.ford.5

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From: raymond alberta

leaf spring will be even easier....get a solid axle...should be directly bolt up just have to build the steering or combine components of other steering systems to make one. since your in there anyway do a leaf spring shackle reversal (SKY manufacturing sells a kit for it) that way you dont need a trac bar, one less thing to worry about.

You can get leaf sprung dana 44s so you still have the 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern so all your wheels match or you can go with a dana 60 front and upgrade the rear to a sterling 10.25 while you there then you have 1 ton diffs all around and 8 lug all round.

any which way you go it will be pretty straight forward... www.fullsizebronco.com browse through the Solid Axle Swap (SAS) forum...i almost guarantee you will find someone who has done the exact same thing you are doing...

thats the best thing about ford, they made A LOT of their stuff interchangeable...i have a 1975 dana 44 fron end under my 95 f150...pretty much any tranny/t-case behind any ford can be bolted up to any other ford with little or no modification trucks can be built from 1/2 to 1 ton very easily all the cabs and bodies are the same you can do front clip swaps from 3 different styles of truck spanning 16 years...its great haha

Mar 11, 2010 | 11:08 AM

BucksTrucks

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From: USCGC Never Home

So its an F250, you have an I beam front suspension with coil springs. You best bet is going to be a straight axle. Keep your eyes open for a Ford Dana 60 front end from a 86-97 F350 and grab all the parts with it you can including steering and the trac bar. Then buy the sky mfg shackle reversal kit and bolt on your spring mounts. Then find some leaf springs and shocks that you like, and bolt it all up. The transmission and transfer case is the same as on a F150. Ive never done this but I have done this, but I did stay at a holiday in express last night.

Mar 11, 2010 | 11:24 AM

BigBlueOx

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From: Rusty, Maine

Mud grappler! How far away from Maine are you? I have everything you
need.

PS. I never understood the shackle reversal for the front. What is gained by doing this?