I changed my mind......again

Steve302 · Post by **Steve302** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:34 pm

Hello everyone,
I live in northern Cali and as many know we got thrashed by the high winds and heavy rain.
Yesterday about 5am i rushed to my shup concerned that some of the cars parked outside would be crushed by a tree or two, i was lucky no branches or other debris had touched the vehicles yet. I n a big hurry i started moving cars to the other side of the shop to get away from the trees, but the bad part was it required me to drive behind the building which had evolved into a huge mud pit overnight.
I crossed my fingers and buzzed a little Geo tracker through, then a monte carlo, my toyota minitruck, and then my 70 F-100.
Well.................What a joke!
If you had read my post as a new member you would know that i bought this truck to make it 4wd, but everyone talked me out of it because it was way too clean to chop up, so after buying everything to make it 4wd i then started trading off the 4wd stuff to get nice 2wd stuff, (c6 trans, 4 wheel disks, 28 spline posi, dropped front beams etc.....) Well after my terrible experience with this truck as a 2wd i am now back to the chopping block and ready to start cutting, 4wd here i come!!!!!!
I have never had such a bad experience with a vehicle as i did with this one over something so simple, i mean my toyota is less than 3" off the ground with darn near slicks on it and it even got through the mess.
All the poor little f-100 did was slide around and made a bunch of noise.
(I think it hates mopars because it kept trying to hit a GTX i had parked about 50 feet from where i should have been, but the front end seemed to continue sliding uphill somehow and head twards the GTX.
Honsestly i love these trucks as 2wd and 4wd and this was my push to make a final decision.
Steve

1971ford · Post by **1971ford** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 6:40 pm

That weather was horrible. my pvc garage was destroyed. My dad, brother and I drove around town just looking at the mess. i guess you know its windy when your car gets blown sideways a little.
we also found a huge metal shed laying next to a road. and quite a few shelters on their side and ripped up. when we were coming home a branch fell from a tree right onto the windsheild. it was really loud and we cant beleive the windsheild is in one peice.

i have always wanted to convert a bump to 4wd, but my dad keeps telling me we dont have the room or the equipment. i dont see how we dont have the equipment, and we could make room

can you please show us the whole conversion in the projects forum? that would be awsome

flyboy2610 · Post by **flyboy2610** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 6:48 pm

1971ford wrote:
i have always wanted to convert a bump to 4wd, but my dad keeps telling me we dont have the room or the equipment. i dont see how we dont have the equipment, and we could make room

can you please show us the whole conversion in the projects forum? that would be awsome

The eaiest way would be to buy a '67-72 4X4 that has a trashed body, and swap your good sheetmetal onto that frame. Seriously.
Converting a 2WD to a 4X4 is a LOT of work. For starters, you have to completely redo the steering.

1971ford · Post by **1971ford** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 6:52 pm

^ i know that. i guess "Converted" isnt the best word. if i ever swapped to 4x4 i would either get a trashed 4x4 like what you said, or a 4x4 frame. i wouldnt ever try to attempt coverting a 2wd to 4x4 without frame interchange.
should of made myself clear

71Ford100 · Post by **71Ford100** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 7:32 pm

I'm looking at buying a rolled '71 250 4x4 frame and would consider parting with it after I took what I need.

Steve302 · Post by **Steve302** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 7:48 pm

Hello,
Converting to 4wd is not that big of an issue. We have converted several ford trucks to 4wd using 73-79 style suspension axles, steering etc....
Once we know a customers needs or wants, we pre order the lift, steering parts, wheels, tires etc. the entire conversion takes about 16-26 hours depending on the fab-work required, drivelines are done last. Still far quicker than a properly done body swap.
Steve

rjewkes · Post by **rjewkes** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 7:52 pm

what do you do with the frame?

I thought the frames are different gauges.

Steve302 · Post by **Steve302** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 8:07 pm

Im not sure what you mean by "what do you do with the frame?"
You simply add spring mounts in the front for the coils, mounts for the radius arms and a mount for the panhard bar. redrill the frame and add some bracing for the steering box and better than half the work is now done, well at least the hard work, you will actually get to see the truck standing on its new tires. The rear lifts easy like any other truck, i like to add my own fabbed rear perches to hold the later 73-79 ford style springs.
Steve

1971ford · Post by **1971ford** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 8:11 pm

definetly keep us posted with the whole conversion!

1971ford · Post by **1971ford** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:56 am

norcal huh? how much would it cost me to have my 69 4x4ified

basketcase0302 · Post by **basketcase0302** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 6:08 am

Steve,
There are those on the site that will say you're crazy, (yet I'm not one of them).

You simply add spring mounts in the front for the coils,

Right here is where most would falter. Instead of taking advantage of Fords superior riding front coils...
Most try to keep the front leafs, (which makes for a lot harder steering geometry, ride comfort and lift IMO).

Please keep us posted with pictures and updates!

Basketcase

69F110 · Post by **69F110** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:48 pm

I agree... please do keep us posted. I am intrigued.

rjewkes · Post by **rjewkes** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:49 pm

What i meant was the whole frame is thicker on a 4x4 verses the 4x2. Atleast as far as the half tons are concerned.

Steve302 · Post by **Steve302** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:32 am

hello again,
Yes some may think im crazy for putting in the time and labor to do a 4x4 conversion, but like anything else, if you do it all the time.......
Example....... Ranchero50 makes those beautiful dome lenses, (thanks i love mine) , but it would take me 3 weeks to make one of those and i would surely have to smash something in my house halfway through the process to keep my sanity.
When we do 4x4 conversions every truck is different even if its the same year and everything, simply because they are built to the customers specs. I have a 59 ford truck here right now that came in as a tubbed street rod, and halfway throught the bodywork he wanted to go 4x4. This is a bit extreme considering the running gear was allready done. When this change came about we located a 79 ford 150?or f100? i dont remember now, but anyways....... we used the entire front of the frame of the 79 so the customer could use all factory ford parts on the front end and the frame is much stronger too.
Steve

Supermike · Post by **Supermike** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:16 pm

Steve... I bet (wonder if) all those others are front wheel drive... next time, try turning the 'ol truck around and backing through it.

That used to happen to me with my little Ranger I had on the farm. When it was slick, my grandma could get up the hill in her little front-wheel-drive Cavalier wagon, but I couldn't get up the hill in my truck. Then I learned just to turn around and back up it! No more rear wheels slipping trying to push the weight of the engine. It would zip right up!

Good luck on your conversion... take lots of pix!

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