Join Our Ford Truck Forum Today

Document your Ford truck project here and inspire others! Login/Register to view the site with fewer ads.

1970 4X2 to 4X4

Looking to convert my 1970 F100 from 2WD to 4WD. I would like to steer clear of as much fabrication as possible. I'm thinking that a good option would be to buy a second truck with a solid frame and swap everything over. However, I am having a hard time finding any concrete information as to what years would be the easiest to work with. If anyone has some information or can point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My truck: 1970 F100 Ranger XLT Heavy Duty Special
 

Attachments

  • image1.JPG

taxreliever

Licensed to Represent!
14,695
287
Maine
It is beautiful! I'm loving the color.

Sent from my SM-N915R4 using Tapatalk
 

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
Being an F100, it makes it a little easier than say an F250. Pretty much all F100-F150 frames from 67 to 79 should work. They all have the same frame width and I believe the body holes are located the same.
 
Thanks everyone. She's been a great truck. Dad bought it back in 2000 and I bought it in 2003 when I started driving. She was my first and has been a slow and steady project. Also, if any of you know where to find parts and accessories aside from LMC I would appreciate it as well.
 

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
Bronco Graveyard and Dennis Carpenter are two places.
 

fatherdoug

Tonto Papadapolous
Mac's Antique Auto Parts is also a good place. A lot of their parts are rebadged Dennis Carpenter parts.(Not seconds)
 

Big Jim F150

73-79 Ford Trucks Rock
Beautiful truck, too pretty to convert to a 4 X 4 . It's worth more if left stock, and is a numbers matching truck. Leave her stock, and find some old turd for a 4 x 4. Just my thoughts on the subject.smilieFordlogosmilieFordlogosmiliegitrdonesmiliegitrdone
 
Being an F100, it makes it a little easier than say an F250. Pretty much all F100-F150 frames from 67 to 79 should work. They all have the same frame width and I believe the body holes are located the same.

There is a 71 f250 4x4 with Dana 60's and a 410fe that has a very rough body and a another 71 2wd f100 with a 351 that has a lot better body and interior. So your saying this would be a difficult swap?
 

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
Not so much difficult, but definitely not a straight bolt on swap. The frame width is different, but that only for the most part affects the box.There are lots of little differences between them as well. It is done fairly often, just isn't a simple unbolt from one chassis and bolt straight to the other with no additional effort required.
 
Not so much difficult, but definitely not a straight bolt on swap. The frame width is different, but that only for the most part affects the box.There are lots of little differences between them as well. It is done fairly often, just isn't a simple unbolt from one chassis and bolt straight to the other with no additional effort required.

Ok last question and I'll stop the thread hijack. I just realized I used "difficult" which is a relative term. Maybe some bracket relocation/welding is okay but major fabrication would be more then I would want to get into. What about the 410 351 swap? big deal?
 

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
You would have to let me in by what you mean by 410. Fe consists of 352, 360, 390, and 428. If you are referring to a bored 390, ok... Also, which 351????351W, 351M, 351C.... But the quick answer is no, not a straight swap, some modification required. As to the box/cab, the box holes need relocated as the 250 4x4 frame is narrower than the 100-15-250 2wd frames.
 
You would have to let me in by what you mean by 410. Fe consists of 352, 360, 390, and 428. If you are referring to a bored 390, ok... Also, which 351????351W, 351M, 351C.... But the quick answer is no, not a straight swap, some modification required. As to the box/cab, the box holes need relocated as the 250 4x4 frame is narrower than the 100-15-250 2wd frames.

Ok. Ive read about it in several locations but this sums it up best. I understand it was a Mercury install but there were some trucks that had it as an option? Or it was just pulled from a merc. I also read that some 390s had 410 merc pistons giving the false impression it was a 410. Just learning this stuff so not sure. The 351 is a Windsor.
410 engine configurations and applications
4V, 10.5:1 — 330 horsepower (250 kW) at 4600 rpm and 444 lb·ft (602 N·m) at 2800 rpm
1966–1967 Mercury
The 410 engine, used in 1966 and 1967 Mercurys (see Ford MEL engine regarding 1958 senior series Edsels), used the same 4.05 inches (102.87 mm) bore as the 390 engine, but with the 428's 3.98 inches (101.09 mm) stroke, giving a 410.1 cu in (6.7 L) real displacement. The standard 428 crankshaft was used, which meant that the 410, like the 428, used external balancing. A compression ratio of 10.5:1 was standard.
 
Last edited:

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
Well, obviously it was not an original install, and I would hesitate to believe it without some kind of proof. You will find most 360's become 390's when they are trying to sell it, and the only way to verify such is to measure the stroke. It would seem they all use the same bore and block.
 

Ford Truck Articles

Top