Please excuse me if this has been posted before. But I haven't been able to find a thread with the specific answers to the questions I have. The truck concerned is my 1979 F250 Super Cab 2x4.any input would be great. and no I won't be selling it and buying a 4x4. My grandpa bought it new and I don't want to get rid of it nor do I have room for another truck that does have 4x4.
I've been doing a lot of reading on the whole 4x4 conversion and it looks like a real p.i.t.a. I realize that a 4x4 frame swap is the way to go....But the thing is I don't want leaf springs. I want to build it coil sprung or maybe coil over. I also don't want to lift it sky high. In fact I don't want any lift over stock at all. Why do most of the post say it requires a huge lift? Is it because of the engine crossmember location and interference with the axle? Are the engines offset to the passenger side in the 2wd as well? what do you think if I just copy a E250 4X4 van front end like a Quigley using the stock front frame, spring buckets and a custom and relocated engine crossmember or do you like the idea better if I build a complete custom front frame to work with the coil springs? Or even if I want it coil sprung I should still swap it to 4x4 frame first? Also which axle do you guys like D44 or D60? HP or LP? The truck won't be used offroad hard. I want the 4x4 for traction mainly snow use and towing stuck cars. But I also want a tough rig. I'm short and don't like tall trucks so I would like to keep it low. I currently leaning towards a 44 but think it may cause steering issues as I would like to go crossover. also if anyone has a picture of the front of a bare f250 2wd frame and and the same 4x4. and some shots of a 4x4 engine mounts and crossmember.that would be great. thanks for any advice. I'm just bouncing around ideas now for a conversion next year or so and would like to start gathering parts. I can weld and I have the fabrication skills but not a lot of ford truck experience as I am mainly a gm guy....which are way easier to convert to 4x4 btw....but not as tough and as nice.
I've been doing a lot of reading on the whole 4x4 conversion and it looks like a real p.i.t.a. I realize that a 4x4 frame swap is the way to go....But the thing is I don't want leaf springs. I want to build it coil sprung or maybe coil over. I also don't want to lift it sky high. In fact I don't want any lift over stock at all. Why do most of the post say it requires a huge lift? Is it because of the engine crossmember location and interference with the axle? Are the engines offset to the passenger side in the 2wd as well? what do you think if I just copy a E250 4X4 van front end like a Quigley using the stock front frame, spring buckets and a custom and relocated engine crossmember or do you like the idea better if I build a complete custom front frame to work with the coil springs? Or even if I want it coil sprung I should still swap it to 4x4 frame first? Also which axle do you guys like D44 or D60? HP or LP? The truck won't be used offroad hard. I want the 4x4 for traction mainly snow use and towing stuck cars. But I also want a tough rig. I'm short and don't like tall trucks so I would like to keep it low. I currently leaning towards a 44 but think it may cause steering issues as I would like to go crossover. also if anyone has a picture of the front of a bare f250 2wd frame and and the same 4x4. and some shots of a 4x4 engine mounts and crossmember.that would be great. thanks for any advice. I'm just bouncing around ideas now for a conversion next year or so and would like to start gathering parts. I can weld and I have the fabrication skills but not a lot of ford truck experience as I am mainly a gm guy....which are way easier to convert to 4x4 btw....but not as tough and as nice.
