Author Topic: 2wd to 4wd  (Read 29056 times)

Offline snibook7537

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2011, 02:56:08 PM »
Personally I have to agree with Irish, if you could get a donor frame you could kind of take the project slow like you wanted too.  I would maybe take the donor frame and sand and paint it. Do any kind of servicing of the axles, brakes, hubs, seals with the rolling frame.  Then you could switch the box and cab and motor. Personally I would have to tell you to go with a k-30 frame.  The Dana 60 is really desirable and the 14 bolt FF would be nice too ( i know you have one but maybe you could sell one of the two). Plus the one ton frame is a lot taller than a half or three quarter ton. If you did however want to just go with a conversion I would still stick with the Dana 60 rather than the 10 bolt or Dana 44.  
« Last Edit: June 22, 2011, 02:58:06 PM by snibook7537 »
1984 Fiero se pwr windows Holley TBi, cam, 86 5spd
1987 GMC V3500 350 TBi 4spd 205 t-case

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1976 c-10 beater 250-6 4spd no pwr steering, brakes. Recycling truck

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #16 on: June 22, 2011, 03:18:01 PM »
lol why was i thinking 1/2 idk. but i think the frames are different on the older chevys so i think they can work with new perches. to tell you the truth i wanted to do this to my 86 c10 but found a k20 for 400



http://www.truckforum.org/forums/4x4-trucks-off-road/3672-converting-a-4x2-to-a-4x4.html

this one might help
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/2-wheel-drive-4x4-conversion-47333.html
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When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline 1979C20

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #17 on: June 22, 2011, 03:24:08 PM »
If I owned my own house where I could scatter car parts all over the lawn and store 10 vehicles in the back yard, I wouldnt even think about taking the time to convert it. But, I live with my parents and they dont want an eye sore sitting in front of the house and they dont want to store all of the removed parts. Also, city law states Inoperable Vehicles arent allowed on the property or street. So, frame swap, body swap, engine swap is out of the question. I would love a dana 60 front. Finding one cheap enough is the problem. I'm on a looooow budget. Like, 100 bucks for a complete axle(hopefully with steering, brakes, hubs, sway bar). And then buy the other parts 1 at a time until I have them all. 40 bucks for a steering box, 50 buck for springs, 30 bucks for a crossmember. This is a strict budget. Besides, I have to put $20+ in my gas tank daily to get to and from work and a little driving around. probably 30 or 40 total miles a day. I get like 6-8mpg. So I have daily, say...
$25 gas
$25 misc.
$-1000 debt
Make 40-60 bucks a day.
So I'ts going to take some time. I would love nothing more than to go out and buy myself a blazer or a suburban ad turn it into a mud truck. But Its not gonna happen any time soon.
1979 SCLB C20 Q-jet 350 SM465 14b F.F. 4.10 G80
1989 GMC Suburban V2500 TBI350 TH400 4in lift 35's 14b SF

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #18 on: June 22, 2011, 03:27:36 PM »
i think you can get away with a frame or as us farmers like to call them "wagons" lol wagons arnt vehicles  ;D
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline 1979C20

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #19 on: June 22, 2011, 03:30:36 PM »
I just searched Oreilly auto and a 79 c20 and a 79 k20 both use the same front calipers. So I guess thats one thing I wont need.
1979 SCLB C20 Q-jet 350 SM465 14b F.F. 4.10 G80
1989 GMC Suburban V2500 TBI350 TH400 4in lift 35's 14b SF

Offline beastie_3

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #20 on: June 22, 2011, 04:20:52 PM »
I saw that red on in a seprate post, but my parent wont let me drag that hung of junk home. I was planning on calling and offering him 100 for the hole front end. Stwering, spring hangers, crossmember. Thats why i wanted to know which parts id need.

If you cant drag that home because of your parents, will they allow you to stockpile parts until its time to swap? Seems the same to me. Parts will sit longer...


If you cant afford to buy a 4x4 and are going to spend a little here and there, just use that same amount of time to save the $$ and just buy a 4x4 instead. Ive never seen a reason to convert a frame over. Just buy a 4x4 roller IMO.

Offline jdl71

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #21 on: June 22, 2011, 04:33:23 PM »
Will this fit our year trucks? If so I'll probably go pick it up today.
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/pts/2449760479.html

No. Even if it would, that's a closed knuckle 1/2 ton axle. Stay away from it unless you have a 60-66 1/2 ton and need an original axle in which case it's a pretty good deal. But it's not what you're after.

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #22 on: June 22, 2011, 04:49:10 PM »
There's a reason people part things out its so they make more money off it. Think about this I went to the junk yard bough a matching set of axles paid 300. And yet one side of the front was frozen up. You don't know what your getting. If you buy a wrong part then that's more money. Now if I'm doing this right you will probably spend 200 in steering parts 300 in axles if you can find them or even 150 for a front that might not match. If you want 4.10s you prob looking at more if you need to swap them. Then you have a transmission to look at prob another 600 then if your lucky it might be from a long bed and you get the shafts probably 100-150 then you can only pray the transmission works
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline 1979C20

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #23 on: June 22, 2011, 05:22:54 PM »
The way im seeing it....
~$100 for axle from hub to hub.
- $00 calipers
- $00 other brake parts
- $40 steering box
~$30 crossmember from parts truck
~$25 front shackle hangers
~$50 steering parts from parts truck.
~$50 springs for the front
~$50 springs for the rear
~$350

So about 350 bucks and i can buy the parts 1 at a time. If i find an axle without 4.11's, ill pull the carrier or the axle shafts or put manual hubs on it and call it good until i find a decent price for a carrier. And thats all i need for right now. Later down the road.....
~$200 4x4 SM465
~$100 NP 205
~$50 tranny crossmember
~$80 front drive shaft
~$430

So even farther down the road i can make it 4wd for pretty cheap. Itll only cost about $800 and once again, i can buy the parts one at a time when i have the money.

I can either shorten or buy a new rear drive shaft so another $80 or so.

Beastie, i still cant store an inoperable vehicle on the property. And, i can store the few parts on the side of the house where all of the jeep parts are until i can make use of them. So, yes. I can store the parts, not a vehicle.
1979 SCLB C20 Q-jet 350 SM465 14b F.F. 4.10 G80
1989 GMC Suburban V2500 TBI350 TH400 4in lift 35's 14b SF

Offline Irish_Alley

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #24 on: June 22, 2011, 05:51:29 PM »
http://delaware.craigslist.org/pts/2379186038.html sm465 550
http://southjersey.craigslist.org/pts/2412911736.html axles 500
now not saying this is what your will cost but its what around here
100 for a sm465 is too cheap prob a 2wd or something is wrong with it
then you have to find a axle that same year or about your year of your c20
still talking about the same price 1k-1500
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline Grim 82

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #25 on: June 22, 2011, 05:57:44 PM »
For what you spend in time and money collecting all of those parts you could rent a trailer, drive to ND, and take your pick of my 4x4 parts trucks, a case of beer each.
Give a man a gun, and he might rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he might rob the world.

Offline beastie_3

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #26 on: June 22, 2011, 06:08:00 PM »
those prices look really low. $100 for a axle, something wrong with it. $100 for a 205, something wrong with it.

Offline 1979C20

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1979 SCLB C20 Q-jet 350 SM465 14b F.F. 4.10 G80
1989 GMC Suburban V2500 TBI350 TH400 4in lift 35's 14b SF

Offline fitz

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #28 on: June 22, 2011, 07:23:34 PM »
200 for th350 and np205

 $200 is a killer deal for a turbo 350/205 set up. Just keep in mind thats it's a slip yoke set up, the bolt on yoke is more desirable. Also make sure you get the shifter/crossmember.
 As far as a place to work on your truck, are there any self storage units near you that rent by the month. Before I had my shop I used to do a ton of work in a 10' x 30' storage unit.   
Not the ideal place but I made it work for me. Just keep it clean and don't attract attention to yourself. It could be worth looking into renting 1 for a month or two.
 As far as others telling you to buy a complete truck, they are right if you can find a place to leave it. I just picked up a running and driving 74 K20 for $500. I pulled the 8 lug axles (4.10's), turbo 350/205 set up (bolt on yoke that had new front&rear driveshafts) and a strong 350 4 bolt motor. Still got $460 for the shell/frame at the boneyard. Thats a lot of parts for $40. 
   

Offline 1979C20

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Re: 2wd to 4wd
« Reply #29 on: June 22, 2011, 07:42:00 PM »
It is a good deal, but i prefer a manual offroad.
1979 SCLB C20 Q-jet 350 SM465 14b F.F. 4.10 G80
1989 GMC Suburban V2500 TBI350 TH400 4in lift 35's 14b SF