Take a look at a 4x4 chassis front end and then look at a 2wd chassis. They are completely different. If it's a highboy chassis it's probably 34" wide like the 1 ton dually, not 37" wide like your half ton. take a look at shlitzers thread ' putting supercab on reg frame' to see what a bare 4x4 looks like.

 

I have. They only thing diffrent suspension wise is the crossmember location and radius arm brackets. I could mount a ttb on my cross member,but forget that.

 

I looked at the thread and it looks a lot more complicated with leafs. I think steering and chassis wise i need axle,sterring box, extended sterring shaft, axle comes with sterring rods and track bar, cross member(i can fab one up) radius arms.

I might just drop the front axle in and ride SA 2wd until i get transmission and transfer case.

 

Yes buy a 4x4 chassis and swap bodies...or just read on.

There is nothing nuts and bolts about a 4wd conversion, there is not a thing that is bolt on or swappable. The engine cross members are entirely different, and this means that if an un molested truck is what you are after, it will be impossible to create one with a 2wd platform. The 2wd will have to be lifted quite a way to clear the front diff.

2wd trucks are coil sprung and most F250 4wd's are leaf sprung. None of the suspension items are even close to the same, so you will be fabricating or modifying some original 4wd stuff to work.
Steering systems are entirely different as well, so you will be upgrading that too.
My last conversion with leafs ran me several thousand dollars, and that was with the work that I performed for free. The difference in sale values between a 4wd and 2wd are minimal, and the 4wd conversion is hardly justifiable.

How far away are you looking? I pick up F250 4x4's for reasonable money. Consider the cost of shipping, and then consider buying a west coast truck with no rust, and I can guarantee that you will be time and money ahead. Well the frames are similar, with a few exceptions. The frame horns are slightly different, and the frame widths aft of the cab ar different from 73 to 77 trucks. The frame rise is also slightly different, but this is not a show stopper and does not make much difference one the fabrication begins.
Not that the important question is whether or not you will be using a coils springs or a leaf spring. It is possible to install a 78/9 radius arm and suspension. Not a big deal really, and with a standard cab this is reasonable. Not quite as easy with a super cab and or crew cab.

The 2wd frames are not cut for the shackle pivot, and they do not have the provisions for a spring hanger, but again, this is not a deal breaker. Installing a pivot is just a tedious process. Accuracy is key, but I am not telling you anything that you do not already know.

Ok, so next is the transfer case. You have two choices, Install a married case, and this requires the proper transmission. Might find some difficulty making or modifying an output shaft to accommodate the early C6 and a married transfer case. So then the next option is to find a divorced transfer case, and install this. You will have to make up a cross member, but then you will have to get creative with the shifter linkage. See the 4wd trans will have an adapter or tailshaft with a pivot for a typical 205 shifter.
Fabrication is the only limiting factor here.

Next and final factor will be the speedo. See your speedo works from the trans, so that being the case, you will have to get a speed reference form the t-case. If you do not, the speedo will read twice as fast when you put the case in low range.

As mentioned the steering box will have to be relocated, and the truck will require some lift. That engine crossmember has limited clearance so you will be looking at some lift to even clear it. The other option would be to remove it and replace it with a tubular unit.

This is a heck of a project. Not unreasonable, but a project none the less.
2500 bucks for a 2wd might get expensive. I paid 1300 bucks for a 4wd 75 last year, and it was already 4wd with 38" tires, and a strong 460, A/c, and plenty of goodies. I have made these conversions, and can tell you that it is a chore.

 

77&79F250....
It's about time someone posted up an ANSWER to someone's questions.....It gets really old reading..."Just go buy one". There are some of us that would take on this project in a heartbeat and are just looking for advice.

 

Well do not thank me for nothing but a copy and paste, thank an old FTE member "F350", that for some reason does not come on here anymore??

I copied and saved alot of his advice to docs, and past it when applicable. His advise and knowledge is unsurpassed.

He is the "SD leaf swap 2 different way guy", and the "How to build it" (my personal favorite) and alot of other great Ford truck building thread replies.

The black/silver is his dads and he also has a big orange 79 Ford truck too that is a muding machine. And looking at his red truck he uses it like a 4x4 can be used for, FUN.

 

That's Ed's truck! And from what I've been told, his Dad's truck started life as my old '79 Lariat F250 2wd! If that is true, then it use to be brown/beige. Ed is a GREAT guy.

 

Yea you Cali guys know how build them and have great places to wheel'm. I hear he is on the "FSB" site and has not been on here for years, any idea why?

 

I'm going to be doing the coil spring conversion. I plan on taking the old crossmember out and fabing up a new one.

 

Confidence is great, but mostly skill and capabilities.....is what we like to see in a build thread. Go for it! And post up some pics, cause we all dig pics.

 

I've already fabbed up a 3 inch suspension lift for my truck. I also have a lot of experienced help. So there will be a lot going into and it ain't going to take just one weekend.

 

I'm not real sure how to add pics yet because i use the app. But when i do I'll post some of the work i did to make this lift.

 

Here's How to Post Pictures:
1. Login to FTE.
2.Click User CP (In the Top Left Hand Corner)
3.(On the Left, There will be a list, The 5th Option Down, will say "Pictures & Albums) Click That.
4.Then, Click Add Album, Enter a title, and description, if ya want to.
5. Click Upload Pictures, Then click Browse, Locate the Files of your truck. (You can add 3 files at a time)
5. Click Upload.
6. Add a description to the individual pictures, then click save.
7. Add more files if ya want.
8. Click The Picture you want to post, it will give you two codes at the bottom, Right Click The Second one (It say's BB Code, Then Say's [IMG]http:blahblahblah...[/IMG])
Then, Once that is highlighted, Right Click, Then Copy, Then Paste it into your post.
You can add up to 30 Images in one FTE Post.

 

i posted a few pics of the truck. I'll add some more in a little while.

 

If you're dead set on making your truck a 4x4, why not buy a frame with running gear and swap the body? Less work and possibly a bit cheaper.