Realistic budget of a 2wd -4wd and goodies build

Greg5OH

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So im tossing this idea of building my 2wd crewcab into a mint 4wd-workhorse-winter-beast-never-get-stuck-go-anywhere-anytime-man-rig.

The key is i need to tak eoff the bed and cab..and then in my mind everything will be easy because the body isnt there to get in the way.
I can get a d60 for 180 bucks at the u pull yard (all axles are same price regardless of what it is). they dont come too often but they do come.
d60 rebuild and all new steering linkage.
need a new box (maybe donor truck is good?)
Hoping to chop the entire front end off behind the rear spring hangers so i have all the hardware for it.
Im looking for about a 4-6" lift over factory F350 height.
so sky reverse shakle and hanger front and rear kit. call is 400$

new brake lines, hydroboost, need a divorced np205, need 3 driveshafts modified.
dually rear axle with LSD.
35" tires and wheels

then is the cab and bed. They are not mint. I did alot of rust repair work on the driver side, the passenger side could use some help. Again, i think with the cab off and put on a rotisserie, this wouldnt be more than a weekend oir two of work. My bed is pushed into the cab (the back wall) from the PO hauling stones. I dont care for it being pretty, only strong and dependable. So a BFH and some paint.
Paint-the cheapest, hardest paint i can find.

For now will probably just turbo my 7.3, just stock boost nothing crazy for now. Can easily massage the trans tunnel while I have the cab off (big thing keeping me from doing this right now).

I have a 7 foot tall post and I beam for a come along to help me in pulling the cab and bed. Might pick up a mini back hoe as well but that depends on price.

Basically i want a brand new frame and running gear. Body and bed-dont care how they look. Just want a brute!

Thought about buying a nice rust free truck from the south, but man I dont have the time for that these days, and unless i pay 10k, it wont be perfect, and even if i do pay 10k it still wont be perfect as i will want to change this this this etc.


Thoughts, opinions? what kinda of budget should I expect for this? Im budgeting 2k for the 4wd swap and hydroboost...assuming i can get an entire front clip for ~300. This means complete, ready, prepped rolling frame, (minus new 35s)
 
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firehawk

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The cheapest and easiest way to get the truck you want is buy a rust free version of what you want. Do a nationwide search in the areas that don't salt roads. The time and money you will save can not be beat in a more efficient way.
 

Greg5OH

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i explained i dont have the time to be flying out and drivng or trailering or spending 1500 to transport a truck back. Unless a forum member was selling something ve3ry clean for very cheap...I dont trust a random guy off craigslist expect him to be at the airport when i fly across the nation.
saw a rust free clean crewcab 4x4 is 3k, im going to spend another 2k bringing it back from cali, tx, az, plus i have to take time off work.. then i still have to take it all apart to do the lift, possibly swap engines, etc..
dunno just thinking out loud
 

firehawk

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If you don't have time to travel, you will never get this project completed. I see it all the time; I have bought many incomplete projects for pennies on the dollar. Here is a hint for long distance purchases: pay a shop to do an evaluation before you make the trip or pay for a service to deliver it. Doing this kind of work (conversion and frame off) is far more time intensive than you can imagine if you have not done it before.
 

Greg5OH

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time to travel and finishing a project are two different things. Please refrain from making assumptions about my capabilities.
If a forum member has something clean for cheap id consider it, but not doing this shop thing craigslist thing. I have learned not to depend on people to get things done. Unless im doing it, its not happening.

Frame off will have to happened regardless if its my truck or a new creampuff. Needs to be sealed from the salt here.

also I do understand the convenience of working with a clean rust free already 4x4 truck. but its the cost. 3000 minimum, 500 for small parts, 500 in fuel to drive myself, 300ish plane ticket, were at 4500 already. then add in the lift, stripping it down, 5-5.5k.
you can say that if you find a good example you wont need to do anything but that is simply false. will always find something that needs or wants to be changed.
 

Greg5OH

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I need the inner frame reinforcements. Unless some rectangular iron will work cut into a section, but i think the frame has some funky shape to it where straight steel wouldnt work.
 

Greg5OH

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Got me a ford driver drop np205 transfer case. love the part hoarding process!
I am keeping an eye out for 05+ SD from and rear dually axles. Probably expensive and harder to find than the older ones. All depends what I can find at my yards. they jsut seem so damn single to swap in (05+). Will be purchasing Skys 6" rear shackle lift so i can maintain the raked look with the front in 4x4 height.
Plan is to run a dually rear end, but only use SRW style single wheel, cut the inner wheel well out of the bed to have a true flat 6' bed. Add home made flares on the outside as necessary.

I hear the hummer tires are very bad in the snow, can anyone confirm this? Im thinkin running the hummer beadlock wheels with military tires to keep cost down, but this is my main snow rig, and getting stuck is not an option!
 

junk

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I like where your headed. I would have gone the 05 up super duty axles had they been older and cheaper when I started my 89.

No clue on the hummer tires in snow, but they are affordable.
 

Greg5OH

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once i getthe cab and bed off, fixing up the rad support. Por 15 the whole thing.
Brand new stainless brake lines, new steering box, new hydroboost setup. And brand new wiring for everything electrical. Run a fat power wire to a distribution block on the rear of the truck for anything that needs to be out there (lift gate, dlood lights, inverter). got a new 100 amp alternator but might convert to serp and run a 180amp.

The fromt face will look nothing like any stock ford. ditching the brick nose and running quad hella driving lamps, all hidden behind a black custom built phantom grille, easily removable. This is all for functionality, dont want sticks or deer breaking my headlights... Ok and to make it look mean. Nice 12k winch and receiver up front.
On board air, all new ac components, new ducting and stronger blower for heat as well.
COB led interior lighting. fresh limited slip rear, lockable front(this one might come later-$$$)
Just want to build it once, and build it right. Dont want to be modifying or repairing anything on this truck for at least 10 years. Might just refresh the engine with bearings rings, studs.
 
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Greg5OH

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From this website : http://www.hmmwvinscale.com/hmmwvtires.htm
i see they have a 37" load range E tire (4500 pound), in a baja and MTR version. I assume MTR is better in the snow.
Wondering the best (ie chepest) to get me some MTR militarys on beadlock wheels?

Doing the 05 conversion, ill need 4 8x170 to 8x8.5 sdapters as well, this will set the humvee tires out nicely, give the truck a nice stout look.


can i run this rim with no modifications other than the 170 to 6.5 adapter?
 
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riotwarrior

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In my opinion on tyres Greg, is that those original Good year MT with the \ /\ / pattern are old and hard long wearing rubber, however I've found that spending a few more dollars and having tyres siped at a shop pays for itself in spades and or you could get the proper drill and a stud gun and drill stud yer tyres.

Sounds like a hell of a project you are doing, don't forget...pics or it never happened
 

Greg5OH

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siping is so key.
But i think id be going with these:
Good year durawall
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1100$ shipped mounted on 24 bolt wheels. cant beat that! They look great and people rave about them.
$275 a corner for 37s mounted on 24 bolters aint bad at all.
this is from rellequip. Free shipping to a commercial dock 50 miles from your home adress (i got access to like 10).

militaryoffroadtires is 1100 as well but not mounted, and an extra 40 to ship to residential.

pics will definitely come, but not for a while, just hoarding parts so i can get it all done at once Im in my new house (with so much storage space!)

Im afraid i may have to lift the front to clear the 37s since the 91 has small wheel arches. OR i can just open them up with my grinder, the way i made "custom" rear arches when they were rotted out. Just some sheet metal, cut an arch, weld in a small hoop-done. Like i mentioned I dont care for aesthetics only functionality of this truck.

ideally id like to not lift the front any higher than the stock coil sprung 4x4 setup is, because really-thats just more money i dont want to spend when i have all the brackets and stuff here ready to go.
She will be getting a Skys rear 6" hanger drop though.
 

junk

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Before you buy rims. You might want to check on having them put the correct center in to work with the new axles. Some of those places like Trailworthyfab (I think thats the place) will put new centers in the rims for not much money. They could also play with the offset to give you what your looking for. Probably cheaper than the wheel spacers. I know I checked on wheel spacers to go the other way and it was going to be about $700 bucks. Now these were good steel spacers with all the correct lub centric vs hubcentric stuff. The newer axles and wheels are hubcentric vs the older hubs and wheels are lug centric.
 

Greg5OH

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I should look into recentering them eith a metric pattern. With the dualy hub upfront i will have alooot of scrub if i use a 2" adapter on top of that. The -7 bakspace is actually good for me woth the dually axles, i dont want to poke 2' a side.

Also buying a gallon of chassis saver gloss black for frame and conpinents, and sprayin the body with chassi saver grey, and will put a clear over that. bedline the floor, no carpet.


Some pics
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The 05 is just more massive in every sense than older units. 3.75" OD .5" axle tubes, 1550 ujoint on the dually verson, steering linkage is massive.

So far im in 700 for front axle and tcase. Need to source right side coul bucket, and left sode lockput hib, and the matching 3.73 dually rear end, might have found one out of an 04, hopefully check it out tomorrow.
 
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