4x4 conversion costs?

Hi Gang!
The turbo has the power end covered, the old mule is pulling the 10,000 pound trailer just fine! However, when I get to our spot in the Catskills as well as in Florida I'm off road. This is the second year in a row that due to the rains and high grass in the field I was not able to pull the trailer up the hill to my spot. I had to enlist the help of a friend with four-wheel drive to get me where I needed to go... Diego needs four wheel drive! I think everything bolts in, correct? What's needed and what are the approximate cost to convert my 1990 e4od 2 wheel drive truck into 4 wheel drive? Of course I'd like to keep costs down by using his many used parts as possible...
Many thanks.

If you’re doing all the labor and replacing no used parts I’d say 1500-2000. It’s cheapest to buy a parts truck instead of piecing everything together

I'd hesitate to say everything "bolts in" as it sounds like a little bit of extra work to get the actual front springs in place. See project Jerry Thewespaul posted up.

I'd like to do the same though. I think other than mounting the front leaf springs the only other big thing would be shortening the driveshaft but that should be easier for you than me since it's easier to find a SuperCab 4x4 than a crewcab like mine lol

saburai said:

What's needed and what are the approximate cost to convert my 1990 e4od 2 wheel drive truck into 4 wheel drive?

Click to expand...

I'm not trying to discourage you, I have thought about doing this in the past with other trucks.
Honestly, you'd be ahead to buy another truck and swap over your engine. You'll be swapping out the trans and driveshafts anyway, this would save you a lot of suspension work swapping over the front axle (and the rear, or regearing the front if your donor gearing is different).
Not to mention you'll most likely need to pull a good bit of your interior to swap the floor pan if you have to.
And, if you ever sell your truck, remember, the VIN on yours will still say it's a 2 wheel drive.

I wouldn't plan on doing this without rebuilding my donor axle completely.
BUT, assuming you find a matching year truck in good shape, and as said before can use all the parts without replacing anything, you could (in theory) do it for the cost of your donor.
I also wouldn't do it if I didn't have another grand I could toss at the truck in odds and ends that become needed such as bushings, u-joints, front brakes, shocks, etc.

Thank you gentlemen! I was actually thinking that I would be better off finding another truck. Four-wheel drive, e4od, diesel, etc, swapping my engine which is a proven performer. Of course I'd probably rebuild/ freshen up the engine during the swap. While my truck now is in good shape, everything works- power windows, AC, tank valves, Etc, it does have some rust through in the cab up near the A pillar above the windshield and corresponding rust on the floor where the water has run through over the years, the floor of the bed has several rust holes in it as well which I temporarily cured with an ABS bed liner. Maybe a good plan would be to find a four-wheel drive truck with a cleaner body and swap things around... Then I would be left with a parts truck to sell...

@Dieselcrawler is the one to ask. He’s done several 4x conversions. Think it depends on what you can find for a parts truck and if you go divorced tcase or replace the trans too. Everything from the tcase back can come from a blown up gasser so it opens up the parts truck pool quite a bit.

If your truck is getting rough, it probably would be ahead to just find another truck and transplant the engine if need be though.

Thanks for all the input guys! Reading project Jerry now, awesome work as usual Wes. Here are a few pictures of what I consider the serious rot on Diego.
The roof from the outside, the roof from the inside and the door sill
Let me know what you think...

I am surprised your 2wd has some rust in it. Just wait till you start looking at 4x4 trucks. They are driven more in bad weather and they can really be rusty. I used to push snow with mine and being the first out in all the salt and slop has really taken it's toll on the frame.

Thanks man, looking at that rust I would probably find 4x4 truck to swap everything onto.

Would a locking rear axle help you any?

Thewespaul said:

Thanks man, looking at that rust I would probably find 4x4 truck to swap everything onto.

Click to expand...

Agreed. However, other than the floor of the bed, there's very little body rust and the frame is excellent.

Perhaps I could enlist my friend from Texas to locate a clean XLT 4x4 for me, commissioned of course!

https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/x4/6595031223.html
https://sanantonio.craigslist.org/ctd/d/94-ford-250-4x4-lifted/6585936878.html

How much you want to spend? Do you want to deal with a diesel conversion? Ex cab crew cab or standard cab? trans preference?