I've been saying this for a while now, and am still looking for somebody to prove me wrong. Get a Bronco for a parts truck, and you should be able to have 4X4 with no welding required. Keep your coil spriings and just swap parts. 
4x4 conversion
- Thread starter Tynian
- Start date
Tynian
Wrench Counter
So, Mel,
Your telling me that I need to find a Bronco 1, or 2 , with 4x4 already equiped, as a parts truck?
What years should I be looking for?
Im guessing that you mean that all I have to do is unbolt the 4x4 system, save the springs and bolt up to my truck?
Is this correct?
Your telling me that I need to find a Bronco 1, or 2 , with 4x4 already equiped, as a parts truck?
What years should I be looking for?
Im guessing that you mean that all I have to do is unbolt the 4x4 system, save the springs and bolt up to my truck?
Is this correct?
More or less. In doing the Moosestang, I discovered that the front of the Bronco and a 2WD F-250/350 (my parts truck was a 2WD F-350) is virtually the same. The coil springs are identical except for the diameter of the rod used to make them. They are the same height and outer diameter. The Bronco front axle is basically a Dana 44 with different knuckles. The key to the whole thing is the radius arms, and the way they bolt to the IFS and Spring pads. I don't see any reason why you couldn't unbolt the radius arms and IFS brackets from the Bronco and put them on in place of the F series 2WD hardware. After that, adding a transfer case is the easy part. The front driveshaft from the Bronco should fit right in. The Bronco has 5 lug hubs, but I'll be attempting to convert to 8 lug very soon, by swapping knuckles with an F-250 4X4, so I'll be able to tell you how that goes. Not that the 5 lug hub is having any problems carting the diesel around, I'm doing it mostly for looks and standardization of parts in my fleet.
hugeredford
snow drift buster
a problem I could see is finding dually hubs for the bronco front end and the ttb i had on an 89 f250 went through 3 sets of ball joints and a few ujoints and ttbs are complicated the good thing about a kingpin dana 60 is it's almost un breakable and nothing wears out. I thought the bronco ttb was a lighter duty axle than a 250 or 350 but the same as an f150. If you were really enginuative you could make new traction arms and keep your coils like the brand new f-series 4x4s'
ClassicIDI
Full Access Member
Just some food for thought on the five lug to eight lug conversion but I believe that some early 80's f250's 4x4's actually used dana 44 ttb front axles with eight lug hubs instead of the more common dana 50 found in many trucks.
That's correct. The Moose Truck is so equipped. Dana 44's were found on standard cab trucks, while the 50's when on extended cab and up. The Bronco front axle is the same as the Dana 44. Let's face it. It was cheaper for Ford to standardize on a given axle, then to stock many different kinds.
hugeredford
snow drift buster
Darrin Tosh
IDI Hound
Ironman03R
Full Access Member
While we're on the subject, will a D60 front axle from a SRW truck work on a dually? Can I just swap the hubs or is there something else different?
hugeredford
snow drift buster
Just swap hubs
Camarogenius
Registered User
Actually, if you don't have one yet, Prowl around ebay, and pirate4x4.com for a while. Dually front axles, are generally a few hundred cheaper than Singles, no real reason, other than it's a demand thing.
Tynian
Wrench Counter
hugeredford,
thanks for the pics, they give me some, much needed, perspective, Nice Job to.
sorry for the late response, My wife made me buy hardwood flooring for the living room and I am now in the tear-out phase.
So I think shes got her math down to a science, as follows;
for every 2 parts I buy for my truck she adds 4 honey-do parts.
for every hour I spend on my truck, think about my truck, or chat about my truck, she adds 2 hours to the honey-dos' list etc.
Well I better get back to it
thanks for the pics, they give me some, much needed, perspective, Nice Job to.
sorry for the late response, My wife made me buy hardwood flooring for the living room and I am now in the tear-out phase.
So I think shes got her math down to a science, as follows;
for every 2 parts I buy for my truck she adds 4 honey-do parts.
for every hour I spend on my truck, think about my truck, or chat about my truck, she adds 2 hours to the honey-dos' list etc.
Well I better get back to it
Last edited:
82fordtruck
Registered User
Tynian said:hugeredford,
thanks for the pics, they give me some, much needed, perspective, Nice Job to.
sorry for the late response, My wife made me buy hardwood flooring for the living room and I am now in the tear-out phase.
So I think shes got her math down to a science, as follows;
for every 2 parts I buy for my truck she adds 4 honey-do parts.
for every hour I spend on my truck, think about my truck, or chat about my truck, she adds 2 hours to the honey-dos' list etc.
Well I better get back to it
Sounds about right...wanna come help pour concrete or rewire my house?
seanpistol
Registered User
a little off topic, but man would i love to swap out my TTB for a dana 60.
Camarogenius
Registered User
One more question. I understand that this would be a labor of love, but what would it do to the value of the truck?
How about going dually?
I'm curious, since mine has less than 100k on it, so it could end up being around for awhile, especially since I'm busy fixing all the nickel and dime stuff that seems to be so annoying.
By the time I'm done with the fuel system, I should have an almost new truck!
How about going dually?
I'm curious, since mine has less than 100k on it, so it could end up being around for awhile, especially since I'm busy fixing all the nickel and dime stuff that seems to be so annoying.
By the time I'm done with the fuel system, I should have an almost new truck!
