1 reply to this topic

[greatnorth70]

I just bought a 79 ford 4 door f-30 with a 429 in it how impossible is it to make it into a 4x4 can i use the existing frame?

[jake_262]

I just bought a 79 ford 4 door f-30 with a 429 in it how impossible is it to make it into a 4x4 can i use the existing frame?

anything is possiable, and normaly I would advise anyone with 2wd who wants a 4x to sell his 2wd and buy a 4x4, buuuuuut since you have a four door.............I would say look for a four door thats allready 4x4 and if you can't find one, your going to spend allot of money unless you are mechanicly inclined and know allot about setting up 4x4's, and a torch and welder are your best freind allready. with that said you will be able to keep all your frame the same, but your going to have to find a front end, preferably from a crew cab (the crew cabs came with a dana 60 with king pin front knuckles,not ball joints) or you can go to one of the axle builders and get one especially made for your truck so you can keep your coil spring front geometry. I believe that the cross member for the engine is different on the 4x4, and if you don't get a front end especially made for your truck and find one on ebay, then you'll have to cut all the coil brackets off, make new mounts for the new leaf spring suspinsion. You'll need to figure out a whole new way to hook up the power steering, if your trucks drag link is the long diaginal that crosses the front of the suspinsion then you could have a new tierod made to steer like the 1/2 tons. now for the tranny, if you have an auto I'm not sure if you can have the stock tranny made to except a transfer case, so you would have to get a 4x4 tranny/w the transfer case, with the crossmember, and the front driveshaft, pretty much your going to need a donor truck for all the little stuff, like shifter lever, and anything else that I am forgetting. Not sure if this makes you want to keep the idea of the making your 2wd into a 4x4, and believe me I'm forgetting allot, but anyway, have fun