1969 2wd to 4wd conversion questions

[averagef250]

Averagef250,do you have any pics of your frame on this site?If not,can you post a few with some info on it.

Thanks,John

John,
My '70 is a big disassembled project and likely will be for a couple more years while I have to put time into bigger priorities. The original frame was heavily modified by me in my younger years and the original Willock joint had an 18" crack through one of it's welds. I removed the joint to preserve it as-is and currently have the truck on a stock highboy frame to keep it mobile. The Willock swivel joint is two crossmembers made from 1/4" plate with tubes welded in and machined to accept bronze bushings. The shaft is 4" 4140 with a 2" hole bored through the center for the brake lines, park brake and electrical to pass through. The shaft is threaded with split locking collars on each end for adjustment. The crossmembers are plumbed for external zerk fittings. My joint was sloppy because one long zerk broke off deep inside and I couldn't get it out (broke before I got the truck). One side of the joint never got grease for the time I drove it.

The only, singular aspect of the swivel joint I did not like is that it lacks any provision to lock it out. You honestly do not notice the joint in the truck's handling on the road whatsoever, but you sure as hell do notice the joint when you put hundreds of hours into body and paint and the bed doesn't line up with the cab when you park in a parking lot 50% of the time. I also didn't like that the joint required an extra inch between the cab and bed so the bed could rotate without hitting the cab. I designed a replacement joint with a crivic coupling type locking mechanism and lubrication system so the swivel won't wear out like the original. It will also extend 1" when it's allowed to swivel so the bed won't hit the cab, yet it will look stock when I'm not using it. Of coarse I have to actually machine the new swivel joint and assemble the rest of the truck. In a couple years the pieces will start finally coming together.

Here's a video a civilian powerwagon with a Willock joint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I2myOXCTkY

I have been told by several people over the years that there were 3 of these 1970 300 six F-250 4x4's modified by Willock for Pacific Power in 1969. I have never heard mention of what happened to the other two, sure would love to find that out.

[Superjunk]

Hey,thanks for the info.Sounds like a pretty rare truck.

[67-7THREE]

i converted my 2wd 67 to 4x4. its definitely doable. but i didnt really like the way it turned out so now im doing a frame off build with a highboy frame.

[fordguy_78]

Just saw this wile looking for something else.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/ford/789 ... begun.html

[caseyj10]

Fordguy how does the rear springs up front compare to the twin Ibeams front with no sway bar? Do you run a sway bar? My truck already sucks cornering.

[fordguy_78]

It could have used a sway bar, boat loads of lean is a good description. Although it never really felt unstable in a panic situation.

[caseyj10]

I bought another d44. this one is out of a 1979 bronco or f150. its coil sprung with radius arms. yall know if the radius arms will bolt up to the stock 2wd radius arm mounts? I know they will have to be moved back on the frame. also yall know if bronco coil springs will work in the stock coil buckets? if the buckets and mounts work im going to put the 3/4 ton knuckles on the axel and run with it.

[trickf100]

Don't know if this will help you or not but I recently converted my 72 f250 to 4x4 using the stock frame with a 78 f150 4x4 donor truck. What I did was cut the factory 4x4 cross member out of the 4x4 frame and welded it in to the 4x2 frame after removing all of the 2 wheel drive suspension and cross members. I even used the inner frame brace for the factory 4x4 steering box. Essentially everything suspension/steering wise from the transfer case forward was removed/cut out of the 4x4 frame and placed in the same location on the 4x2 frame. No frame grafting and it looks 100% stock and the frame retains the vin stamping that matches the cab and title. And I can get replacement parts easily from any parts place. I used the stock f250 rear end (disc brake swapped) with 3 inch lift blocks and converted the dana 44 to disc brake 8 lug using a junk yard 10 bolt Chevy diff. It was quite a bit of work and you need to have a decent welder to accomplish it but it is very doable.

[robwymer]

Casey,

Looks like you have a pretty sweet truck. Would it be possible to do a frame swap and then sell/dispose of remaining parts to avoid taking up additional space?

Seeing the pictures of the Broncos makes me think along the same lines as trickf100...I started searching to see if anyone had attempted to mount a fullsize Bronco front suspension and axle onto a bumpside frame, but couldn't find anything. I was considering this on a 2wd bumpside crewcab as dentside crewcab 4X4s aren't much less sought after than their bumpside counterparts.

Good luck with your build!

Rob

[robwymer]

I asked this question over in the suspension forum. I thought I would post the same question here in your thread not to hijack your thread, but to try to get us both answers without beginning a redundant thread. Long story short, I wonder if it would be feasible to bolt a coil sprung F150 or fullsize Bronco 4X4 suspension and front axle to a 2wd bump. Or, what about a 1988, 1989, etc Chevy 4X4 IFS front axle?

Reasoning for this way of thinking below. Is this in the ballpark of what you're wondering too?

...........................................

Okay, I know this topic comes up again and again, but the usual suggestion, and probably the easiest suggestion would be a body swap onto a 1973-1979 4x4 frame. There are numerous well-known advantages to this, and if the owner wants a flatbed, then wheelbase difference is a non-issue.

Now I've owned a few tall trucks: a 1972 K-5 Blazer with 35" BFGs, a stock 1979 F250 Supercab 4X4 (Highboy? with full floater Dana 60s), a 1978 Bronco with 33" Kellys, and my current is the biggest one of all - a 2005 F350 SRW Crewcab FX4 with a Bulletproofed and tuned PS 6.0. But at 41 years old I wouldn't mind a good looking (rules out Chevy) 4X4 crewcab that isn't a foot taller than I am, and I'm 6'2".

I don't need a 4X4 as low as my stepside F100 in my sig, but maybe a 4X4 with a ride height similar to a 1980s 4X4 F150 or a 1989 IFS Chevy 2500. With this in mind, these days my mind constantly drifts on about the possibilities of bolting on an F150 4X4 front end to a 2wd bumpside, or even a Chevy IFS 4X4 setup - but I'm not talking about fusing two chassis together!

Thoughts? Okay...opinions?

[fordguy_78]

why not just but the bump cab on an 80-96 f150 frame? Its not that difficult and would be easier than adapting the ttb to the bump frame.

[robwymer]

Fordguy,

I''m looking for bumpside crewcab options. Might be worth looking into with an F150 Supercab 4X4 longbed though. What all would be involved in mounting a bumpside body onto a post-1980 frame?


Rob

[robwymer]

Alright, most of you guys probably already know this, but a crewcab on a supercab frame probably wouldn't work. All of the Supercab frames I've seen have a considerable rise in the frame immediately behind the rear of the cab.

But I'm still curious about the feasibility of mounting a bumpside cab on a generation 7, 8, or 9 frame like fordguy suggested.

[sargentrs]

Idk about 4x4 but here's a body swap to a 2002 frame http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... &sk=t&sd=a

[robwymer]

[quote="sargentrs"]Idk about 4x4 but here's a body swap to a 2002 frame http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... &sk=t&sd=a[/quote]


Yeah, that's the build thread that keeps me thinking a late model frame is an option. So I guess the question is: Are there any major frame differences between the newer 2wd and 4wd frames?