2wd to 4wd conversion

[94 lngbd]

I have a 94 2WD ,4cyl,5spd,but by summer should be converted to 4WD 4.0L,5spd,1354 manual transfer case,D35 3.73 front end & 8.8 3.73 LS rear end.

What I want to know is Is there a plate in the floor that can be removed to allow for the 4wd 5 spd & manual shift transfer case shift levers?

I'm not sure but im assuming that the 4WD tranny's shifter may be in a different location then the 2WD trannys shifter

 

[bobbywalter]

frames are a bit different from 2wd to 4x4.



i suggest a jeep dana 30. in my area they are cost effective as it gets for 2wd ranger conversion.


the powertrain you want is good, the floor plate is a non issue, you can cut it up or get the one from the donor vehicle.


in you case it may be better to sell yours and get a 4x4.

 

[Will]

Yeah, sell and buy. much easier swap. it's a giant mistake to try to convert a truck into one that is already readily available. A giant mistake. You'll have to trash a vehicle to get the parts. You will spend as much money on it as you would have just buying it. You can love another truck, trust me. I'm a truck whore--I've loved them and left them all over the globe.

 

[94 lngbd]

There nothing different about the frames its just brackets that are attached to the frames that are different.
With everything I need to do the conversion plus a running 4.0L w/ 5spd its going to be a total cost of less then $600.
I got a 8.8 3.73 LS rearend from a 94 Explorer from a pull a part yard for $56, & rear leaf springs from same vehicle for $11 each side.
Front & rear driveline,U-bolts,blocks,rear sway bar,front & rear shocks,transfer case cross member & mount, transfer case skid plate,fuel tank skid plate all for $50 from a 94 4x4 off of Craigslist.
Im getting a D35 with 3.73 with all of the remaining 4wd brackets,4.0L w/5spd,all items in the engine compartment including a/c set up ,cruise control parts, Radiator & a/c condensor EVERYTHING in engine bay,plus all interior components including tilt wheel w/working cruise controls,both doors which have PW,PDL & PM for $400 which are in a 93 XLT from another person on Craigslist.
The engine has 132,000 on it but needs a water pump replaced.
The guy had a load of wood he was taking to his brothers & noticed the temp guage was getting warm ,so he pulled over & saw that the H2O pump was leaking, so he called his dad to pull him to his brothers house.
It sat there for about 6 months in a field near a small drop off when a drunk buddy of his brothers decided to ram the ranger with a 3/4 tn Chevy 4wd.
He rammed it about 4-6 times before it got pushed over the edge & went dwn about 15 ft & it was still on its tires, so the owner decided he's going to part it out.
A few weeks ago I went to a 4WD swap meet & got me a 1350 manual transfer case for $20 bucks that I offered the guy & a few days later saw a guy on C/L parting out the last year of Brc2 & he wanted $45 for a 1354 manual & I offered him $25,but he wouldnt go any lower then $30.

So you see its going to be a cheap conversion , cause i'll be doing all the work & I wont have to pay myself for my time.

I also have 86-92 comanche/cherokee finned alloy wheels that I got from 4Wd swap meet 4-5 yrs ago that had 235 GY wrangler radials on them for $40 for the set & in Dec.07 I got a set of barely used 31x10.50/15LT Yokahoma Geolander A/T tires that was on a rolled Nissan truck from a bone yard for $150, these tire didnt even have 1800 miles on them.
Now im not counting the cost of these tire & wheels being that I had already had these prior to me deciding to take on a 2wd -4wd conversion.

Between C/L, Pull-a-part yards & general bone yards & me making offers I have done very well.

I also got a 31x10.50 /15 GY Wrangler MT mounted on a nice alloy wheel for a spare with about 40% of tread left for $20 & a few yrs old never installed/unused Warn Transformer brush /grill guard for $65, fiberglass 7ft canopy with tinted windows, carpeted inside /w int. light,cab high in front & raised ceiling near back whick was 4 yrs old & still in great shape ,but wrong color for $100 & flip style stainless steel bed extender with hardware for $20 & a unused Delta hard plastic cross over bed tool box for $20 that a guy was given with a canopy purchase. This tool box is a bit narrower then the steel or aluminum ones & the gull wing lids can be un bolted & will be able to sit inside my canopy & also a 6000lb 2" receiver hitch for $40. All of these last few items was from C/L also.

So as you can see I do hunt around & make offers to better my spending.

WILL: you might be a truck whore ,but theres much more pride in a vehicle you build then in one you buy.
Trust me I have had several projects in my past & currently have a few now as well as this 4wd conversion

 

[mhughes165]

well.....no point in me trying to talk ya out of it, but as previuosly stated the front half of the frame is slightly different on 2wd and 4wd...

and, as being someone that has done this entire swap ur planning in the past(not that i minded netted me over 5k cash in labor ) it is a royal pain in the ass, and i fail to see the logic of building a truck that is readily available everywhere, i understand the love that comes from building a truck.....but the money and time u put into gettin it to where a stock 4x4 is could go into instead beefing up a 4x4 ranger and making it a more capable truck....

just my .02

There nothing different about the frames its just brackets that are attached to the frames that are different.
With everything I need to do the conversion plus a running 4.0L w/ 5spd its going to be a total cost of less then $600.
I got a 8.8 3.73 LS rearend from a 94 Explorer from a pull a part yard for $56, & rear leaf springs from same vehicle for $11 each side.
Front & rear driveline,U-bolts,blocks,rear sway bar,front & rear shocks,transfer case cross member & mount, transfer case skid plate,fuel tank skid plate all for $50 from a 94 4x4 off of Craigslist.
Im getting a D35 with 3.73 with all of the remaining 4wd brackets,4.0L w/5spd,all items in the engine compartment including a/c set up ,cruise control parts, Radiator & a/c condensor EVERYTHING in engine bay,plus all interior components including tilt wheel w/working cruise controls,both doors which have PW,PDL & PM for $400 which are in a 93 XLT from another person on Craigslist.
The engine has 132,000 on it but needs a water pump replaced.
The guy had a load of wood he was taking to his brothers & noticed the temp guage was getting warm ,so he pulled over & saw that the H2O pump was leaking, so he called his dad to pull him to his brothers house.
It sat there for about 6 months in a field near a small drop off when a drunk buddy of his brothers decided to ram the ranger with a 3/4 tn Chevy 4wd.
He rammed it about 4-6 times before it got pushed over the edge & went dwn about 15 ft & it was still on its tires, so the owner decided he's going to part it out.
A few weeks ago I went to a 4WD swap meet & got me a 1350 manual transfer case for $20 bucks that I offered the guy & a few days later saw a guy on C/L parting out the last year of Brc2 & he wanted $45 for a 1354 manual & I offered him $25,but he wouldnt go any lower then $30.

So you see its going to be a cheap conversion , cause i'll be doing all the work & I wont have to pay myself for my time.

I also have 86-92 comanche/cherokee finned alloy wheels that I got from 4Wd swap meet 4-5 yrs ago that had 235 GY wrangler radials on them for $40 for the set & in Dec.07 I got a set of barely used 31x10.50/15LT Yokahoma Geolander A/T tires that was on a rolled Nissan truck from a bone yard for $150, these tire didnt even have 1800 miles on them.
Now im not counting the cost of these tire & wheels being that I had already had these prior to me deciding to take on a 2wd -4wd conversion.

Between C/L, Pull-a-part yards & general bone yards & me making offers I have done very well.

I also got a 31x10.50 /15 GY Wrangler MT mounted on a nice alloy wheel for a spare with about 40% of tread left for $20 & a few yrs old never installed/unused Warn Transformer brush /grill guard for $65, fiberglass 7ft canopy with tinted windows, carpeted inside /w int. light,cab high in front & raised ceiling near back whick was 4 yrs old & still in great shape ,but wrong color for $100 & flip style stainless steel bed extender with hardware for $20 & a unused Delta hard plastic cross over bed tool box for $20 that a guy was given with a canopy purchase. This tool box is a bit narrower then the steel or aluminum ones & the gull wing lids can be un bolted & will be able to sit inside my canopy & also a 6000lb 2" receiver hitch for $40. All of these last few items was from C/L also.

So as you can see I do hunt around & make offers to better my spending.

WILL: you might be a truck whore ,but theres much more pride in a vehicle you build then in one you buy.
Trust me I have had several projects in my past & currently have a few now as well as this 4wd conversion

 

[bobbywalter]

There nothing different about the frames its just brackets that are attached to the frames that are different.
With everything I need to do the conversion plus a running 4.0L w/ 5spd its going to be a total cost of less then $600.
I got a 8.8 3.73 LS rearend from a 94 Explorer from a pull a part yard for $56, & rear leaf springs from same vehicle for $11 each side.
Front & rear driveline,U-bolts,blocks,rear sway bar,front & rear shocks,transfer case cross member & mount, transfer case skid plate,fuel tank skid plate all for $50 from a 94 4x4 off of Craigslist.
Im getting a D35 with 3.73 with all of the remaining 4wd brackets,4.0L w/5spd,all items in the engine compartment including a/c set up ,cruise control parts, Radiator & a/c condensor EVERYTHING in engine bay,plus all interior components including tilt wheel w/working cruise controls,both doors which have PW,PDL & PM for $400 which are in a 93 XLT from another person on Craigslist.
The engine has 132,000 on it but needs a water pump replaced.
The guy had a load of wood he was taking to his brothers & noticed the temp guage was getting warm ,so he pulled over & saw that the H2O pump was leaking, so he called his dad to pull him to his brothers house.
It sat there for about 6 months in a field near a small drop off when a drunk buddy of his brothers decided to ram the ranger with a 3/4 tn Chevy 4wd.
He rammed it about 4-6 times before it got pushed over the edge & went dwn about 15 ft & it was still on its tires, so the owner decided he's going to part it out.
A few weeks ago I went to a 4WD swap meet & got me a 1350 manual transfer case for $20 bucks that I offered the guy & a few days later saw a guy on C/L parting out the last year of Brc2 & he wanted $45 for a 1354 manual & I offered him $25,but he wouldnt go any lower then $30.

So you see its going to be a cheap conversion , cause i'll be doing all the work & I wont have to pay myself for my time.

I also have 86-92 comanche/cherokee finned alloy wheels that I got from 4Wd swap meet 4-5 yrs ago that had 235 GY wrangler radials on them for $40 for the set & in Dec.07 I got a set of barely used 31x10.50/15LT Yokahoma Geolander A/T tires that was on a rolled Nissan truck from a bone yard for $150, these tire didnt even have 1800 miles on them.
Now im not counting the cost of these tire & wheels being that I had already had these prior to me deciding to take on a 2wd -4wd conversion.

Between C/L, Pull-a-part yards & general bone yards & me making offers I have done very well.

I also got a 31x10.50 /15 GY Wrangler MT mounted on a nice alloy wheel for a spare with about 40% of tread left for $20 & a few yrs old never installed/unused Warn Transformer brush /grill guard for $65, fiberglass 7ft canopy with tinted windows, carpeted inside /w int. light,cab high in front & raised ceiling near back whick was 4 yrs old & still in great shape ,but wrong color for $100 & flip style stainless steel bed extender with hardware for $20 & a unused Delta hard plastic cross over bed tool box for $20 that a guy was given with a canopy purchase. This tool box is a bit narrower then the steel or aluminum ones & the gull wing lids can be un bolted & will be able to sit inside my canopy & also a 6000lb 2" receiver hitch for $40. All of these last few items was from C/L also.

So as you can see I do hunt around & make offers to better my spending.

WILL: you might be a truck whore ,but theres much more pride in a vehicle you build then in one you buy.
Trust me I have had several projects in my past & currently have a few now as well as this 4wd conversion

well i dont know where your going with all of that, but you just make sure you get a 4x4 k member from the yard too....probably give it to you for free, just make sure the guy that handles torches the best retrieves it for you.


as for cost effective, i can get a better product cheaper the way i listed it above. the sas 30 is better then what your doing by miles all the way around as you can incrementily build it to pound 35's with a stock 4.0 and single low range. the d35 ttb is alot more work to get it going great.


if you want to do that then you may want to follow kopycats route (joel)


the frames are different. if they are not then some assclown converted your truck to 2wd. i have heard of earlier model rangers having 4x4 k member with tib, but nothing past 91.

 

[alaskan155]

basically the 2wd coil buckets(will work though) and the engine crossmember are the only thing different on the 2wd to 4wd rangers. so just pull a crossmember out of a Bronco II 2wd/4wd, Explorer 2wd/4wd(have to get DS bracket of 4wd if 2wd crossmember off explorer/BII), or a ranger 4wd.

been debated so many times i actually looked at the rangers at the pick and pull, to compare them, as for the hole in the tranny tunnel, just get the plater for which ever tranny/transfer case setup u plan 2 use.

 

[94 lngbd]

the 93 4X4 that the engine,tranny & front end & other items are coming from will be the one I get the cross member out of & the 4wd coil buckets.

If I decide at a later date to do the SAS then I have that solved as welll being that I also have a 86 Comanche V-6 & a 88 Comanche 4.0L. The 86 has a blown tranny & the 88 needs a head gasket.

 

[Boggin]

I'm a truck whore--I've loved them and left them all over the globe.

i knows this is old, but i found it while searching for 4x4 conversion and this quote is just awesome, its gotta go in the sig

 

[94 lngbd]

I have opted to go with a dana 30 SAS from my 86 comanche truck being that is has the same gears as my 8.8 that I decided to put in from a 99 ranger with 4.10 & L/S. I sold the explorer rearend & now have the complete Dana 35 TTB front suspension up for sale at $250.This includes the radius arms & everthing from auto hubs to the pig

 

[oddball101]

94lngbd, bobbywalter,

I am wondering how the sas 30 is more advantageous than the Dana 35 for the 4wd conversion. As I am new to this forum, I am not new to building vehicles however this is my first truck and I am beginning to get the bug again. I ask because I am seriously considering the conversion myself but with a slightly different application. I have an 8.8 3.73 (explorer rear end with LSD) as well as an 86 2.3T motor I am getting ready to swap in. I have seen one other person on one of these forums that has a swap similar to this but cannot find anything bigger than minimal pieces of useful info about it.

So again, what would make the sas 30 a superior choice?

 

[feellnfroggy]

Because it is a solid axles I believe. You can get much more flex for alot cheaper with solid than with TTB. Since hes already doing a buncha custom work, he might as well SAS. The TTB limits are very short considering he's doing stock replacements basically. Its all over our boards and all the other ranger boards, SAS just hands down beats a TTB. Unless your prerunning or sumthin.

 

[Shawmen]

Current project.

I have two trucks,
1: 94 Mazda B3000 ext-cab 2x4, 3.0L AT 373 locking rearend
2: 93 Ford Ranger 4x4, 3.0L MT 373 standard rearend

Problems I have run into so far. I have both trucks down to the frame. THERE ARE DIFFERENCES. The 4x4 front shock towers are shorter 1-2". The engine cross member is larger and shaped to allow the front diff and axle. The rear is raised with axle blocks.

The biggest problem was the cross member and the shock/spring towers which are welded and rivited in. I started by grinding the rivits off. Used a plasma torch to cut the cross member out (donar frame is now scrap). Had to cut the radiator c-m and the axle c-m (both only on one side) to allow the frame to spread far enough to allow the engine c-m to be swapped out. Bolted everything back in (where the rivits were) and next is the welder, blast, and paint. Luckily I know someone with the equipment to do it.

 

[BAD MUDDER]

HELP HELP HELP !!!!!!

I have an 02 b3000 dual sport which has the torsion bar suspension. I have a buddy that is going to do an sas on his 2002 4wd explorer. am I able to bolt his drive train on to my truck with very little issues? I have looked under my truck and it looks like I have mounts on my frame for a diff. any help would be appreciated. selling the truck and buying a 4x4 isnt an option.

 

[Rose2300]