2wd to 4wd swap 1st gen?

[rab]

So I'm not saying I'm going to do it but its a possibility at this point, I'm just weighing my options.
I'm sure it's been asked before, but I didn't find much in my searching.
I'm sure most will say just go buy a 4wd to start with, but let me explain.

Ok i have an 85 2wd reg. cab short box ranger body and frame i bought a long time ago. I also recently picked up a 94 4.0 auto 4wd extend cab ranger that the trans won't go into reverse anymore and the body is super rough.
I orginally bought the 94 4wd just for the rear end and the 4.0 motor to swap it into the 85 2wd and just keep it 2wd.
I only bought the 94 for pretty much nothing.

Well this got me to thinking, maybe i should just swap the 4wd stuff to my 85 2wd frame. I'd also like to make it a 5 speed so I'd just pick up a 5 speed trans.

So are the frames the same or almost the same 85 2wd to 94 4wd? Would this be more or less a bolt in affair?

Also, did they ever make a 2nd gen (boxy style) 4.0 5 speed 4wd reg cab short box ranger? i know they didn't offer the 4.0 in the 1st gen 83-88's but iirc in 90 they started offering the 4.0?
I guess what I'm getting at is that I would like a 4.0, 4wd, 5 speed, regular cab, short box, 1st gen ranger.

 

[bobbywalter]

2wd needs 4x4 k member to use oem setup. its a bit of work but if you can weld and grind you have what you need.


ideal would be a d30 sas swap. well...easier.


and the 4.0 was in every iteration.


the 4.0 with a 5 speed manual in a light reg cab is a lil bad ass and worth the work if you like it.

 

[rab]

welding and grinding is no problem.

 

[Captain Ledd]

The easiest to go about this is to either shorten the 4x4 frame, or section the front of the 4x4 frame onto the 2wd frame. Swapping the k-member is cleaner and fancier, but probably much more difficult.

It's going to be a pain no matter which way you slice it though.

My plan eventually just boiled down to what is basically a cab swap. Believe it or not, my donor is a 4.0L, manual 5 speed, reg cab, short bed 4x4 with all the factory skid plates. kinda feel bad chopping it up, but I picked it up for cheap. It smells pretty bad on the interior... I'm keeping my current cab.

 

[rab]

The easiest to go about this is to either shorten the 4x4 frame, or section the front of the 4x4 frame onto the 2wd frame. Swapping the k-member is cleaner and fancier, but probably much more difficult.

It's going to be a pain no matter which way you slice it though.

My plan eventually just boiled down to what is basically a cab swap. Believe it or not, my donor is a 4.0L, manual 5 speed, reg cab, short bed 4x4 with all the factory skid plates. kinda feel bad chopping it up, but I picked it up for cheap. It smells pretty bad on the interior... I'm keeping my current cab.

what year truck is that?

 

[Captain Ledd]

Both my driver and the donor are 97's (convenient eh?), my toy (unapplicable in this post) is an '84.

 

[Die.Fledermaus]

Just to point out the obvious, you don't have a transmission to make that goal

 

[rab]

Just to point out the obvious, you don't have a transmission to make that goal

actually my buddy has a 97 ranger 5 speed 4wd trans i can have for probably next to nothing.