2wd to 4wd

[fightin irish]

sorry if I posted this in the wrong section
my friend has a 2003 2wd ranger and I want to
know if it can be converted to 4wd. the truck
needs a cab but the 4.0 has only 60k on it.
would like a dana 35 and an 8.8 what years
should I look for and also the transfer case.
thanks for your responses.

 

[Lil-Pony]

just sell it to me, ill give that 4.0 a good home
the truth is anything can be done with enough time and the right equipment. dont know about a d35 under such a new ranger, the last year with the ttb was the 97 if my memory serve me right.

 

[jrpdash9]

It would probably require the 4x4 transmission to accept the transfer case.

Do you have coils in front or the torsion bar?

 

[Captain Ledd]

is it an "EDGE" model? I'm not sure the year range for those, but they used 4x4 suspension parts (to get the 4x4 stance) but left out all the actual 4x4 parts. And that makes things a LOT easier.

but really... I'd probably find another truck (already 4x4), and swap drive-trains or engines.

4x4 swaps to get factory stuff is generally not cost effective.

I'm swapping frames on my project, but I intend to pawn off a decent 2wd truck when I'm done to help offset things. It also helped that I damn near stole my donor truck for what I paid for it.

 

[Snoranger]

Unless you have some sentimental attachment to that truck... It's not worth it.

 

[Captain Ledd]

Unless you have some sentimental attachment to that truck... It's not worth it.

Yeah, that's pretty much the truth of it.

My little Ranger was my first "truck". I still use the hell out of it, and the little 4 banger gets WAY better mileage than my 3/4 ton GMC. But the getting stuck on wet grass and traffic lights in winter has to go.

 

[BuckskinRanger]

Put a decent set of tires in it but if your considering a 4x4 swap put in a locker. You'd be impressed what they do.

 

[982WDRanger]

Hey heard you want to convert a 2wd to a 4wd...I did that. Check out my build thread to see what it ill entail. The nice thing that your 2003 will have a boxed frame in the front to make it easier to mount the things you need to make it happen.

Your best bet would be to do a SAS, in my opinion. Go with a D44 or 30, or go big and throw in a D60. Lots of options of what you want to do and how extreme you want to go. They can be very reliable DD so that is what I would do.

 

[Rangurr]

I agree with most everybody here. If you're going to do it, throw a solid underneath it. I've got an '01 2.3 that I want to make 4wd but as I'm looking at AllData for the suspension specs, it's not just changing the control arms, transmission bracket, adding torsion bars, and little things like that. The shocks mount completely differently, the control arms are completely different lengths, the front diff needs to go where the crossmember for the 2wd's is, you'll need a 4x4 trans and a transfer case. It'll be easier to throw a shiftster on your transfer case than to deal with all of the wiring (so I'm told), and that's the short list. Therefore, I'm just going to buy a real truck here soon and use the 2.3 for situations where power/wheeling is not necessary.