Can i put a 4wd tans in a 2wd

[Greatestof12]

I wanna turn my 97 ford ranger into a 4wd it’s a 4 banger but i want a 4wd v8 is this possible without getting a nee truck and what all will i need to do it

 

[adsm08]

To do a 4wd you either need to do an SAS, full frame swap, or swap out the engine cross member on your existing truck. The 4x4 front axle beams won't attach to the existing 2wd mounting points.

Other than that, yeah, slap a 4wd trans in it with a t-case and some drive shafts.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Some transmissions fit better than others. Most common would probably be the 4R70W for automatic and M5ODR2 from a 97-04 4.2 V6 F-150 (better shifter placement than earlier models)

Lots of reading here:

How To Add Factory Power Doors - The Ranger Station

Original Poster: John H. AKA wvcat Difficulty: 7 out of 10 Time to install: Approximately 6-8hrs Disclaimer: Activities and vehicle modifications appearing or described at The Ranger Station and it’s pages may be potentially dangerous. We do not endorse any such activity for … Continued

www.therangerstation.com

 

[RonD]

I wanna turn my 97 ford ranger into a 4wd it’s a 4 banger but i want a 4wd v8 is this possible without getting a nee truck and what all will i need to do it

Welcome to TRS

Pretty much all 4WD trucks are built as 4WD, it starts with a different frame, re-enforced up front for the front drive train
4WD is not an "option" that is bolted on if ordered, Rangers came as 2WD or 4WD base models then you could add options to either
There are no matching holes up front between 2WD and 4WD to bolt axles to, so you have to build brackets and they have to be PERFECT, or you can't get 4 wheel alignment

If you are planing on swapping out engines, then I think you should look for a 4WD Ranger with bad engine and/or bad transmission, they can be had cheap
Or a rolled 4WD ranger and swap your 1997 Body onto that frame
That way you are starting with correct frame

SAS = Solid Axle Swap, Rangers have independent front suspension, 2WD or 4WD
Some prefer SA up front, same as the rear axle
adsm08 was suggesting you do the SAS but not as a swap, do it as a build, but you would have to re-enforce the front frame

 

[adsm08]

adsm08 was suggesting you do the SAS but not as a swap, do it as a build, but you would have to re-enforce the front frame

While putting a solid axle up front is a good bit of fab work no matter how you do it, when I did my tear down and 4x4 swap a few years ago I didn't find that much difference in terms of reinforcement up front.

If anything the 2wd body donor I used had more than my 4x4 because it came with the big tear-drop cross member that is supposed to protect the steering linkages, and my other one never had that.

The 4x4 engine cross member, despite having smaller dimensions, felt like it weighed about 10 lbs more than the 2wd one though.