Converting a 1982 Econoline van to 4x4

[Jim Oaks]

I have a 1982 Ford Econoline 2WD Sportsmobile. I want to convert it to 4x4, but I'd like to use a Dana 50 TTB. All Dana 44 axles are 4-inches to short.

I'm wondering if I could swap in the engine crossmember from a 1980's F250, and the TTB mount brackets.

I don't know how the 80's econoline and F250 frame widths compare.

I did find this video:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghO5YhFezKY

That guy's using a Dana 44 TTB. My guess is he used a 2-inch spacer at the front wheels.

Wondering if anyone here has seen or have information on a swap like this.

Thanks!

 

[adsm08]

I'm not sure about frame width comparisons either, but if you want to use F-250 parts you need to watch your spring types. 2wd F-250+ trucks were coil sprung, and 4x4s were leafs in the front on the TTB years.

 

[straycat]

Every once in awhile I see a neat looking 4x4 van running around.

Here, Jim. I found some neat sites about this:


http://www.4x4conversionvans.com/

http://www.ujointoffroad.com/

http://www.glinx.com/~sbest/4vanfaq.htm

 

[Snoranger]

We have a few 4x4 Sheriffs van at work (Quigley's), they use solid axles from f350s, and run wheel spacers. It seems like the van rear axle is a little wider then the truck axle.

Quigley's cuts out quite a bit of the stock crossmember for clearance of the front diff and then plates the hell out of what's left. Fitting the 4x4 truck crossmember sounds like a much better idea.

I know a company in Canada called Clydesdale used to convert vans to TTB 4x4, but I don't know if they are still around. Try finding some pics of their conversions for ideas.

 

[Jim Oaks]

The Econoline uses coil springs, so it would seem like a Dana 44 out of a '78-'79 Bronco would work well using the Bronco's radius arms, but I don't know if the mounts for the radius arms are out far enough on the axle to fit the Econoline. Plus, I don't know how I feel about a 2-inch wheel spacer on the front.

 

[martin]

spacers on the front sounds like a recipe for major bump steer to me, not to mention bearing wear.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I sent a message to a guy in California that has done a Dana 50 TTB on a 1990 Econoline van.

We build Dana 50 4X4 conversions, by welding in new center pivot brackets on the existing van cross member - much easier to do. We have grafted in Ford cross members in Chevy frames for Twin I-Beam and Twin Traction-Beam conversions - it is more work. We have a fixture that bolts on to the cross member and gives us the location of the pivot points - once we created that, the process became pretty efficient. I know that the '90 cross member was essentially the same as the later models and that our fixture bolted right in. I don't know if an '82 cross member is the same. Beside the pivot brackets, there are a lot of modification to the cross member for differential clearance that are needed and then that all needs to be reinforces and gusseted.

There are only two pivot points - not worth fighting frame width, frame shape, motor mounts... when grafting in a F250 cross member.

I would think a 4 - 6 inch lift would help reduce the need to modify the cross member to clear the differential. If I got the Skyjacker drop brackets for the D50 TTB, I would have to figure out a way to know where to add them to the existing cross member.

 

[RangerSVT]

Jim, what about doing a body swap to a 4x4 f250 frame? Might not be what you want to do, but you could gain both 4x4 and better braking front & rear, and not be lifted very high...

SVT

 

[Jim Oaks]

Wow.

It's crazy to think that the F-250 Dana 50 front axle width is wider than a F-150 Dana 44, but the F-150 TTB beam is longer:

 

[adsm08]

We have a few 4x4 Sheriffs van at work (Quigley's), they use solid axles from f350s, and run wheel spacers. It seems like the van rear axle is a little wider then the truck axle.

Quigley's cuts out quite a bit of the stock crossmember for clearance of the front diff and then plates the hell out of what's left. Fitting the 4x4 truck crossmember sounds like a much better idea.

We get a Quigley van in every so often. We have one waiting to get picked up right now, just had to put an engine in it.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Jim, what about doing a body swap to a 4x4 f250 frame? Might not be what you want to do, but you could gain both 4x4 and better braking front & rear, and not be lifted very high...

SVT

That seems like it would be a lot of work.

I realized today that the 2wd beams on my van have king pins. How in the world do you do an alignment and adjust camber on a king pin beam???

 

[Will]

The D50 doesn't look like it would have much wheel travel compared to the D44 F150.

I don't like the idea of raising the center of gravity on a van. It's a half-ton from the 80s, which will be softer than a modern half ton. It's probably around a 6,000# GVWR. My E350 has a 9,500# GVWR and has handled a trailer with 2,000# of tongue weight, but it can still leave your butt gripping the seat cushions on certain curves on state highways. I thought about a 4x4 conversion when I first got it, but not the way we drive. I don't want more weight up high. Besides, my van has stock 32" tall tires and even without a locker does fine in the snow. It ignores anything under 8".

The advantage a van has over a pickup is it has a lot more weight on the rear axle. Putting a locker in there and adding mud tires will make it surprisingly capable. A pickup really needs 4wd because it has a great majority of its weight over the front wheels. A 2wd van is better than a 2wd pickup by far. A 4x4 van is cool, but I don't think it is that desirable if it means raising it. We thumb the cruise on at 75mph a few times a year and take half-asleep shifts at the wheel with an enormous amount of crap and human bodies strapped in everywhere. Offroad capability is much less of a concern to us--it's already a bad handling vehicle. We use it to travel. It's not ever going to be a good offroad vehicle, but it's great through floods and such, and good in snow.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I'd be content with a 2-inch suspension lift and 2-inch body lift, but I'm faced with the king pin dilemma and how to align it with a 2-inch lift.

 

[Snoranger]

That seems like it would be a lot of work.

I realized today that the 2wd beams on my van have king pins. How in the world do you do an alignment and adjust camber on a king pin beam???

Bend the beams. That's the way I had to adjust the camber on my old 2wd F350 after I lowered it. It used to be common practice on I-beam Fords.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I wonder if alignment shops will even do that anymore?