From 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive?

payperboy · Post by **payperboy** » October 30, 2006, 11:37 am

I have a 66 f100 longbed was wondering how hard and what are my choices to make an easy switch from two to four wheel drive.

does anyone know what yrs are compatible with the 66. I have found a 76 f100 4x4 donor. However i donot not know if i can match frame. or am i just wasting my time.

Hoofbeat Racer · Post by **Hoofbeat Racer** » October 30, 2006, 11:54 am

Welcome to the club

Let me understand what you want to do. You have a 66 F100 2wd longbox and and a 76 F100 4x4. And you want to merge the 2 together.

This shouldn't be much of an issue. The rad support and cab mounts will be identical. Your major difference will be the 4" of extra wheel base length that your 76 chassis has. Several options would be frame shortening, box shuffling, or axle relocation.

I have done this same swap only in a 66 2wd to 76 2wd. I opted to shorten the frame simply because I live in a world where log trucks have have custom frames made every day and am confident in the work they do. You may want to consider a body lift if you are planning on keeping the stock fuel tanks from the 76 (which is recommended anyway). This should be a fairly simple swap. Keep us posted!

Mark

payperboy · Post by **payperboy** » October 30, 2006, 12:02 pm

thanks for the info that is exactly what I was looking for I was thinking of a lift but not a whole lot. Shorten the frame is a good idea.

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » October 30, 2006, 12:03 pm

not a problem. only issues involve wheelbase difference. you can either cut the 2-4 inches out of donor frame depending on year or live with the rear tires being off center in the wheelwells.i usually use a 67-72 4x4 frame as the 2" is easier to hide.easiest way is to find a 66 f100 4x4 with a wrecked or rusted out cab, then you can just bolt up with no mods.
66 f100= 129"wb
67-72= 131"
73-79= 133"
[img][albumimg]568[/albumimg][/img]

in the process of doing a 4x4 as you see. on the left is 68 f250 4x4 with 66 cab, on the right a 66 f250 which is donating engine

payperboy · Post by **payperboy** » October 30, 2006, 12:11 pm

Thanks for the wheelbase dim. The Problem i have found is that every 67-72 frame is beat to death or rusted beyond recognition. it would be much easier to use those, but I am tired of looking and want to get this project under way.

MadMaxetc · Post by **MadMaxetc** » October 30, 2006, 10:32 pm

Shortening the frame is not as big a deal as you would think. Measure thrice (3) and cut once (1) !

Some guys have bolted theres together, not sure if thats cool on a 4x4.

I would beval the edges and make a few passes and the box the fram 12" eather side of the splice.

Good Luck! These trucks look awsome as slightly lifted (6"-10") 4x4s

Slick Fan · Post by **Slick Fan** » November 4, 2006, 5:41 pm

Howdy guys, newbie here...I had to come out of lurk mode to comment on this thread.

A couple years ago, I spotted this truck for sale locally. As near as I could tell, it was swapped onto a early highboy frame...it had the closed knuckle/drum brake front end. It appears to have the 2WD style cab, front fenders & bed, but it's got the larger 4WD inner fenders, front valance/gravel pan & the battery's located below the passenger floorboard.

The swap looked really clean, but I noticed the rear axle was repositioned by drilling out the stock rivets, repositioning the spring perches on the frame, dilling new holes & bolting them to the frame with grade-8 bolts. Maybe it's different for a F100 frame?

I thought I had stored some pics of the spring perches on my pic site, but I don't see any. I'll have to see if I've got them on my home computer tonight.

Meanwhile, here's some pics of it (sorry so huge)...

Check out the cool gas door in the bedside. The filler in the cab is a dummy & was blocked off.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » November 4, 2006, 7:51 pm

Slick Fan, that's a great looking truck. I'm going to do the same gas door thing to my '71 some day.

Hoofbeat Racer · Post by **Hoofbeat Racer** » November 4, 2006, 8:58 pm

Great looking truck. A very welcome addition to the group

Mark

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » November 5, 2006, 12:48 am

very nice looking truck.that cab style bolts directly to the highboys with very little work, that is either a 65-66 2wd f100/250 or 66 f100 4x4 cab.
moving the spring shackles forward is another way to get around the wheelbase, but then you also have to shorten the driveshaft too.

Slick Fan · Post by **Slick Fan** » November 5, 2006, 11:21 am

ICEMAN6166 wrote: moving the spring shackles forward is another way to get around the wheelbase, but then you also have to shorten the driveshaft too.

I agree, but it's easier to do that than to shorten the frame.

Well, I thought I had a pic of the frame perch job, but I don't.

Instead, I have pics of the funky power steering box...the pitman shaft goes through the frame, not really the strongest way to go, in my book. I think I would have at least welded in a thick brace of some sort.
Smaller pics this time.

I would have also used re-arched springs, instead of the big blocks...

But maybe the big ladder bars help with that.

Damn, I need to make one of these!! Looks great, huh?

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » November 5, 2006, 1:16 pm

the pittman arm is scary
steering box is 66 f100 4x4
the blocks in the rear are factory
ladder bars only help prevent axle hop
notice the proper orientation of the gearbox, pittman arm outside the frame f100 4x4
[img][albumimg]903[/albumimg]
[/img]
f250 4x4 68- gearbox with hole for pittman in frame rail, factory

[img][albumimg]568[/albumimg][/img]

installation of 61-66 f350 or up cab on highboy frame, modification of firewall for column
[img][albumimg]564[/albumimg][/img]

six-two · Post by **six-two** » November 5, 2006, 1:17 pm

Nice truck, the paint is killer.

Slick Fan · Post by **Slick Fan** » November 6, 2006, 12:39 am

I like that paint color too!

ICEMAN6166 wrote:the pittman arm is scary
steering box is 66 f100 4x4
the blocks in the rear are factory
ladder bars only help prevent axle hop
notice the proper orientation of the gearbox, pittman arm outside the frame f100 4x4

Actually, that steering box is a power steering unit. There's lines going in the top, just in front of the steering joint. I'm guessing it's maybe GM flavored?

Yeah, the upper axle blocks are factory (with the little arms poking out to hit the frame stop)...it's the ones between those & the axle that make me a little queasy. That whole 'stacking' thing, I just dunno...

Bills 66 · Post by **Bills 66** » November 9, 2006, 11:09 pm

How did you get the ladder bars to work in the same arc as the springs? They are usually installed on leaf spring cars with floaters. The floaters allow the axle to slide back and forth on the springs to compensate for the difference in arcs.
Bill

Slick Fan · Post by **Slick Fan** » November 10, 2006, 11:51 am

Bills 66 wrote:How did you get the ladder bars to work in the same arc as the springs? They are usually installed on leaf spring cars with floaters. The floaters allow the axle to slide back and forth on the springs to compensate for the difference in arcs.
Bill

It's not actually my truck, just one I spotted for sale & simply had to return with my camera.

You're right though, I hadn't thought about that. I would think that with the suspension being nice-n-stiff, it wouldn't move much...but it would still move some & that means something's gotta give.

I bet the next owner got to deal with broken parts.

From 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive?

From 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive?

nice....