I picked up a 2003 front axle yesterday and the front half of an 04 frame yesterday with springs and all the hardware attached. I will be starting the swap today. I will be taking pictures as I go and will post them up. The transfercase will be added a little later when my wallet heals up a bit.:fordoval:
04 2wd to 4wd Conversion underway.
- Thread starter Dzlnut
- Start date
Done with the suspension for the most part. I still have to put the front sway bar on, the small links are bent so I will have to fix them. Side note, every bolt hole was on the frame and I never drilled a single one. Every fastener is correct for the part as I had the spare frame. Not a bad job, I started at about 3pm and finished at 10:20pm. Still gotta add the T-Case to my tranny and score a front drive line and also front section of the rear drive line. My wallet needs to heal a bit though and the tough part is done.
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TrailerHauler
Active member
Looks all to familiar! Definitely not as bad of a job as it would seem to be. I think my swap took about 1/2 to 3/4 of a day as well. I gotta thank Ford for leaving all the holes in the frame to make it possible to! 
I also ended up running my 2wd tranny for about a year with the axle under the front end. About two weeks ago I was finally able to get a t case under the truck to completely finish up the 4x4 swap!
Great job with it by the way! Also did you end up switching out your pitment arm on the steering box for a 4x4 one? That was the one thing I would've missed if it weren't for someone before me figuring out that they are different.
I also ended up running my 2wd tranny for about a year with the axle under the front end. About two weeks ago I was finally able to get a t case under the truck to completely finish up the 4x4 swap!
Great job with it by the way! Also did you end up switching out your pitment arm on the steering box for a 4x4 one? That was the one thing I would've missed if it weren't for someone before me figuring out that they are different.
02POWERSTROKE7.3
New member
Im looking into doing this, are you guys using a electronic or manual transfer case?
Looks all to familiar! Definitely not as bad of a job as it would seem to be. I think my swap took about 1/2 to 3/4 of a day as well. I gotta thank Ford for leaving all the holes in the frame to make it possible to!
I also ended up running my 2wd tranny for about a year with the axle under the front end. About two weeks ago I was finally able to get a t case under the truck to completely finish up the 4x4 swap!
Great job with it by the way! Also did you end up switching out your pitment arm on the steering box for a 4x4 one? That was the one thing I would've missed if it weren't for someone before me figuring out that they are different.
I had to swap the pitman arm other wise I think it would have hit the trac bar mount. I didn't try it first, I just swapped it. You have any info or pictures of your transfer case install, any of the 2wd 5r110 tranny modifications?
I plan to add a manual transfer case. The hole in the floor is there, it just has a cover over it.
patrickke
New member
About how much is this conversion costing you?
TrailerHauler
Active member
I swapped mine without trying it first as well.
I'm running a zf6 which is a bit different, I would've had to swap out my output shaft, and the rear case on the 2wd zf6 and I couldn't find either parts. I think you have to do the same with a 2wd 5r110, you might be better off just getting an entire 4x4 5r110. I finally found an entire 4x4 zf6 and swapped out the whole trans. I do have a couple pictures of my tranny swap though.
:whs: I went with a manual tcase and just popped out the panel in the floor and cut away the carpet.
I ended up with about $1000 into everything to put the dana 60 under the front of the truck (leaf hangers, shackles, leaf springs, trac bar/ mount, and a complete axle). And about $2000 for a 4x4 zf6 transmission with driveshafts to compensate for the different length of the trans.
The next two pictures are the hole in the floor that gets knocked out for a manual tcase.
stonepusher
New member
To convert the 2wd drive 5r to a 4wd you need a 4wd tail shaft, the 4wd tailshaft housing bolts right up too the 2wd trans. When I converted mine I never pulled the trans, just pulled the 2wd housing and shaft out and bolted the 4wd housing and shaft in and bolted the tcase on. Check my thread for pics
stonepusher
New member
stonepusher
New member
Dang......maybe mine was different bc its a single cab long bed. :shrug:
TrailerHauler
Active member
That looks like the flange to mount a tcase to. Maybe all you need is a tcase and an output shaft for the tranny.
I dont even think I need an out put, I looked at some trannys on ebay and the shaft has a hole in the end where the 2wd flange bolts on. It looked like the 4wd trannys had the same hole, I'm guessing Ford must have made them the same to cut cost?? Won't know for sure till I go to bolt the t-case on.
stonepusher
New member
I am pretty sure you already have the 4wd tail shaft in there, the 2wd tail shaft housing is a slip yoke and you clearly dont have that, to me it looks like you will be able to bolt the t-case on and get the driveshaft shortend and be ready to rock!
That is what I'm hoping!!
