2wd too 4wd straight axle leaf spring conversion

[2wdconversion]

I am starting on turning my 2wd 2000 for expedition into a 4wd straight axle leaf spring offroad truck. I will be givng info and post pics as i go along.

Any questions or comments please let me know.

 

[tonydiv]

That's a lot of fab work. Are you going to use a stock style transfer case or an Atlas?

 

[Madmaxwell87]

What axle? Gonna get a 4wd transmission or do divorce mount tcase? What springs are you using? Shackle at the rear? Gonna do it yourself or have a shop do it?

That should be a good start but Ill probably have more latter. A few people have done this using a kit that a guy used to sell but his website is down last time I checked.

 

[2wdconversion]

I am using a divorced transfer case and a front and rear end out of a 78 ford highwater 3/4 ton that is stock 6" lift and i am adding a 6" block with that. I am running 4.56 gears front and rear with a 38" ground hog tire. I have boxed in the rear part of the frame and made my own leaf spring brackets and i am not using any shackles at all.(dont like them)

 

[Madmaxwell87]

So a NP205 and a 8 lug D44 front with a D60 rear?

They are called highboy's and they were higher because of the frame design,not spring height AFAIK

A 6" block is a horrible idea unless your also putting traction bars on as the wheel hop and chance for the block to spit out are so high its unsafe to drive.

4.56's will be a little too high for 38's. Since your doing this I assume its not a DD or a highway machine so you will need 4.88's to get this thing to move,especially since the 205 doesn't have a super low low range.

As far as the shackles go you have to have a shackle on one end of the spring to let it articulate or you will ruin your springs and most of the front suspension not to mention the awful ride quality-think solid suspension

 

[2wdconversion]

The high(boy) as you call them leaf springs are a larger spring than stock. I first bought a set of stock ones but them i came accross these and they are a little bigger and do give some more lift. I am doing a 4 link set up. The blocks will not be bolted with u bolts they are going to be welded to the axle and then bolted to a plate on the bottom side of the leaf spring.

It is going to be a toy only not a daily dtiver by no means.

I am going with the dana 44 front and dana 60 rear and it is a 205 transfercase.

My brother and uncle have build multiple trucks like this and it will work for what we want. You might have heard of them if not go to facebook and look up showme mudders.

 

[Madmaxwell87]

I googled highwater and couldn't find anything so I assumed you meant highboy.

If I understand this correctly you are using springs with a 6" block in the front and a 4 link in the rear with coils?

If that's right this must be a big southern mud truck cause that's the only place that builds trucks like that. Most would probably say that's not designed right-no shackle,welded on block on the front but I know there's tons of trucks down there like that that work fine just running around in the mud.

 

[Expeditionary]

yeah sounds like a southern mud truck.... gonna be bad ass.
Where are you located, I would love to see the thing once its done

 

[2wdconversion]

I am located in marble hill, mo which is about 2 hours south of st. Louis. I am putting in the rear leaf springs and axle this weekend and there will be pics posted soon. It is one hard job but it is fun so far. The ahrdest part will be the front end.

 

[jacks3am]

if its just a mud truck by all means do blocks but if you plan on anything else like rock crawling or somthing, I would say just go with larger leafs, preferably a spring under axle to minimize axle wrap, if you go SOA get traction bars!