ok i have an 87 4wd truck, the drivetrain is mechanically sound. however the rear part of the frame has some serious cancer, to the point that it was patched on near the forward spring mounts, but it is very poor condition past that, meaning in a few spots i can put a whole in it with my finger if i tried.

in thinking of a fix i come to my other truck an 88 2wd pickup. its frame is in remarkable condition, however the drivetrain is NOT,

i am curious just how feasable it would be to transfer the 4x4 drivetrain into the 2wd frame, assuming i do the work myself with the help of friends.?

if that is out of the question how about the idea of cutting the frames near the back of the cab, and then splicing the 2wd rear frame section, on to the 4wd. (transferring the 4wd axle and springs over). i have compared the 2 vehicles and the back half of the trucks look very similar, so i think this may be my best bet, short of scrapping the entire idea.

thanks for any thoughts you may have, oh and body condition is not a factor in my decision, cuz their about the same both beds are pretty bad, and both cabs are solid.

thanks again and sorry for length

 

moriarty this is jason i heard of people that did the cutting the back of the frame like you said. i noticed from parting trucks out on ebay that the frame is exactly the same behind the cab. so your idea about welding the 2wd back frame to the 4x4 front will be no problem at all. i'd cut it rite behind the crosssmember at the back of the cab. you'll want to but weld it together then weld a plate over top off the seem for extra strenght

 

i'm in the process of rebuilding a '72 jeep and ran across the same problem with the frame being rust-ridden. i was able to cut out and weld in the worst of the spots.

regardless, i was able to have the entire frame sandblasted and galvanized (dipped, not powder coated) for about $250. that included all of those forsaken mounting brackets etc. mounted on the frame. i doubt it'll rust again!

 

thanks parts dude,

that was something i wanted to hear. now all i gotta do is get all the measurements and such taken and get my buddy to clean out his shop. so i can use it for a couple days


do you know if the spring mounts are located in the same position, on both trucks? how bout shocks? my main concern is ending up with a truck that dog tracks, and the best way to do that is to keep fabrication to a minimum,

thanks again for your input

 

my buddie took his 2 wheels drive body, and put it on a 4wheels drive truck both of different years.
it worked but the electrical was a nightmare, there were different wireing looms ,and all the engine and guage stuff was horribel

 

moriarty i know the shocks are identical the way they bolt up to the frame the springs look the same to. measure the distance from where the spring bolts on at the front to the back shackle mount on the frame if thats the same they will definitly fit