So you too remember black and white TV, no remote controls and leaded gas. Ahhh the good old days. The truck is a work in progress it will never be 100% done, probably never 90%. But it's ready to wheel.

 

In those days the Wizard of Oz was a once a year event.

 

Yep would love to see what you come up with.

 

I think what you want is totally possible. I thought I'd seen a 1st gen body swapped onto an IFS frame before but cannot find the pic, maybe I'm imagining it. I know for sure people have put older rigs, like FJ40s onto IFS frames and run the IFS, so why not? If someone can swap a car body, like a camaro body onto a solid axle chassis, then this will be pretty much the same concept.

I would think the easiest and fastest way to execute this would be to do a frame swap with an IFS frame and move everything over with new mounts for your body and drivetrain. This way all your IFS mounts are already in place and you have the correct angles on everything for things like caster angles, etc. If you frame swap, sure it's a lot of work, but I think it'd be just as much work trying to adapt IFS bracketry onto the solid axle frame and get everything in perfect positioning so you can safely drive it down the road.

 

Yep the good old days. I guess we can just call it a labor of love cause why else would we do it...

Keep us updated on the project. The IFS swap!!! So common to go the other way.

 

Thanks, and who said anything about driving this on the road? Hello, 4x4, not AWD. My truck is a trailer queen at it will seldom if ever see pavement. Not really any more of a worry than getting the leaf spring brackets on straight in a SAS.

 

I've been mulling over doing an IFS conversion on my 81 for about a year now. Have most of my parts figured out.

 

Would be much easier to put a first gen cab on an ifs frame.
It's worth noting that the first gen cab is very narrow compared the trackwidth of a decent long travel setup. Be prepared to stretch your fenders if you local police are concerned with tire coverage.

 

Fender width not an issue already:

 

Yea, that will work.
The other option is you could link it front and rear and get some good coilovers and bypasses to control all that unsprung weight. I've seen a couple of solid axle trucks linked front and rear that handled pretty well at high speeds.

 

That would probably be the least cost/time to performance ratio considering you already have the axles built. Making some links isn't that difficult compared to A arms.

 

I am thinking Rory wants to do this as an experiment (just to see if it can be done) and be different

 

Oh, it can definitely be done.

 

Robb, you know me so well. Why else would I have built Triple Sticks and shifters for my A340F.

 

Frame swap / cab swap! Buy a second rig 1986+ and do the swap, the sell the second rig to pay for the project.

 

Wondered when you would show up since this is your game.
So buy an IFS truck and swap in my dual cased A340 2RZ, build all new mounts for it and then the fuel tank that I swapped sides on and don't forget the 63" Chevies setup, then rip out the stock IFS and rebuild it with all new parts and then the interior, custom console and all that fit the current truck or make an IFS unit to weld on my truck?

 

you could buy up an IFS frame/roller, chop off the front end , do the same on your SFA frame, then swap them on there with some extra reinforcement. That'd probably be route with minimal transfer of items. I'd think the IFS frame is slightly stronger due to taller box frame vs earlier gen.

here's what I'm referring to (but opposite, as this is putting SA front frame onto an 86 IFS rear frame I believe):

 

I'm familiar with cut and weld frames. Here's picks of a frame swap IFS I did, sometime back in the early 90's. Dodge Power Ram 50 frame and drivetrain.

 

Ha Ha, yeah I was kind of kidding around. Its ironic IFS guys want to swap in a live axle and now we got a live axle guy wanting to swap in IFS. I met a fellow from Ventura back in 2004, with a 1985 truck, that was wheeling with a bunch of TC guys, he told me he wanted to do the swap to IFS "Long Travel" so he could keep up.

I think how ever you go about it its going to be a lot of work. It will be something unique to see IFS under your 83.

 

Yeah, lots of work but it's really pretty simple to drop the solid axle and springs out awhile I fab and fit up the IFS. Nothing gone permanently until get the IFS welded in.
I ordered pivot parts today. This won't go quick but I'll be tinkering on it this winter.