Two wheel drive to 4x4 conversion.

[mkbrower]

Hi all, I know this topic comes up from time to time and I have read through threads advising owners to cut their loss and just buy a 4x4 instead. What’s the fun in that! I bought a 2003 ram 1500 from a co worker who lost a valve spring and destroyed his 5.7 Hemi engine. I got it for a great price and decided to make it a project.

I am going to rebuild this truck and along the way do a 4x4 conversion and document everything here on this forum for anyone who would rather drive something they build instead of something they buy.

 

[mkbrower]

The first question that always comes up “can I convert my two wheel drive frame to a four wheel drive frame” it was my first question and one I have seen on numerous threads. The answer is no unless you are going completely custom and using a live axle like the 2500 instead of the IFS suspension on the 1500.

If that is your desire, good luck with your build and I hope everything works out for you.

This will be a stock build with no custom frame work.

Because I had nothing to start my conversion I looked at salvage yards for a rolling 4x4 chassis with all running gear intact minus the engine. I sent the above photo to salvage yards within 150 miles of home but ended up finding exactly what I was looking for on Facebook market place. Well almost, what I found was a 4.7 frame and running gear.

Got everything for $750

When looking for a donor, try to find one that has the manual range selected transfer case. It will make the conversion much easier.

 

[mkbrower]

The first thing I did was take pictures of everything, I took about 35 photos of every detail and from different angles. Pictures are your friend when it comes to to re assembly. Next I stripped the frame of everything that wasn’t welded on and pressure washed every nook and cranny I could get the wand into. Where I could not get the nozzle I scrubbed by hand.


I then sprayed the whole frame with chassis saver satin black.

 

[mkbrower]

Rear axle removed and ready to be cleaned and painted before installation. There is a slight difference between the two axles but this one should work just fine. It’s the same ratio as my new front differential. I was lucky, the rear axle from my two wheel drive truck was a limited slip and the one that came with my 4x4 frame was an open differential so guess which one I’m going with.

 

[mkbrower]

I stripped the rear axle housing of all brake hardware and lines and painted with the same chassis painting painted my frame. My goal is to get the frame rolling again so in th next week or so I will be rebuilding the front end as well as installing the rear axle.

 

[mkbrower]

Time for reasembly! Installed the leaf springs and rear axles. Pretty straight forward. Nothing difficult about it. The leaf springs are interchangeable but install with the spring clips forward of the axle. There are alignment pins on the bottom of the leafs that fit into holes in the axle mounting pads. Not hard to align. Just make sure axle pads and leaf springs are flushed with each other before tightening the U bolts.

 

[Rado]

Very cool ! Thanks for posting so technically challenged people like me can enjoy you build . I will never do this but am amazed of the talent people like you have I just enjoy seeing how it is all done ! Will be following your progress Good luck

 

[mkbrower]

Thank you and Thank you for your service!

 

[mkbrower]

I installed the emergency brake cables today. Nothing challenging here. Slip the end of the cable through the round hole on the brake actuating arm and slip the white clip through the hole in the mounting tab. The white clip has tabs that lock it into the hole.
Make sure the brake cables are routed under the leaf springs. The silver bracket will attach cable to shock mounting bracket. This is the right side with cable forward of the axle.

Here are the two cables running down the left side of the frame. The longer right brake cable is on top and the shorter left brake cable is on the bottom. Notice the white tab on the bottom cable is clipped into the frame bracket while the top cable is just slipped through.


Make sure to run the two cables through this cable holder on left side frame just forward of axle.


Just another picture showing cable routed through the left side frame rail.

 

[mkbrower]

This is the rig that connects the two brake cables together and is how the cables are adjusted. They will be attached to the cable coming from the truck body.


A picture of the right brake cable attached to shock mount. There is a alignment tab that slips into a slot in the shock mount to help with the bracket orientation.

 

[mkbrower]

Moderators, please move this thread to DIY. I posted here by mistake

 

[mkbrower]

Got the rear brake lines run and all the brackets put back. So far nothing difficult at all.

 

[mkbrower]

New rotors came in today. Looks like I’ll be installing the brakes soon.

 

[22hemi13]

Man this is cool. Can’t wait for more