i used to put around 400/500lbs of steel in the bed of my f-150 2wd, along with some aggressive tires makes a world of difference in the snow in northeast PA.
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I say if you are going to do it, def put a straight axle in, i think that will be easier to
fab in, than trying to fab up an independant setup.
For the IFS you have to fab the cross member, (unless the 4x4, and 4x2 cross member are the same) lower a arm mounts, upper a arms, torsion bar mounts, and assembly, shocks, driveshaft, rack and pinion and build it close to stock specs.
or like Traker1001 said go 2006+
then youd have to fab the cross member, (unless the 4x4, and 4x2 cross member are the same) fab lower a arm mounts, fab strut mount , figure out the rack and pinion setup and assembly, shocks, driveshaft,
Straight axle, you should basically do a 4 link(although i believe factory uses a 5 link setup)with coilovers, or coil springs (Like Stock) change the steering box, and fab the crossover steering, panhard bar, driveshaft, and if it were me id go find a 2500-3500 4x4 truck and take all the factoy measurements, and build it to factory specs, make the upper and lower links the same as factory lengths..
Alot of work either way, and prolly $3k to $5k depending on how you do it, and were you get the parts..
if you want an easier route you could put an lsd in so that both back tires would work for you instead of just one and put some AT or MT to help with traction and you should be fine for the select amount of snow you get but if you do go with conversion +1 on the SFA they are much better to put in good luck man
I already got the LSD in it. doesn't help when both rear tires are sitting on ice, or stuck in the mud.
oh, and i do plan on getting some A/T or M/T tires when i need new tires. it came w/ the basic, cheap, street truck tires. Haven't needed to change them yet.
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03 Ram 5.7 HEMI cold air intake, Cat Back Dual exhaust
95 Neon with all the fixins minus the Turbo
12.5:1 Compression N/A Tuned
I think 4WD is really overrated (yet I have never owned a 2WD pickup). Good Tires, a limited slip differential, and weight over the rear axle should be enough to handle anything less than a blizzard. Tire chains are good insurance, too.
Converting a 2WD to a 4WD sounds like a nightmare to me (I'm not as mechanically-inclined as some of you folks are.)
In my former life, I patrolled two mountain passes and never had a 4WD patrol vehicle. I probably chained up three or four times. The best snow car I ever had was a 2002 Ford CVPI. Most of the rollover crashes I investigated involved 4X4 SUVs.
Experience at driving on snow and ice is your most important asset (and I do realize it seldom snows in Georgia).
Off road is another matter; I have pushed the snow with my front bumper before.
i say keep the truck for now since we're already almost to spring and then worry about it in late summer to early fall, that way you have all that time to think about what you want to do
im all for the swap, if you got the tools and the time, plus the budget this is an easy swap(ok easy for me, maybe not for everyone else). dont forget you also need a t-case, 4wd transmission tailshaft assy to mate up to your new t-case. now how are you goin to shift your t-case, manually or eletronic. the manual version would be easier only because you dont the need the controller and harnesses or swithches, etc and for the logics other wise your new install would allow shifting into 4wd and 4lo at will and some serious damage might be done. easiest way to go would be to find a wrecked donor truck and swipe what you need. you also may need a new ecm/pcm, most vehicles have alternate fuel maps for when the truck is in 4wd and another set for when its in 4lo.
it all depends on what you want the finished product to be, how finished do you want it to look and behave, the closer to oem pretty the more coin and time its goin to take.
I agree with galvatron. A new transfer case is in order. Also, you should pm "ce2flaco." He did a solid axle swap on his truck a while ago. His truck was in one of the offroad mags. I would also like to help if I were close enough. Have fun, take pics, and do a 30 page write up for the DIY section.
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03 QC 1500 Ram 4x4 5.7 V8
K&N CAI 37x13.5x18 FC-II 18" Procomp 1059
Magnaflow Dual Exhaust 3" P.A. Body Lift
146,000 plus miles and still running strong!
