I know this has probably been covered before but i am thinking of changing my 2wd to 4wd. how hard is this to do? i know i would need new drive shafts transfer case and front axle what kind of front axle would be use ifs or soldd?. is this possible?

 

it would cost too much time/money, imo. Keep the 2wd, lock the rear and see how you like it. then if not, i would just look at a different truck with 4wd from the getgo.

 

IMO I would just trade my truck for a 4x4. Easier and prolly cheaper. Just my

 

i understand that its not cost effective or easy . the truck isnt worth enough to trade in or to buy a new one. plus i like the options on my truck and the interior the new ones not as good lookin

 

Ok heres a list of stuff you would need to consider:

-Transfer case. Will a dodge transfer case bolt right on to the back of your trans or will you need a whole 4wd trans/t-case out of a donor truck?
-Drive shafts...you will need a front obviously but you will need a new rear as well because you are throwin on a transfer case.
-Front end. not sure if the 2wd and 4wd A-arms are the same let alone in the same place. You will need new spindles to support the axle shafts
or...
you can torch off your whole front end and start from scratch and do a SAS in which case you will need a whole axle, preferably one out of a 2500/3500 i think they are dana 60s. you will need a old style push/pull steering box and all the idler and pitman arms and draglinks associated with it. oh and dont forget the coils and the shock towers yatta yatta yatta etc etc...if you are lifting you might need to run a high steer set up.

-the odds and ends...you will need to cut a whole in your tranny tunnel for the t-case shifter and any wirung associated with the t-case indication lights.

All that will easily run 3 grand and twice that if you arent handy and pay a custom shop to do it.

 

I actually did this with an old chevy 2wd pickup. I bought a donor 4x4 3/4 ton Carryall that had a broken transfer coupler. I pulled the body and rebuilt the chassis and running gear. Then pulled the body and bed off the 2wd and mounted them to the rebuilt 4x4 chassis. This was actually easier than it sounds. The dodge could be done in a similar fashion, maybe using a 4x4 roll over as a donor. Using a donor bought cheap and doing all the work yourself it will still cost pretty good money to get everything working. But man you'd be able to look anyone in the eye and say "yeah, I built it myself". And when you are done you can sell off the extra parts to reclaim a little of what you spent.
Good luck...

 

pete yk and redtruck-va those where the answers i was lookin for GREAT INFO!!!! i think that throwing T-case and drive shafts then doing a new front axle might be the way to go dose dodge have electric t cases?

 

would a lift and a rear locker not be enough? im just sayin, they have really good lockers out there now. unless you are into crawling or serious mud bogs or somethin. depends on the application as to whats feasible too, I guess

 

ya that would be for what im lookin to do posibly a body lift 3in . if i did a lift on my 2wd and ever converted it to 4wd would the same lift be usable or just a waste of money,

 

just do a BL and a leveling kit, you'll only be out a few hundred bucks. the BL should work with the conversion, but the leveling kit prob. wont depening on how you did it. But, at that point you can jump on here and sell the leveling kit anyways.