any one here ever did or know someone who converted there 2wd truck to a 4wd solid axle. Wanted to know what is needed besides the axles, trans, drive shafts, steering, and the ifs eliminator kit. or would it be easier to just convert a 4wd with ifs to solid axle.???
have heard its better to do a sas swap with a 2wd more clearance for the axles might try Pirate4x4.Com - The largest off roading website in the world. or Marlin Crawler, Inc. | Originator of Rock Crawling (since 1994)
Here are a couple of threads from pirate 87 2wd SAS build - Pirate4x4.Com Bulletin Board Project Ol' Blue 2WD SAS - Pirate4x4.Com Bulletin Board
Less cutting when you do a 2wd to SAS swap than a 4wd IFS to SAS. That's why it's more common to see swapped trucks running 2wd fenders and beds because they're originally a 2wd. Alot of half assed dudes on my rock runnin da prerunner status sas with 2wd trannys cause when going the 2wd route you need to fab up a cross member for the 4wd tranny. That IMO is the hardest part of the swap when going from 2wd to SAS is fabbing the cross member and welding mount point on your frame for it. You can buy cross members from bud built for specific applications such as this and then just have to figure out mount points on the frame for it.
if you started with ifs 4x4 vehical you would only have to sort out the front end as all the 4x4 running gear would be there in the right place, leaf spring conversion would be the easyist with coil spings requiring a little more engineering and time and knowlegde to set up correctly
yah I think doing a sas on a 2wd would require more things than if you were doing it on a 4wd. Maybe ill just find a 4wd and do an sas swap on that. Thanks for the help
i would never do an ifs swap on a 4x4 ever again, one thing to consider is you can find a 2wd for cheaper than a 4wd, id suggest buying a nice little 2wd that runs good, then go from there. also you can usually find a third gen 2wd for the same price as a 88 and older 4wd here is a little comparo for you to decide from 85-older 4wd- PROs-already has solid front axle.CONs- usually carburated, crappy 3" narrower rear end with small brakes, and rear axle housing is weak, the trucks usually are beat to hell and rusty. 86-newer 4wd-PROs-often EFI, rear axle is wider to match IFS front width, the rear brakes are bigger than the older years and the axle housing is stronger than the older. CONs-IFS, the front frame sections-clearance issues, often are at least a $1000 more than a 2wd of the same years to buy 88 and older 2wd- PROs- cheap to buy, good frame and way easier to SAS, CONs- will need to source both axles and a transfer case but that isnt hard to... in the end there is 2 ways to go about this, if you are trying to build a low slung rock crawler that is going to bve badass, then buy a 2wd or a 85 and older 4x4...if you just want a mall crawler then buy an ifs 4wd also the 2wd frames are very similar to the 85 and older 4x4 frames, ifs frames are the odd ones
Thank you. If you have never done an SAS swap before than seriously start doing your homework. Besides parts, which living on a smaller island than i do aint gonna come by cheap or easy, tool and experience inventory counts. Read up online about it, look at original 79-85 4x4 setups around and even already swapped ones for comparison, and of course check your funds. If you dont have the knowledge, funds, parts and equipment it aint gonna be a weekend weld job. Done it multiple times before since the 90's so trust me. Figure out wat you want out of a setup and wat you're gonna do with it and go from there.
yah i know a couple guys that has done this, my buddys got a 91 sas, and even a 97 taco with dana 44 under the front.I was considering doing this after college if I couldnt find an 84 or 85 toy. SO was just seeing the good and bad of doing it from a 2wd vs a 4wd.
