ok i know this may sound dumb. but im thinkin im gonna convert my 86 heavy duty 3/4 chevy truck to 4wd. im not brand new to chevy 4x4's, and im trying to think of most of the prolems before i buy my 1/2ton '76 parts truck. ive done the 6inch lift on my own 84 k5 and still have most of those parts lyin around, along with other bits and pieces from two or three or four other parts trucks. now, i can convert the '76 half ton lug pattern to match the 8 lug. ive got the steering box for the 4x4, will the 4x2 linkages work with front end? any one know about the brake situation? crossmember? driveshafts? shocks? aniwant this new combition to function as my new plow/work truck. thanks for any info!!!  

ok ive already bought my parts truck. ill have all the crossmembers and bracketry i think ill need. ive aquired the new d44 front end. now i need to know if the engine moves back further on the frame on a 4x4. does the trans tunnel need to be changed out for a taller one or can i just cut the new shifter holes? hello?? any one???  

Tunnel is fine but you will have to cut holes. I am not sure I would do this mod for a plow truck though. Also I would not even consider using the 76 front axle either unless it was rebuilt and new ball studs/joints put in it because it will be worn now and a plow will really wear it out a lot faster yet. I would consider doing a body/frame swap here I think if I did this because frame were basically the same on 1/2 and 3/4 tons and identical up front where plow is carried so you are gaining no strength in that area at all. I would pull frame from 1/2 ton, clean, repair were needed and paint it and then put it under you body and use you 3/4 ton rear axle and springs and 1/2 ton front axle (after a complete rebuild) and then put some 3/4 ton hubs on it because the axles are same except for hubs.  

well ive got no way to pull the body off the good truck(the 86'). that and the parts truck(the 76') has been picked over pretty well already. the 86 has a good strong 350 and less than 90,000 miles. im looking for someone here in the area to rebuild my 700r/208 for plow duty. i want the 700r for the lower first gear, overdrive, auto, and the 208 for the better low range. i suppose you might think the 700r needs to meet the scrap pile, but i need the overdrive. after all, it will be a work truck in the summer months. the rear end in the 86 has a locker and sf 14bolt, which i think has a thicker ring gear than the ff 14bolt.  really my plan is just burn off the front brackets, put them on in their stock local on the 86, swap the steering boxes, rebuild the front end, throw on some short lift springs (4"), try to sell a great th400, and then put it all together. im adding the lift springs so i dont have to change the crossmember under the engine mounts. the thing is..will the blow bracket mount up under a 2wd crossmember? thank for your 2 cents snoman.  

and do you know about the engine moving back on the 4wd?  

There is nothing wrong with a later model 30 input spline 700R4. I place it well above a THM350. The reason 700R4 get a bad rap is because people lift truck and run bit tires and stock gears and slow bake tranny in OD riding converter stall a lot. If they would at least lock out OD and use drive/3rd instead the tranny would hold up a lot better with wrong axle gears. The beauty of a 700R4 is that you can run 5.13's and have a lower cruise RPM in top gear than a THM350 or 400 with 3.73's and have some real stump pulling performance in 1st and second gear too!!! Over all ratio in second with 700R4 and 5.13's is nearly as deep as first with THM350 and 3.73's (8.2 to 1 vs 9.2 to 1) and overall ratio in first with 700R4 combo is 15.7 to one!!! The reason THM350 hold up longer on the swap is there is no OD gear to ride stall in and fry tranny.

As far as moving engine back, it is done to gain more clearance for front axle.  

DUDE!!! You are looking at way less time and money spent just finding a good deal on a fixer upper 4x4. You know why conversions are pretty much unheard of right?? Cause no one in their right mind would do one!! It's just to easy to find a factory 4wd truck and just use that as a base with about 1/2 the expense.... Good luck man!!  

the cab and body swap is much easier than even changing an axle, get about four buddies to help ya pack the cab off after ya unbolt it, pick it up with a tractor, or......

it is very easy to do.

the engine sits in the same spot on both 4x and 2wd's and the 4" lift won't clear the 2wd crossmember.

to swap the the diff to the 2wd your looking at a bunch of rivots that'll have to get cut and be replaced with grade 8 bolts,

one thing about this is the 2wd frame already has all the holes drilled in the frame that are needed for the 4wd spring hangers and crossmember. the cab swap is a much better idea.  

yeah i know i sound nuts, but so far ive broke even on parts cost. around here, our farmers and truck guys know what they have and want tons of money.

now, ive only had to drill two holes in the frame for the shckle hangers. that GD engine crossmember was a *** so far, other than that %#@$*$ crosmember, everthing was easy. and now i only need a rear driveshaft. so if any one knows of a 14 bolt, long bed, reg. cab, 208 truck and has the driveshaft length, let me know (counting on you snoman!) thanks!  

again, TRYIN TO SELL A GREAT 2wd TH400!!!!