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I tried the search engine and came up with a lot of NAPCO results. What I'm wondering is if someone has converted an AD to 4-wheel drive using a front axle and a transfer case from a donor truck? I have a 292 that I put a '91 Chevy 5-speed behind. I also got the transfer case from the same truck. I want to put in a front axle and have a drive shaft made to have fully functional 4-wheel drive. The '91 is a driver side output shaft on the t-case, so I'm probably looking at a F$@d front axle.
Any thoughts?

Thanks, Craig

1980's Jeep Wagoneer would be about the right width, 6 lug, and driver's side drop for the front. Fullsize Ford would work too, but the tires would be quite a bit further out of the fenders.

I would go Jeep.

OK, I guess I assume that because I know the details of my project everyone else does too! It is a one ton that I swapped a dually rear axle under. So I need a 3/4 or one ton front axle. Unless I have different bolt patterns front and rear (not ideal). Did Jeep make a 3/4 ton truck? I know they made a full size for a while.

Craig

no, Jeep didnt make a 3/4T truck in the past many years.

guess you have to go Ford as the Dodge and GM are passenger side front diffs for the Dana's

You could always have one built for your application.

'94 and up Dodges are LH differentials, but they are not setup for leaf spring. You'll have to go with an older ford to get a solid axle w/leaf spring, as the later ones use the Twin Traction Beam or a coil spring solid.
If you're confident with your fabrication skills, you could build your own. On the last episode of X-Treme 4x4, Ian did just that. He started with a GM Corp. 14 bolt and a steering knuckle and mounting plate kit, I don't recall the manufacturer, but it should be lissted on their site. It converts a rear drive axle into a steer axle. Don't see why you couldn't do the same thing to swap the drop from right to left on a front drive axle.

jeep made a 3/4t j20, '78-'87 i think. and so did international. and the one of each that i had carried 3.73s

The '91 is a driver side output shaft on the t-case
so why not use a chevy front diff from the same year?

The Chevy with the drivers side drop is an IFS system, not very adaptable to the older chassis as much of the suspension geometry is built into the integral to the frame mounting.
The Jeep J 20 stopped production in '87, IH stopped in '75, both would be somewhat difficult to find, and in the case of the IH, expensive due to the rarity.
However, here is the company that makes the parts to convert any axle into a steer axle, Crane Hi Clearance. The kit uses a kingpin style knuckle, just like the HD Dana 60 front axle used in the '77-'91 K30 Chevy.

In the local salvage yard I found a late model Chevy that would work, but it is the independent front suspension (Like the '91) and I would have to graft on the frame. I would rather make spring mounts and hang a solid axle if possible.

Along those lines, will I run into trouble if I hang a solid axle from the stock leaf springs where they are on an agle - parallel to the tapered frame of an AD? I wonder about binding. My gut feeling says that this won't matter.

I have thought about getting an axle that has passenger side diff and swapping the tubes. I am a certified welder so that doesn't scare me, but setting everything up so the parts all line up properly might be tricky.

Craig

Shouldn't make any difference. The springs won't care if it's a drive axle or not.

That's what I was thinking, but wanted some back-up, I guess. I need to look at the thread on x-tream 4x4 to see what he did. I don't have satellite, so I will have to find it on the internet.

I changed my last post with a thought about swapping axle tubes. Is it really all that critical to get things lined up? I mean like the axle bearings. . .

Craig

The critical part would be getting the knuckles lined up the same, as that is what sets the alignment angles, particularly the caster setting.
You can watch the full episodes (minus commercials) here.

A local 4x4 shop guy has a big think tube with machined surfaces he uses to line up the ends on axles. If in doubt you might visit a shop that modifies axle and see how they do it.

Three things/angles to think about when assembling a front driven axle

1. Match the angles of the inner knuckles to each other, each wheel will have the same caster.
2. Figure and set the angle of the spring pads to the inner knuckles to achieve proper caster angle.
3. While at the same time setting the pinion angle (as it will be installed in the vehicle) in relation to the output shaft on the transfer case (they need to be parallel).

May want to approach them in a different order, and double check everything before committing to the setup.

It will also be important to lineup the tubes and the carrier so everything has the same centerline, will prevent binding of the moving parts.

Here's some info on setting up drivelines: http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/driveline/setup/index.html

Before deciding to build your own axle at least have a look at what the professionals have to offer.
http://www.dynatrac.com/
http://www.solidaxle.com/
Pick up an issue of Peterson's 4wheel & off-road and check the ads for more sources http://www.4wheeloffroad.com
Here's an article (a very helpful one) from Peterson's comparing different custom axles/manufacturers

Grigg

ah, the '91/ifs. i forgot

yeah, diff to find. i keep forgetting that everyone doesn't live in wv. i scrapped a pair from an ih and a front from a j. kick-kick. and that's part of why she's my ex. she just didn't understand good junk. but i did manage to save the bearing rebuild kit for the ih. maybe i'll make a windmill some day

My 53 was on a jeep wagoneer frame when we purchased it. It had a Dana 44 rear 3:73 gears and a Dana 20 3:73 gears in the front with the jeep transfer case, lock out hubs. We drove this for 2 years, went great in the snow. We went with an original frame with a mustang 11 front suspension. The previous owner did a great job of putting correct mounting points on the frame for the AD body. We had the entire jeep running gear a 360 amc that ran very well. I sold the frame and rtunning gear to a man form N Carolina who saw my add in the for sale section. He put another AD body on it. The front and rear axle were a perfect fit, wagoneer frame and drive train was from a late 60's wagoneer.

Is your dually rear axle a cab and chassis axle or a pickup bed dually axle? Basically how wide is it, wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface?

Dana 44 fronts are great because you can do a lot of swapping. You can take a Jeep or 1/2 ton axle and put Chevy 10 bolt 8 lug outers on them and make them 3" wider. Or swap out 5 and 6 lug stuff too.

To help you, we need to know how wide the rear is and how wide you want the front to be.

PS. I'm a guy who has built 100's of axles, both stock and custom width.

here's the jigging to keep things straight

http://www.mestiso.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=448

Blue Jeep,

I haven't measured the rear axle, but I don't know how important that is. . .I will probably have a flatbed on it. I am making this my "everything truck" i.e. hauling, towing, driving (hence the 5-speed) and dumping.

I want the front axle to be stock width or at least be able to tuck the wheels in the wheelwells where they belong. I'm kind of unprepared I guess because I don't even know right off hand how wide the stock front is. I know it has the dually front hubs on it.

Can you really switch the outers and use 8-lug axles on a Dana 44? I would have thought the shaft diameter and spline count would be different.

Craig

Yup, they'll swap. And as Blue Jeep stated, they'll swap with the GM 10 bolt frontend as well. I beleive the balljoint numbers are even the same, have to check on that.

Ball joints are the same, and will swap out. What is the backspacing on the wheels you're going to use? You'll likely have to either use spacers or some custom hi-steer arms if you go with normal dually front wheels, or they'll hit the OEM steering arms. I think I'd lean towards a Jeep wagoneer front axle (60" wide) and add some GM 10 bolt 8 lug outers (add 3"), and then use wheel spacers to be able to clear the steering arms on a normal dually wheel. Anything full width is going to stick way outside the fenders.

Dana 44's all have the same size shafts. There are some variations of spline count, stub shaft length, and u-joint size on some but for the most part they're swappable.

OK,
I went to the salvage yard today and found a couple of Fords with drivers side diffs. But they are 4.09 gear ratio. How tough would it be to just switch ring and pinion gears? I've never done that so I'm a little leary of it.

Do you have to switch te outers to run 8 lug axle shafts? Or can I simply slide them in?

I was also wondering about getting a '91 chevy front end (IFS) and using airbags instead of the torsion bar suspension. Just a thought. More likely to get the 3.73 gear ratio that would match my rear end too.

Craig

You'll find that the Chevy ifs will eb far more work that it's worth. The control arm mounts are integrated into the chassis, and are not on a separate crossmember like the older 2wd trucks. I beleive the frame is wider, too, so there would be lots of fabrication.

You're right. . .the frame is wider. I was thinking of a graft, but with differing frame widths I would run into a load of problems. I thought about welding a Twin I-beam set-up together, but again, more work than it's worth. I'm thinking a call to Randy's Ring & Pinion is in order to see about swapping gear ratios in a solid axle.

don't know what case you intend to use, but if it simplifies anything, i just read that gm made the np208 in both passenger and driver side hangs

Just going off what year and application the trans is, it's most likely an NP241.
One more option you could do, check out Advance Adapters. You should be able to get the proper adapter for the 5 speed to allow you to use the older passenger side drop 'cases, as i don't think any of them was used with that trans factory. If you do change the 'case, being a 1 ton truck, I would suggest the NP205. By going to the RH drop, that will open up a much broader selection of axles, as you could use pretty much any GM or Dodge leaf spring front axle.

After a weekend of thought, I think I'm going to get the Ford 3/4 ton front axle and swap the 4.09 gears for a 3.73 set. I have never done this before, but everyone has to learn somewhere and as my Father In Law says, "I'm not going to learn any younger!"

Any advice from the experts would be welcomed and appreciated! Any thoughts as to what company to use? I have seen a few advertisers in magazines, but personal experience is way better than a printed ad.

Thanks,
Craig

This book may be of help
http://www.ringpinion.com/DiffBook.aspx
It's on my wish list..

Grigg

"I'm not going to learn any younger!"
excellent

or if you want that nose dive look, have different ratios, but smaller tires on the front in order to compensate