Is it possible to buy a donor truck, 4x4, and put everything i have on it? like put my cab and bed and motor and bumpers and tires and all that stuff just on the axles so i can have 4x4. I really want 4x4 and i dont wanna pay the 1000 or so for the conversion or whatnot. and my truck is in great condition and motor only has 100,000 miles or so.

so this way, or is there a better way to do this? anyone with experience? i really want 4x4 whats the best way to go about doing this??

 

yes, yes it is...

you'll just need to add the wiring for the transfer case actuator if the truck you get has one....

Just remember if the truck you buy is whipped...chances are the 4x4 is whipped too...

 

Easier to swap the 4x4 crap to your truck.

 

What do you mean JCMS?

 

Swap the tranny and transfer case into yours, driveshafts (needs to be the same wheelbase for the rear one to work), and the front axle. Bolts right in, you might have to cut the hole in the floor for the shifter.

 

About how hard would this be and how long would it take? Im thinking about doing this myself. Also what would i need to look for to know if the axle, transfer case, and transmision are good and working from the donor truck?

 

Nobody has an estimate of time or how to tell good from bad?

 

ive seen a lot of post like this, switch 2X to 4X, it really isnt worth it. better to sell your truck and buy one that is 4X4, by the time you switch everything and what ever can, and does, go wrong it wont be worth it. in the old day with straight axle front 4X4 and manual transfer case levers it wasnt that bad, but with all the elect and independent front 4X4 front i wouldnt chance it. hey but thats me.

 

How fast can you swap a tranny? How fast can you unbolt the front suspension and bolt in the new stuff? I would give myself 2-3 days, and I like to work slow on my stuff. More time if you have to pull the stuff from the donor truck. You can inspect for clean fluids and metal particles, turn moving parts to see if they move freely and smoothly. I've bought trannys from the junkyard, they usually know if it was good before they sell it and I've never got a bad one. But the u-pull-it places won't know but will still guarantee it. I got one that was clearly bad by the play in the main shaft, but I wanted it for parts. The one I got to use had clean fluid and was full of fluid and it's still working.

 

how is the motor connected to the tranny on these trucks? in the 4x4? is it a lot different from the way it is setup in 2x4? i know stuff about trucks and cars and stuff but not that deep into things. what i was thinking was putting my cab and bed and motor on 4x4 axles with the tranny, and then of course cut the whole for the shifter. how much would it take to modify my engine setup to be connected to a 4x4 transmission?