well..i tryed a search and couldnt find anything...

anyone have any info or can lead me to some info on converting a 72 2wd Chevy Pick-up to a 4wd? Looking to put in a 60, and run 39.5 boggers...

thanks guys

You have email

A 72 2WD to 4X4 will take a lot of work. I`m doing that to a 72 shortbed rite now. Is your frame coil or leaf? Also where the parking brake cable goes thru the frame will need to be plated shut for spring hangers. Any other questions just ask. Good Luck:beer: :eek:
Later Willis

Yes its aaaalllllllloooooootttttt of work... I just converted an 85 C30 2wd to K30 4wd and its taken me almost 3 months of weekend and evening work... a friend of mine took a mid 70s frame and suspension and set his 69 chevy on it for a 4wd conversion which worked out pretty good w/ the exception that he needed to move the rear axle forward about and inch or 1.5 to center the axle in the wheel well... reason being the 69 long bed measured a bit differant than the 70 something chassis.. as for the conversion from 2wd to 4wd... I would start w/ a truck w/ rear leaf springs... most GMCs had leafs instead of trailing arms this the leaf spring frames are already set up for the rear suspension part of the swap... the front is another nightmare in its self.... I went fishing at the local scrap yard untill I scored a 3/4 ton suburban 4wd that I torched the frame rail just in back of the (rear) spring hanger of the front axle.. thus I got the whole front end frame assembly, brackets, springs, axle, str box, centerlink, sway bar, etc... then when putting it together I found that the frame height in the front end where the engine cradle is turned out to be shorter on the 2wd than on the 4wd thus the 4wd engine mounts woulndt just bolt in...... thus out came the chop torch and welder,,,,, as long as the distance between the motor mount bolts cross ways and front to back are good, fabricate them and bolt em in... I ended up taking about 3/4 of an inch off the height of the bracket and capping it to be bolted in. the rest of the stuff pretty much bolted in... the front radiator support mounts had to be lined up and hold had to be bored... as well as the holes in the down slope of the frame for the rear spring hangers of the front axle... I personally would not do this to a truck that I intended to really wreck havoc off road... the 2wd frame has a lot more holes in it from the factory thus leading to poss, cracking later on... Mine is a hauler and is used on back roads and forest service roads..I converted mine only because it was what I had on hand, and mainly cause my friend said it coudnt be done.... "hey yall watch this" Good luck w/ it,,,, and hey,,, if your like me you dont care how it turns out, but that you had a lot of fun and learned alot in the build process.

I am also curious about this. Scored a 69 C20 with the coil rear for cheap.
Just wanted to originally drive it, but the 4wd's sure are cool..........:D
Aaron

Find a rusted out junked bodied 72 4WD chevy and slap your body on it. The mounts are the same from 2WD to 4WD (body mounts only).

There is a lot of work involved, so unless you have a torch, welder, and fab skilz stay away. Its not just a bolt in walk in the park affair.

If this were an International this would be different, but who'd want one of those things anyway:rolleyes:

x2

too much work, not worth it. just find a 4x4.

Arron C.... or anyone else considering the Coil spring rear on the C20s for a 4wd conversion..... My uncle has a 70 C20 w/ the coil springs... they bunnyhop really bad in sand and other loose terrian.. Not to mention they suck to lift for any height at all, unless totally reworked into a 4 link of somesort or fabbed into leafs. also the expense and fab skills that it takes to convert them to Leafs is un realistic... if you really want to do the 2wd to 4wd converstion then find a leaf spring chevy or ( more common in the GMCs.) be prepared to spend some major money and fabrication way beyond the basic backyard mig gun and pocket torch.. even when your done you will not have the 4wd that you think you will.... My C30 to K30 converstion just surprised me tonite by requiring rear lift, either by blocks or springs, and were talking stock height for the front.... just that 2wd sits lower in the rear than 4wd... just a word of warning... you had better have a few years of fab and Johny Cash Cadilaccing under your belt, not to mention not needing this potential convertion peice for a really long amount of time.

You have mail

I know everyone says it's a lot of work but just how much? I was lookung at one two days ago and considering it myself.May even be simpler to just run some coils and 4 link but it could be fab'd up. I think you could run leaves without much problem,but I haven't tried it yet so I don't know.

I will keeping the tub! The 4x4 frame is still available.
Dan

Arron C.... or anyone else considering the Coil spring rear on the C20s for a 4wd conversion..... My uncle has a 70 C20 w/ the coil springs... they bunnyhop really bad in sand and other loose terrian.. Not to mention they suck to lift for any height at all, unless totally reworked into a 4 link of somesort or fabbed into leafs. also the expense and fab skills that it takes to convert them to Leafs is un realistic... if you really want to do the 2wd to 4wd converstion then find a leaf spring chevy or ( more common in the GMCs.) be prepared to spend some major money and fabrication way beyond the basic backyard mig gun and pocket torch.. even when your done you will not have the 4wd that you think you will.... My C30 to K30 converstion just surprised me tonite by requiring rear lift, either by blocks or springs, and were talking stock height for the front.... just that 2wd sits lower in the rear than 4wd... just a word of warning... you had better have a few years of fab and Johny Cash Cadilaccing under your belt, not to mention not needing this potential convertion peice for a really long amount of time.
There is a 4" difference in height in 2WD to 4X4 rear spring, front hangers. Also 4X4 and 2WD leaf spring frames are different at the rear spring area to. 4X4 frames are parallel under the bed area, 2WD leaf are the same as coil spring. This is the part I`m working on now on my 72 frame.
Later Willis