How to accomplish my goal. 4x4 conversion.

[dbhosttexas]

So in the other thread I had asking about availability of a TTB conversion. Let me back up and restate the question to get to where I want to go...

I have a 93 E250 Sportsmobile, RB11 which is a standard length 3/4 ton van. I am redoing the cabinets and using the originals as templates for replacements using Birch plywood. 3/4" Birch plywood weights 51lbs / sheet and the 3/4" MDF that Sportsmobile used factory is 80lbs a sheet. So basically I will end up with a cabinets that weigh 5/8 what Sportsmobile fitted. Of course for the weight bearing stuff there is the metal framing that will remain, so I could just as easily just go with 1/2" Sandeply which weighs 40lbs a sheet... So to put the naysayers to rest, no weight is not that big of a concern... Remember they have been doing van conversions on everything from the giant modern vans back down to the old VW Transporters of old...

My concerns here are physical dimensions and ride comfort. The majority of the time this thing will be on the highway, or travelling down maintained gravel back roads. I would VASTLY prefer a coild sprung setup. My biggest concerns off road is sand, which I want to be able to air down and have a nice WIDE patch to float on, so I am wanting to go with something like a 33x12.5/whatever tire size...

And my van is a sliding door model. So being able to fit the rear tires without having the door smash into the right rear tire is a huge question mark.

I know a couple of companies make sliding door extenders, I believe Weldtec being one of them.

Almost all of the solid axle swap kits / recommendations i Have seen basically pull the later model Super Duty alxes and swap them in, but the Sterling rear axle from a Super Duty is wider than an E Series Dana 60, and the front Dana 60 would have a different hub / wheel bolt pattern, so keeping the E series Dana 60 is going to be a problem.

So let's narrow down my requirements.

No and I mean ZERO metal fabrication on my part. I have no skill in that department. I can hire it out but want to keep that at a minimum. I AM learning with the brackets I am making for water tanks, but do NOT trust myself for anything my life would depend upon...

Comfortable ride, so coil spring suspension.

Keeps all 4 wheels same bolt pattern.

No issues with the sliding side door.

The plan here is to try to retain the E40D / rebuilt for purpose with a 4wd output assembly, bolt up the T case, honestly electronic shift preferred so I can keep the walk way between the front seats open, and use as much Ford OE available parts as possible...

I was thinking the TTB swap would be a way to keep the Ford stuff as much Ford as possible, and fit the other requirements, but no kit, no converters doing it...

From a long term ownership perspective, what is the best, most reliable way to accomplish this?

[Big_ern_101]

Seems like a bit of a rock and a hard place. There is no bolt-in 4x4 conversion for Econolines, they all require a bit of trimming, drilling, welding, and fiddling. Unfortunately thats where the "pay to play" comes in. Either get the skills to do it (community college for a year, 6 months weld and fab and 6 months mechanicing would at least get you in the ball park) or pay someone who has invested their time to earn these skills to make it work.

Couple other data points:

• Timberline for Coils
• U-Joint for Leafs
• Definitely want 2011+ Superduty axles front and rear, can always run late model Superduty rims which have the correct offset to not poke out and keep your sliding door working
• Factory superduty rims matched to your axles are load rated to what you need.
• Electronic shift is doable but is a huge pain in the dick to make work and will just add a few more zeros on to the bill. Suggest using manual shift with a detachable shift lever if you want the floor open.

Given the list of requirements laid out above, the absolute best way to accomplish this is to head to Timberline or U-Joint and write them a check for $20k and tell them what you want.

[IanF]

By TTB do you mean the older (80s-90s) F250 IFS setup?

I remember asking about that some years ago and while I don't recall the details, while it appears to be similar to the stock E-series suspension, every mounting point is different and significant cutting and welding would be required. To be honest, over the 20+ years I've casually followed 4x4 vans, I don't recall ever seeing one completed and drivable.

Basically, the old adage, "Fast-Good-Cheap; Pick two" comes to mind. If you don't have the fabrication skills your choices are either spend the time (and money) to learn those skills or pay someone to do it. There are some kits out there - UJ Offroad comes to mind - but those kits do not come cheap and still don't believe they are bolt-in affairs. Or you take your van to them and have them do the work.

[mikracer]

Isn't Ujoint a complete bolt on kit? Chris made a post or video at one point explaining his rationale for a bolt on kit being that he didn't want people to install his kit with sub-par welding skills. I think the only part that would need welding is the gas tank shortening and you can hire a welder for a few hundred bucks to do that part. UJoint has a solid reputation and will retain its value vs. a home made kit.

[dbhosttexas]

The more I dig into this, the more it is looking like a take it to a shop and have it done affair.

And I admit I am a severely odd duck here because I am running and want to stay with 4.9L I6 power. What can I say I prefer reliability over high HP numbers. Exhaust is more or less already done except for the high flow cat. needs a mild cam thinking about the Comp Cams 260H kit. Between the cam and the much higher flowing exhuast, high flow cat + Flowmaster muffler I should be good for 225HP and 340 ft/lbs while keeping a good throttle response and keeping the peak torque down low where it needs to be with that engine at around 2K rpm... So great for pulling long cruises and keeping my MPG where I need it too... But I digress.

So yeah, looks like I am going to have to pay someone to do this. I lack the skills to DIY, my biggest concern for a shop done off the shelf setup is the use of later model super duty rear end as it will be wider than the Econoline rear and I have a sliding cargo door... Combine the wider rear axle with at least 33x12.50 rubber and I will have a problem opening my side door.l