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Ford E-Series 4wd Conversion 1976-91
The Ford van is the perfect vehicle to convert to 4wd. Factory Ford 4x4 pick up front axles have a left hand offset, which is ideal for a van. The Ford E-series van engine and drive train are offset to the right, so the left hand offset pick up axle can take advantage of the additional clearance.
Front Axles
The Dana 44 front axle is the most common axle used in a E-150 or E-250 4x4 conversion. But there are only a few years where Ford used an axle that would work in a van. The Ford trucks from the early to mid 1970's used drum brakes and had closed steering knuckles. Both those attributes are inappropriate for a 4x4 van conversion. After 1980, all the trucks with a Dana 44 were built with IFS (independent front suspension) front suspension. So that leaves 1978-79 Ford pickups as the best choice.
The F-150 and Bronco used a radius arm/ coil spring front suspension. If thats what you want, buy everything related to the suspension when you buy the axle. (We will be focusing on the leaf spring style suspension in this editorial). To find a Dana 44 that is set up for leaf springs, you need to find a 1978-79 Ford F-250LD. The light duty Dana 44 in an F-250 can be converted over to the Ford 1978-79 F-150 or Bronco 5-lug wheel ends. Or you can leave it 8 lug.
The Dana 60 is also available in the 1978-79 F-250HD and F-350 4x4 trucks. But from 1980 and up, the F-350 Dana 60 will work just as well.
Note: A word about buying a Ford Dana 60 axle. The Ford Dana 60 is in high demand, and there are allot of bad axles being sold by dealers. When shopping for the Ford Dana 60 axles, be picky and be aware of some of these problems.....
Inspect the spring mounting pad welded to the long side axle tube. It is normally a formed bracket that is welded in place. Is the spring pad flatted out like it's been crushed? Is the flat surface of the spring pad badly rounded on the front and back edges? If so, the axle tube will most likely be bent. If it's bent where the tube meets the center section, it won't be easy to fit. Keep shopping.
Look for oil leaks where the axle tubes are pressed into the center section. Is it wet with gear oil? If so, the tubes are loose in the housing, avoid it.
The Dana 60 axle to find will have trunnion style steering knuckles. It's not possible to mount a steering arm to the top of the ball joint style steering knuckle.
Transmissions
The C6 trans has a short main shaft in 4WD applications and a long shaft in the 2WD applications. The same is true for AOD units. You could install a 4wd trans. from the same truck from which you salvaged the adapter and transfer case. Or install a 4wd main shaft into your 2wd trans. Then you can use the OEM Ford 4x4 C-6 and E4OD trans. extension housing.
The C6 trans is very cost effective to rebuild. Should you buy a C6 trans that has not been run for a year or two, rebuild it anyway. Even if the seller says it was running when he parked it. It really sucks to have to remove a trans twice. The C6 trans has some little seals that have a tendency to dry out when the trans hasn't been used for some time. A trans with that problem will shift into "Reverse" and or "Drive" but won't engage until the trans has warmed up for 15 to 30 minutes. Whatever trans you decide to use, have a tranny shop freshen it up before you install it.
Transfer case Choices
What transfer case to use is your choice. However, if you are converting a 92up Ford van, you must use a Borg Warner 1356. A New.Process 205, 208 or Borg Warner 1345 does not have enough offset to keep the front drive shaft clear of the transmission.
Spicer Transfer cases.
Some builders prefer to use a remote mount transfercase, so they don't have to mess will changing their trans. A remote mount 205 would be the best choice. Some of the old 70's F-250 trucks had remote mount Spicer transfer cases. They have a cast iron case and are gear driven, like the 205 . But parts availability stinks. And the parts you do find "new" will be very exspencive. Some of the out put yokes alone can be as much as $100 each. Some parts aren't available at all.
New Process 205
For those who want a strong transfer case that is gear driven, the N.P. 205 is the way to go. The front and rear output yokes come in different u-joint series and styles and can be easily changed. However, they can be rather stiff when it comes to shifting.
New Process 208
The 208 has an aluminum case and is chain driven. They are reliable and shift easily. It would be a good idea to split the case and check it out. Some 208's have a fork that is aluminum with plastic fork pads which ride inside metal shift collar. The second version has a all metal gear with a nylon shift collar. The nylon version is usually trashed and needs to be replaced, use the old style if you have to rebuild your N.P. 208.
Borg Warner 1345
The Borg Warner 1345 is common in 1980's Ford trucks and Bronco's. It has an Aluminum case with chain drive, and shift's easily. They hold up well, but when they have allot of miles on them, they usually need a complete and expensive rebuild. Some of the replacement parts are only available via after market sources and can be pricey. Replacing bearings, front case half, forks, shift collars, pump parts, yokes, cam plate are all par for the coarse when rebuilding a B.W 1345.
Borg Warner 1356
The 1356 comes in a few different configurations. One version is Mechanical shift and one version is Electric shift. Most people avoid the Electric shift because it's hard to figure out the electrical to make it work. The mechanical comes in a few different configurations. One version has a "fixed" rear output yoke. Meaning the rear output has a narrow bearing retainer with a yoke is bolted in place. When using a fixed yoke style t/c, the rear drive shaft assembly will need to have a slip and spline built into the shaft.
The "slip yoke" version has a bearing retainer that is several inches long. The transfer case rear output yoke can be pulled free of the case and is several inches long. The rear drive shaft for this type of case does not require a slip and spline. The bushing that supports the slip yoke can become worn and cause some irritating vibrations.
Either one of these styles will work for you. Avoid the units that have "flange" type yokes. Even though the spline count is the same between flange and and yoke style shafts, the manufacturing process used to make the spline on the shaft is not always the same. Some splines peak with a sharp point and some are flat on top. Just enough of a difference to prevent the swap. They can be converted over by replacing shafts, but that adds up $$$.
Lets go over some of the problems with the 1356. Most used cases will pop out of gear when you step on the gas. This is a common problem with high mile, used Borg Warner cases. The shift linkage operates a lever and spindle that is located in the side of the front case half. The spindle operates the shift cam plate inside the case. The spindle tends to wear out the machined hole into an oblong egg shape. So when the you attempt to shift the case into a different position, the lever has the right throw, but the spindle cocks sideways in the case half and doesn't move the cam plate into the right position and leaves you hanging between gears. Then it pops out of gear under a load. You can replace the front case half with a new one or Pathfinder 4wd Van Accessories can machine your case half and install a bushing to restore it to the right specs.
You may also find a few other problems. The 1356 is very intolerant of poor service. Internal lubrication relies on a oil pump driven by the mainshaft. The ATF fluid is picked up via a filter on the end of a oil line and drawn up into the pump. When the case suffers from lack of fluid changes, metal particles normally sluffed off moving parts will gradually plug up the screen on the filter and starve the pump of oil. The case will quickly self destroy itself under those circumstances. Other parts prone to wear are the shift forks and the parts they operate.
