AOD 4x4 to 2wd

[junkyardjeff]

I just bought a 88 bronco with front hub issues that is going to be converted to 2wd,the trans is good and I have a 2wd AOD thats been sitting covered up behind the shed for 10 years so what will I need to to make the 4x4 trans into a 2wd.

[wayne petty]

buy a complete pair of control arms and radius arms for a 2 wheel drive version at the junk yard...  springs.. shocks.. rotors. calipers...  probably the steering linkage also from the end of the pitman arm to both wheels...  but i would have to check on it...



you don't have to change the transmission to make it a 2 wheel drive...   just remove the forward drive shaft.....

i just crawled out from under a 90 ranger...    2 months ago we swapped in a dana 35 for the dana 27 that was in there.. as he had blown up the 27.. he has a 6 inch lift kit..  and when you bottom out the suspension hard..   it drives the center bracket through the top of the front housing.. he did not notice and went swimming with it...     we . or i should say i...  just swapped out the 7.5   3:73 limited slip rear end for another similar 7.5 LS but that one had 9 inch brakes.. so we/I had to tear both down and swap parts around to make everything work.. it also had a bad axle.. with a repair bearing.. but the left axle was good in the old unit so i used that..

whats up  with the front hubs??

there are a lo of them in the junk yards out here...

you need to count the bolt pattern on the front diff..

12 bolts is the small dana 27...

10 bolts is the larger dana 35...

you do have to be careful of what years you swap out as i think the 92 and up are wider...

there is some really great info at therangerstation.com in the tech section...

a few things...   the front hubs are only held in place with the front wheels... and hopefully some 1/2" BOLT  retainers..  (tinnerman nuts )   so when you take the front wheels off...    the hubs stay sealed to the rotor...     if not..   when you take a wheel off.. the locking hum falls to the ground and picks up a load of dirt...  only to be reinstalled by the oblivious  and wheel and hub failure follow soon ...

if you have the 12 bolt dana 27.. there are NO more NEW spindles as far as i can tell. but a lot of used ones available..  they are NOT hard to remove at the junk yard...


one warning.. if the center U joint goes bad...   its a BEAR to change as that side of the drive shaft is retained by a C clip like a rear axle. unless someone has had it apart and modified it...


if you would like..   you can describe the problems you are having.. 4x4 front axles are not that hard to fix...  



and if you are worrying about the transfer case.. some of those actually in 2 wheel drive models.. were equipped with a empty case for some reason..  

http://therangerstation.com/tech_library/index.php

[junkyardjeff]

Its a full size bronco and always wanted one but never needed a 4x4,since Ford never made one I will and all the parts from a F150 will bolt in. I am going to change the trans and get rid of the transfer case to cut down on the weight to improve on the gas mileage,I seen them converted and they look sweet lowered which I will do eventually when I find the dropped beams.  Here in Ohio they are licensed as a passenger vehicle which is about 15 dollars less then a non com truck,15 dollars might not seem like much but when you have a fleet every bit helps and it reminds me of a 87 F150 I had years ago that I wish I never sold.