4wd cars...

-
M

Mopar87

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2018
Messages
113
Reaction score
47
Location
Lewiston,Id
I want to lift my 74 Plymouth scamp just enough to give it room to run 31" tires.The plan would be to use it to check out some of the hundreds of dirt roads around here, not necessarily go hardcore offroad, but more or less overlanding.The rear would be easy to get enough lift, things are alot more complicated up front with the torsion bars.The front suspension itself would be easy enough to modify or space the K member down to gain the needed clearance.Then the torsion bar crossmember could be cut and rewelded further away from the body.My biggest problem with that is the crossmember would hang down in the center of the car which would be a great place to get hung up on when the going got rough. Then I thought what if I was to put the car on either a 2wd truck frame or a 4wd ifs frame.If I did that I would gain more robust suspension and possibly 4wd,but normally, I HATE when cars are put on other frames because normally they look very bad.Double bumpers, huge gaps between the body and the frame, Bizzare wheel well fitment,etc.I'm wondering if anyone has any pictures of cars on different frames where the owner actually took the time to suck up the frame to the body and made the conversion almost look like it could have came from the factory that way?
 
I am just throwing my opinions out here and this may or may not be the best ideas, but I agree that the torsion bar won't do well with any type of "lift" greater than maybe 2-3". Your other options, before dropping another frame on top, would be to look into a gasser style set up? Aka, solid bar and front leafs etc...
mopar a body gasser.jpg

but it can be questionable how well this set up can hold up to the abuse of offroading and overlanding, depending on how hard you drive it (Some older 2wd Jeeps have pretty nice looking front axles in the junkyards and look beefier than this pic and would retain 5x4.5 bolt pattern and front disks depending on the year!). Under the same idea you can find a solid axle with bigger knuckles to do it safer but then you would be carrying that front pumpkin around for no reason as i assume you will be keeping it 2wd.
Next option would be to look into splicing in the front part of a frame of a later model ram or dakota that has independent suspension (if you are dead set on that) so that you can find a "lift kit" that fits those models. This wont be easy and it wont be cheap though.
Last option is the ugliest but might work is to jack up the torsion bars as high as they will go, run pizza cutters on wheels that push the tire as far away from the body as possible, then trim the fenders as needed baja style.
Either way, this is hot rodding, all that matters is that if you really want this done, get it done by any means necessary and post lots of pics so that we can all enjoy your build... Good Luck!
 
Do you already have sure grip diff?

I've gone LOTS of places following 4WD vehicles including vast sugar sand orange groves with just wide rear tires, a limited slip rear and some intelligent driving coupled with situational awareness.

...but carry a come a long and snap straps just in case.
 
i would look at a s10 frame or something similar
easy enough to build tranny and motor mounts

and i LOVE this idea

you got money laying around?
i got an 08 AWD charger as a winter beater
it would be great to swap an A body onto that
 
Saw a metric gm (80's Monte Carlo) that was made 4 wheel drive, had a four link type setup on the front, never looked close enough to see how he did the transfer case.
 
A daunting task. Rear-easy to get height.
Front,blocks between k-member and body and re-work torsion bar mounts. Will create a snag point but well designed skid pans will help it considerably.
I used to follow 4wd’s around on some trails,and using momentum to make up for clearance and traction.
Install a winch....
 
YY1 said:
Do you already have sure grip diff?

I've gone LOTS of places following 4WD vehicles including vast sugar sand orange groves with just wide rear tires, a limited slip rear and some intelligent driving coupled with situational awareness.

...but carry a come a long and snap straps just in case.
Click to expand...
I was given a chrysler 8.25 with a welded differential and I was gonna use that to replace the 7.25 thats under the car.I'll probally change it to a LSD or a locker eventually but it can work as a place holder for right now.I've taken my hacked up green dodge to some impressive places and it is 2wd with a welded rear diff.It does piss poor in the rocks but for general trail riding its pretty good.Other than the v6 automatic+ 2.93 gears+ 33" tires...

As far as the gasser or 2wd jeep front axle it would have to be very tall to clear the oil pan.Then there is also the issue that I'm up in northern Idaho,I wasn't even aware Jeep made 2wd vehicles until a couple years ago.I have never even seen a 2wd Jeep up here.However, the front suspension from a 87-90 2wd dakota might be easy enough to swap under.

As far as buying a Jeep or other dedicated 4wd,For the couple times that 2wd with a good driver wont get me through something a come along or chain hoist will serve me better than 4wd.Like I said,I don't plan on driving this down hardcore offroad trails I just want to explore the many dirt roads around here.I have enough sense to turn back and try something with a more capable vehicle if things start going sideways.
 
Now that I think about it I do have a 2wd 94 dakota that I am using for parts.I could cut the front suspension off after I load it up on the trailer to get scraped...
 
coffeedart67 said:
Saw a metric gm (80's Monte Carlo) that was made 4 wheel drive, had a four link type setup on the front, never looked close enough to see how he did the transfer case.
Click to expand...
A guy in my town plows with something like that
 
There's a 72 Charger by my shop on a K5 frame. It's very well done.

I'll see if I can find the pic of it.

Looks like this is the only pic I got of it.


imagejpeg_0_zpsaow375cd.jpg
 
There was a 68 firebird on a blazer chassis i saw in winnipeg in the late 80’s.done well.
 
diymirage said:
A guy in my town plows with something like that
Click to expand...
There's one on rt79 (I think) between Whitney Point and Ithica ny. I used to drive passed it on my way to Cornell. Monte SS with a plow parked in front of a trailer with his other treasures. I always assumed it was on a K5 chassis.
 
im Not sure if they put this on a frame or just installed the axles and leafs to the Duster frame rails. That’s how I think I’d do it, subframe connectors and install leaf spring hangers to the front frame rails

F77398EA-677A-46F2-A33C-33F795E69FF2.jpeg
 
75slant6 said:
If I remember right, that car was for sale for $2500. Had it been about 5 states closer I would’ve done all I could have to buy it.
Click to expand...

thats less then i paid for my plow truck...and i would put a plow on it
actually, thats on my bucket list
 
So just from looking under my 94 4wd dakota and my scamp I could convert the scamp by cutting out the front "frame rails" on the scamp and splicing in most of the frame from a 4wd dakota.Essentially using the frame as a subframe connector and replacing the factory frame rails.I haven't actually measured anything to see just how far off my figuring is though. According to an online tire calculator 31" tires might fit with just a 3" lift.I'll have to go out and actually measure stuff to see what would have be done about the transfer case.On the other hand, I'm not even sure if I want to go to through the hassle of converting it to 4wd just to run 31" tires, that and I would have to track down another 4wd dakota- preferably one with a v8 and a manual transmission.I could swap in the 2wd dakota front suspension and then add in subframe connectors and it would more or less be done suspension wise.ARRR!
 
Maybe Hemi Denny could do a front lift kit coil over set-up.... Years ago they had A arm lifts for 73-87 C10 Chevy 2wd trucks and they worked really well.
 
Screw an S10 frame. Find a clapped out Dakota 4x4 and go with that. At least a small block will still bolt in and it'll be all Mopar.
 
The only way I would run a chevy frame would be if someone gave me said frame then did the fab work to make it fit nice for free.So not very likely.However, I do have a 2wd 94 dakota that I am parting out.I could easily cut out its front suspension when I get ready to haul it off to scrap and graft that in place.Then I could weld in subframe connectors.For a fair bit more work I could go with a 4wd dakota frame,4wd would be nice to have, but 90% of the time it would be extra weight. There is also the possibility of me taking it on harder obstacles because I have 4wd...But I also would have to find another 4wd dakota because I really shouldn't cut up my daily driver.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top