U.K truck 4wd wanting a swap

[troopa]

Hey MMfans.
Im from the u.k. and have just found a 91' mighty max (L200 here) which is a very rare truck here.
The one I have found is a 2.5 diesel in 4wd.
My question is... If I wanted to do an engine swap what needs to change?
Basically for you guys you have the option of the 4g63 eclipse... we only get that engine base in the evo and they're not cheap. So I'm thinking a Miata 1.8 bp engine as they are super cheap here. So with the 4wd... what do I have to remove or replace?
I don't really care for the 4wd and would rather just red but as I say this truck is super rare here.

[troopa]

Ok.... So what if I waned to convert a 4x4 to a 2x4. Will I get away with the front off a 2wd? i.e the subframe, axles and arms?

[Jeff V.]

The 2WD front suspension won't work. 2WD uses coil springs, and 4WD uses torsion bars. 2WD front hubs / knuckles won't fit either. Remove the front diff and axle shafts. Leave the outer part of the axle shaft in the hub because it's necessary for holding the wheel bearing together.

A Miata engine and trans might work well if you can get it all positioned correctly in the chassis. I'd imagine a custom driveshaft would be in your future.

[troopa]

So what would i need exactly from a rwd mighty to fit on the 4x4?
I have the option to strip the rwd of what ever i like.
Or even the front off another car. I basically want a rwd mighty max but theyre so rare over here. I will be doing an engine swap anyway so what ever gives me rwd.
Any help or info is appreciated.

[geezer101]

What is the chassis like on the 2WD? It might be easier to swap your cab onto the 2WD and convert it from there. I think it will eliminate a lot of messing around with the front end suspension and torsion mounts and the rear leaf springs will be at the right height. There isn't a subframe to remove from either truck as they are both full frame chassis.

[troopa]

Aaah ok.
The 2wd frame is scrap and is a long bed anyway. Where as the 4wd frame is good and short bed.
Can the 4wd be lowered as much as the 2wd.
Its so frustrating, theyre so rare over here but i have to have one lol

[pennyman1]

I knew a guy that took an 1985 Ram 50 (L200) and used an Isuzu frame because he needed the steering box in front of the wheels for clearance for his 392 blown Chrysler hemi swap he was doing. He said it was an almost direct swap with just a mod to hookup the steering. I saw the truck - it fit well, and can be seen in Mopar National video footage.

[troopa]

Sound cool. What Isuzu frame? (we probably won't have them in the u.k)

[Jeff V.]

According to Wikipedia, the Isuzu pickup was called the TF in some parts of Europe. It was also sold as the Opel Campo and Vauxhall Brava.

In the US, it was just called "pick up".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_Faster

How much trouble would it be to import a 2WD? Are there a lot of pain in the rear import laws in the UK? There's a bunch of annoying import laws here in the States, but they don't apply to anything older than 25 years. We're finally starting to get access to cars and trucks that were forbidden fruit for a long time.

It's a shame how that happens. There's cars and trucks on both sides of the pond that people just throw away, while there's enthusiasts on the opposite side who'd pay a decent sum to have one.

[troopa]

Ok. I see those vauxhall brass trucks pop up now and then so thats good to know.
Import laws are not so bad here however I don't want a lhd.
The big thing here is any older trucks that are being replaced are jumped on by the exporters paying silly money so we don't stand a chance finding them.
Theres 4 mighty max (l200 here) for sale at the moment but all 4x4 soooo annoying.

[Jeff V.]

Damn. I forgot about the LHD/RHD thing. Still, I'd rather try to convert a LHD truck to RHD before I'd want to try to convert a 4WD to 2WD and then slam it.

Check this build out. It's impressive all around. Once you get to Oct 2014, he starts getting into a RHD swap on a LHD truck. It doesn't look that difficult. I'd be even easier for you if you could keep your RHD cab.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/3055-Merrill-s-4G64-DOHC

[Jeff V.]

I pulled these from the factory collision repair manual. It's an overview of the construction and differences between 2WD and 4WD frames.

The book has a lot more info, including precise measurements for repair and replacement of various parts. Let me know if you need more info.1888718888

[BradMph]

These same drawings are in the Wiki section of the forum, along with many other diagrams. FYI :)

[Jeff V.]

I saw the diagrams in the wiki, but they're the low resolution images from the ASA parts program.