North Carolina

We pride ourselves on manufacturing as much in house as possible. Since we’re a niche manufacturer this is important! We have complete control over quality, inventory, lead times and pricing. From raw material to finished product, we build 98% of our product here in North Carolina with our CNC Plasma, CNC press brake, MIG/TIG welding stations and Powder Coating booth/oven.

FAQ’S

These are the most common questions I get about our 4×4 van conversion kit. Feel free to email Chris if you have any questions.

Q. The question I get asked most is “how much will the entire conversion cost me?”
A. There is no solid answer to this. Several of the main components vary in price. You may find a front axle for $250, $500, or $1500. Same with the transfer case, prices vary. If you do all the work yourself, you will save substantial amounts of $$. If you do some of the labor yourself and sublet a few things that take more skill (transmission mods, fuel tank) you will still be in good shape. Some of our customers have taken their time to find good deals on parts, and some want the van converted asap. This is the beauty of our kit, you can do it at your pace. One thing that needs to be stressed is that the 4wd conversion is an investment!! It will hold it’s value!!

A turn-key conversion from us here averages ~30k. DIY kits start at ~6k with no axle or t-case, our axles start at $5k.There are a ton of options and variables depending on the van specifics, please email us if you need help!

Q. What is the best/worst year to convert?
A. There isn’t one! Your donor van all depends on your needs. Cargo vs passenger, regular body vs extended, gas vs diesel are the biggest decisions you’ll need to make.

Q. What vehicles will the kit fit?
A. Our kit fits the 92 to current Ford E series chassis. E150 – E450.

Q. Will I get instructions?
A. Yes, a detailed step by step instruction sheet is included, we also have a video on our YouTube channel.

Q. Does the conversion require any special tools?
A. Nothing specific. A 90-degree drill or plasma cutter will make the shackle sleeve install much easier. Welding is require to the shackle sleeves & upper shock mounts. And the fuel tank shortening.

Q. What axles can I use for the conversion?
A. Our kit is designed to use 99-04 Ford F250/350 & Excursion front axles. These came as Dana 50’s as well as Dana 60’s. These axles have a 38″ spring pad width, ball joints & unit bearings. You can retain ABS with these axles but if the van is 2008 or newer you’ll need an axle or a hub conversion from us to keep the ABS/RSC happy. The super duty axle is a bolt-in unit for this kit, no modification to the axle is needed besides cutting the trac bar/stabilizer mount off. When searching for an axle, make sure it’s complete with a D side u-bolt plate &  sway bar. If not we can provide those parts.

Q. What is done about the bolt pattern difference?
A. The donor axle will have the 8 on 170mm bolt pattern, and the vans are 8 on 6.5″. There are a few options to make the change. Option 1: Install rear wheel spacers that change the bolt pattern as well as increase the trac width to match the front. Option 2: Swap the rear axle assembly to a Sterling 10.5″ (disc brake). We can also do a hub conversion for the front to make the axle 8 on 6.5 if needed. This is common for the RVs we build. 

Q. Does my engine crossmember need trimming?
A. Yes, all conversions require engine x-member trimming and we send a jig. 

Q. Does my exhaust need to be modified?
A. On gas models, yes. The driver’s side exhaust will need to be re-routed in order to make room for the front driveshaft & transfer case. Diesel models don’t require exhaust mods. Older 460ci equipped vans don’t need an exhaust mod either.

Q. Does my fuel tank need to be modified?
A. Yes, the fuel tank will have to be shortened to make room for the transfer case on everything but cutaway chassis rigs (ambulances/RVs, etc) Or, if the van is a 5.4 with the plastic fuel tank, no need for mods with this setup. Our standard fuel tank shortening kit looses 3 gallons of capacity. 

Q. What do I do about a transfer case?
A. I recommend having your transmission removed to have the output shaft & tail housing replaced with 4×4 truck parts on all E4OD, 4R100 and 4R75 transmissions. We offer a kit for the 5R110 transmission, it doesn’t need to be removed. We use the NV271 transfer case and we sell rebuilt units if you don’t want to source one locally. Most 6R140 transmissions are bolt up when it comes to the t-case. All 2015/up RVs get the NP1128 t-case, slip yoke for longer than 158″ WB, flanged for 138-158″ WB. 

Q. What do I do about driveshafts?
A. For the front, you can use a 99-04 truck shaft as a donor but it will have to be lengthened. For the rear, you’ll need a new shaft made from scratch. Any local or mail order driveshaft shop can handle this. I recommend measuring the flanges on the t-case and axle before doing this. There are many variables so get it right the 1st time!  6″ kits require a CV on the rear shaft at the t-case.

Q. How much time does the conversion take?
A. It all depends on skill level and the tools available. I recommend installing the front spring hangers while the van is still 2wd. All you need to do is remove the front bumper, remove the sway bar, and start drilling. Then the van can continue to be driven in stock 2wd form. With a lift and proper tools, the axle can be installed in a full day. The other major components will depend on the supplier’s time frame. I generally estimate 40-45 hours for a complete install. Check out our install video to get a good idea of what is involved! (link on our home page and its on our YouTube channel)