what differance are the between a 1972 and 1973 chevy 4x4

[coggonobrien]

just curious how much work it would be to used a later 70's 4x4 setup (springs, housings, etc) to convert my 68 to 4x4.

Thanks,
David

[ChevLoRay]

Chassis's don't interchange. If your chassis isn't a 4WD chassis, you're going to need one for your '72. In '73, the front axle was placed forward about an inch and a half, so the wheelbases are not the same.

There have been some interesting conversions done using the square-body Blazer chassis's and early cabs. If you do, you're going to have to shorten your bed to make it look "right". But, it's been done and may be a less of the two evils option.

[special-K]

Do you have leaf springs in your '68?You can do a conversion,but will need all the crossmembers and everything 4wd related.The front springs are longer,but you will be mounting the spring perches anyway.The easiest thing is a frame swap.If you use the '73 frame the cab and clip will need a 2" body lift because the newer frame rises up that much more under the bed.The front axle will sit a bit forward,as mentioned,and can be dealt with by either relocating perches or redrilling spring center holes.Also,a zero-rate lift can be used to offset.The core support will need to be set back a bit,too.Then the front horns of the frame will need to be trimmed/modified.There is a write up in FAQ,I believe,as well as a lot of talk on this in the 4wd forum.