Greetings,

I'm new to the forum, but have been wrenching (sometimes professionally) for over 50 years. I've spent a couple of hours here looking for solid tech information about converting a 2WD truck to 4WD but haven't found much. So I'm hoping this thread will be a place to gather the combined wisdom and experience of those of you who have done the swap.

First, some background. I have in my possession a 1997 Blazer LS, 4 door, 4.3L (W VIN code), 4L60E, 4WD with 170K miles. I bought this cheap since not only is the body a mess, but there were a number of "mechanical" issues with it. Those included a misbehaving transmission, problems with the ABS, SES light, inoperative power windows and no HVAC blower. Those problems were all sorted out by replacing the ignition switch with a $7.00 switch from the U-Pull yard and it now runs strong and functions perfectly. The engine is destined to live in a 1995 extended cab S-10, leaving me a bunch of parts that are worth more than scrap value.

Today I made arrangements to buy a 2000 Blazer LS, 4 door, 4.3L (W code), 4L60E, 2WD with 108K miles. This one has a strong running engine but it also has some transmission problems that I'm hoping an ignition switch swap will fix. I'd like to put the nice 2000 body and interior on the 1997 chassis utilizing the 2000 engine with the 1997 tranny and transfer case. A number of people here have indicated that it's possible with work and time. I have access to a good shop with a lift, compressed air, welders, and every tool I might need. I have shop manuals for both 1997 and 1999 S series trucks and a lot of experience, so this is within my capabilities and would keep me out of my wife's hair for at least some of the winter

What I would find helpful (and I'm sure others would find it helpful as well) is for those of you who have done this swap before to tell us about it; what went easy, what was a bear, what you learned, how you'd approach it differently if you were to do it again. Please also share any web links to useful how-to articles or great sources of parts and any pictures you might have taken while you were doing your swap. For my part, I'll use your posts to guide my work and when I'm done, I'll put together a build thread and one or more tech articles. I'd be grateful if this thread did not include discussions of the relative merits of 2 and 4 wheel drive, or essays on why a solid axle is better than the factory IFS, or suggestions on selling the 2WD truck and just buying one that's already 4WD. All of those have their places but would prove less helpful here.

Okay, enough setup. Thanks in advance to everyone and let's get this thing rolling!

-Glenn

Here's the 2WD Blazer...

 

by far the easiest way would be to sell all the various trucks you have and buy a 4wd blazer. not my style either... I would build the 2wd you have into a 4wd. use a manual shift np231c transfer case and put a solid axle into it with coils or leaf springs. KM346 has one of the cleanest swaps ive seen, look up his build thread. just my 2 pennies...

 

Opinion noted, but what I was asking for is experiences folks have had doing this swap. The body swap seems very straightforward. Where I'm a little fuzzy is with using the 2WD computer and harness with the 4WD tranny/transfer case/front end. Will the '97 TCCM interface with the '00 2WD computer and harness or are there games that have to be played? Will the '97 engine harness plug into the '00 ECM? Will the '00 BCM sort everything out? Who would folks recommend if one or more of the control modules need to be reprogrammed?

Bottom line is that I want to do this swap for the enjoyment of doing it. I know it can be done and I'd like to find other folks who have done this for education and assistance.

-Glenn

 

the 2 computers are not interchangeable, the wiring harnesses are substantially different as well. the actual body swap would be relatively easy, it would be the wiring and reprogramming the computer that would start to get tricky.