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ZOMGWTFBBQ!!! Ambulance to RV to 4x4 Snafu o.0

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90K views 346 replies 76 participants last post by  greygoose 
#1 ·
Blame Obama, insanity, brain damage... for my next great idea, I bought an ambulance. Now you ask why? Because i say! You shake your head in disaprovement. Do I have an autorama TJ to finish building? Yes and that is my main priority once i buy a house, this is a backburner mental obsession. As a simple justification i have always liked expedition vehicles. Custom vans, offroad trailers and rv's... something with go anywhere capabilities and comfort. I looked into custom vans and 4wd campers are knew they wernt for me as they cost more then what i want to pay for my own house. So the only alternative left is build something :confused: :eek: :fish:

On pirate, i ran across people converting ford e vans to 4x4 and it clicked thats what i want. I did look around for an all ready coverted van (quigley) but couldnt find anything. At this time i ran into this and feel in lust!
yes, that is a 4x4 ambulance. Search Ujoint offroad and six13 metal works for more info. That is when i decided i want an Ambalamps! After 1 week of searching i found myself in Andover Ohio buying this.








Its an 05 Ford E450, 170k miles with 40K on a new 6.0 diesel (yes its a dreaded 6 leaker). Why you ask? Cause i basically stole it! Nothing is wrong with it, just the city that owned it was going private so the firehall basically gave this and 2 others away.
 
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#219 ·
Updates? You've got another motorless TJ, just picked up a Cummins 4x4, and who knows what else.....please tell me somewhere in there you've made FORWARD progress on something.
 
#231 · (Edited)
Actually other then light bulbs, shower heads and a pellet stove install that is all I've done to my house.

I work on my own schedule and finish things when they need to be finished.

That said I'm ordering unit bearings and the bracket kit today :finger:
 
#234 ·
Whats different? Tightening bolts??

Obvious questions:

1. Why are those little tires so far back in the wheel well?

2. Why such tall springs?

3. Did you say you were doing a shackle reversal on the rear springs?

4. Will this get an exocage? #highCG

5. Is the motor back in the Jeep you are ''flipping'' yet?
 
#235 ·
1. It's by design, as long as I didn't screw it up :sonicjay:

2. Tall springs are for tall tires 285-70-19.5's - almost 36" tall.

3. Shackle reversal/flip all depends on your preference of terminology.

4. I will put a few roof racks on it.

5. Nope. Been focusing efforts on this and other things.

In all reality it is very tall and I'm not liking the axle placement. I'm pretty sure the springs are oriented correctly (big bushing in the front hanger and small bushing in the shackle) sure hope I didn't install the rears in place of the front :sonicjay: but I'm pretty sure the rears are much longer. Also if the front springs were flipped around I think my pinion wound be pointing down. I could be wrong but think I'm good.
 
#245 · (Edited)
I tried something that didn't work. Assumption = wrong. Can't bake a cake without breaking a few eggs.

I like how you are correcting people on proper english, and then you say something like "come the fall" which may or may not be proper, but sure as hell sounds half fucking pretarted.

Man, I would kill to be your neighbor.

:sonicjay:

High Center Bondo for the win.
My neighbor actually likes it. I have a kick ass neighbor.
 
#249 ·
Flipped the springs around and there was no difference, so I bit the bullet and ordered proper front springs.

I completed the rear suspension shackle flip this weekend.

Need to order rear adapter/spacers for the rear. I'll wait till I get the new front springs in before I determine if I need to install a 1-2" block in the rear. I'll bolt in the tcase this week & put in new front axle shaft ujoints.
 
#250 ·
Installed the transfer case last night, bolted right in place of the factory transmission mounted parking brake assembly. I'll have to either modify the original transmission mount cross member for the front drive shaft or replace it with the 4wd cross member that I have.

A stock front drive shaft will be the right length, the rear drive shaft will need to be shortened. I need to take some measurements from other Super dutys to see if a stock setup can work. As for the t case shifter, I'm going to look into adapting the original pedal activated parking brake cable and release lever into a shifter. If not I'll make a floor mounted cable shifter using a Novak kit and a zj shifter assembly.
 
#253 ·


That's much better now!

Proper springs get the job done. I need to level out the rear to determine how much lift block to install. Hoping on a maximum of 3".

For the rear drive shaft a unit out of a crew cab short bed should fit the bill.
 
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