2wd to 4wd

Paco · December 13, 2000

I know its possible, you can do anything with money, but is it possible to change a 2wd to a 4wd? I have the 98 SOHC. I would also be looking into lifting it 4inches with a 3 inch body lift. Would that be possible as well?

thanks
paco

RFR2212 · December 13, 2000

Well Paco....I'm sure you could swap a dana 44 in there...That would be really cool...But I don't know how it would be on your truck...I've seen it done to the older models.
Pete

Paco · December 13, 2000

I take it the Dana 44 would go in the back? Is there any way i could switch a 2wd to a 4wd? I guess you could call it a 4wd conversion. I want to offroad but my dad made me buy a 2wd becasue he say he wouldnt split a 4wd truck with me.

thanks,
Paco (my real name is travis BTW)

RFR2212 · December 13, 2000

the dana 44 would be for the front...I believe you have an 8.8in rear axle which is fine, although I'm hoping someone else well reply to the because I dont know how this set up would work...I believe Kris G. on the site is doing a 2 wheel to 4 wheel drive conversion...you will have to change you drive shafts and add a transfer case.
Pete

leebo · December 13, 2000

You were close.....he's done with the swap. Last I heard though somebody else on the site was going for the swap. Here is a link to Kris G's post
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=18374

As for the axle....You would keep the rear like it is, but would need something with the diff in the front. Right now the big thing is using the Dana 44 for the front....but a dana 35 would work too. I'm not too sure though about the newer ones what would fit so some cutting may be needed. You would also need a T-case to put the power to the front wheels as well as a driveshaft. I'm betting you'd also need to do some sort of connection to the transmission, but I'm not sure.

Good Luck......you're in for a project if you do this.

RFR2212 · December 13, 2000

Paco...No matter how you look at it, it will be expensive. But, if you want to do this, you need to spend enough to make your setup bomb proof because you dont wanna install all this all and then have weak parts break....Plus, I know of no one with the newer explorer with a straight axle under it!
Pete

Kris Guilbeaux · December 13, 2000

Paco,

This is a very do-able swap. I did this on a weekend. But what took the longest was getting parts ready. I went with the quickest and cheapest route. Manual T-caes and no lift. If you are planing on lifting the truck and will be useing the truck a lot off-road get a solid front axle (dana44) plus I am Not sure what the difference in the front axle in a 98 2wd to 4x4 is. I was on a tight budget and short on time too... It still took me 5 months of getting parts rebuilding the front axle.

Also do you have a Auto or manual transmisson. Either way the transmisson will have to come out and a new output shaft tail houseing will have to be installed for the T-case to bolt up. You will have to take in to account for the T-case also manual T-cases will be cheaper because you wont need a to buy shift computers, motors, wireing ect.

Mine still cost me over $1800.00 in parts alone.

Oknut · December 14, 2000

Convert your 2wd explorer to a 4x4

Hi there,

I have all the parts that you would need, but most of it is gonna be sold soon. I have a dana 35, and a 8.8.. I have a 5 speed transmission and a transfer case - manual. and I got all the drivelines. plus I have the springs for the front, I have everything you would need for the front, even the radius arm cross member. You would have to hurry if you want all this and make me an offer.

Take care

tac0meat · December 30, 2000

i am also planning on doing this conversion. my only problem is i have a auto tranny, would i be better off just putting in say an atlas tcase and dana 44? would this be about the same amount of effort and cost as doing a stock 2wd to stock 4wd conversion? i am willing to spend up to about 2grand on this so im just wandering what should i do, also articulation and rockcrawling arent as important as gettin though muddy terrain and through sand.

Oknut · December 30, 2000

How would you be able to convert it for 2k when the atlas alone cost $2,300 ? and you don't just buy a dana 44 and set it under there. there are kits you can buy but they are farely expensive. Also if you are wanting to get a brand new dana 44 it would cost you about $1500

Kris Guilbeaux · December 30, 2000

Tac0meat,

If you are looking to spend about $2,000 I thing you will be a bit out of your Price range with just an atlas II. The bolt up convertion for a solid axle will put you over that limit also. Plus changing the axle shafts in the rear axle.

The moral of my story I did mine the cheapest way possible and it was still close to $2,000 just to convert a 2wd to a 4x4.

But if you need Help getting started let me know.

Oknut · December 30, 2000

You could do it a little differently.

-Get a dana 44 out of an early model bronco
-Convert it into leaf springs in the front
-Get an adaptor from James Duff so you can use a stock t-case
-Do a spring over

I could see how you could that for about 2k.

All the best wishes for the new year

Kris Guilbeaux · December 30, 2000

Still the Transmission has a 28 spline on the output shaft. for the stock t-case you need 26 spline output shaft so you will still need to take the transmission out and part to get a new output shaft installed.

BarberJ · December 30, 2000

well this is lil off the subject

ok.. well I guess I'm the guy you all throw rocks at cause I took a perfectly fine 93 explorer sport 4wd and ripped out the I beams, changed all the brackets and put a set of lowered I beams in =) everyone also told me it could no be done.. but w/ everyone's help (thanx Kris) I got all the parts nesseccary, new steering linkage, radius arms, drop brackets, pitman arm, all lil hardware that mounts to the beams, and everything thats attached to the spindles.. I got it done.. you can see a pict of it.. Dead Link Removed its now 3 inches lower that the pictures on the site.. but sitting on jack stands waiting for rims =) lemme know what you guys think

xshlongarx@aol.com

Oknut · December 30, 2000

Why would you wanna convert a perfectly fine 4wd into a 2wd ? you know they make 2wd explorers. Seems to me that you wasted your money. The explorer looks good, just a waste.

[Edited by Oknut on 12-30-2000 at 05:25 PM]

BarberJ · December 30, 2000

it was actually quite cheap

The conversion was actually really cheap maybe 1000 the most, and I had no way of finding a 2wd explorer like mine that I could afford, and I already had done alot of work to the truck I didn't wanna throw it all away. btw you did a v8 conversion? what year X do you have?

Oknut · December 30, 2000

It's a 1991 x.

I can understand where your comming from, but why didn't you just put some 17 inch rims and tires on it, or maybe even lifted it ?

Happy new years

tac0meat · January 1, 2001

well i dont think im gonna do the convrsion afterall. i think im just gonna get a samari or somethin like that and just make it a weekend warrior (not street legal, no emissions, inspection, ect) and keep my explorer as my everyday vehicle and to trailer the 4wheeler around. but then again, a 4wd exploer sport would be cool too, as long as drivetrain is in good shape, bad paint and dents along with not being street legal would keep the cost down too. oh well, i just might get a burr up my butt before then and decide to go 4wd on my explorer.

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