MrQ's 4x2 to 4x4 Conversion w/ Auto tranny

MrQ's 4x2 to 4x4 Conversion w/ Auto tranny PICS

Ok, I have finally decided to make the jump and do the conversion. I found a parts vehicle at the local pick-a-part and have ran the numbers.

The parts vehicle is a auto 4x4 with coil overs and a SOA already done with 3.73 limited slip rear. Apparently it was originally owned by some suspension company.

This is how the parts and numbers are running:
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Parts needed for conversion to a 3.73 4x4

-Front drive shaft -$25

-4x4 rear drive shaft - $25

-T-case skid plates - ?

-4x4 speedometer cable - ?

-Rear Axle matching front gears - $200

--Complete front axle assembly- $200

--4x4 brake rotors

--4x4 steering linkages

--4x4 radius arms

--Manual Hubs - $50

--Coils

--Transfer case - $170

--A4LD Transmission Extension - $25

-Manual Shift Linkage for TC - ??

--Replace w/ 4x4 A4LD - $75

____________________________________

I am estimating about $900 to do it...one step at a time. I will be pulling the front differential and coils next week.

If you have any advice I would more than appreciate it. Also if you have any of these parts for sale here and cheaper I would appreciate a heads up

Total Spent So Far = $445

 

[techieman33]

Have you asked about buying the whole thing? You might get a better deal. Also if you take your time doing this don't count on all of it being there as someone else may get the same idea and strip it down before you can get to it.

 

[lifeguard379]

you will need the engine cross member as well. 4x4 and 2x4 are different.

 

[MrQ]

Have you asked about buying the whole thing? You might get a better deal. Also if you take your time doing this don't count on all of it being there as someone else may get the same idea and strip it down before you can get to it.

Well this truck has been sitting for almost two months and is still nearly complete. Most people would not consider doing this conversion.

As for buying the whole thing it was my first consideration, but it wouldn't have worked out since I would not have a place to store it.

you will need the engine cross member as well. 4x4 and 2x4 are different.

Thanks for the info. Any idea why it is different?

 

[lifeguard379]

the mounts for the beams i believe are different spacing. and is there room for the diff to clear?

 

[lifeguard379]

and i just noticed. are you getting the hole trans, or just the tail housing? because the tail shaft is not the same so i believe you will need the whole trans.

 

[MrQ]

I believe the tail shaft is the same. The only difference I see is the longer tail housing on the 2wd. The tail housing on the 4wd is apparently much shorter and seems to allow the tail shaft to extend beyond it to fit into the transfer case.

2wd

4wd

 

[crazyflights]

Check out Craigs List, u can buy 4dr 1st gens all day long for $200-500, with either a bad motor, or a bad tranny, have all the parts u need + some, buying from salvage yard rarely equals good deal.

 

[HahnsB2]

You should cross auto hubs off of your list.

 

[lifeguard379]

sorry i ment tail shaft. the part inside the trans.

 

[MrQ]

Check out Craigs List, u can buy 4dr 1st gens all day long for $200-500, with either a bad motor, or a bad tranny, have all the parts u need + some, buying from salvage yard rarely equals good deal.

Haha, I wish. 4x4 explorers in that price range are hard to find. Besides the last thing I need is another truck with insurance and registration.

You should cross auto hubs off of your list.

I plan on trying to make the front axle, rear axle, and transfer case bulletproof while I have the, out. Changing fluids, switching hubs, and anything else I can find on the forum that would help those piece be stronger on the trail.

sorry i ment tail shaft. the part inside the trans.

I know what you meant. If you will notice the two tail housings are different sizes. Even the driveshaft is shorter to incorporate the TC. Even if I do need the tranny, I will pull the one from the donor and rebuild it since it is blown.

Need Glaciers help here on defining the differences between 2wd and 4wd a4ld's.:scratch:

 

[924dr4x4]

4x4 front brake rotors are 36.99 each through autozone and 56.99 each for there best ones

 

[MrQ]

Caught my first break. The only difference between a 4x4 A4LD and a 4x2 A4LD is the tail shaft housing. This is apparent in this pic.

YES!!

4x4 front brake rotors are 36.99 each through autozone and 56.99 each for there best ones

Thanks for the info. The axle I am getting comes with the rotors, but if the run out is bad and I can't get them turned, I will definitely have to look that way.

 

[MrQ]

Alright, I am going to pick the axle up tomorrow. I've got a friend down here who has a truck that will bring it home for me. A chevy truck...

Pics will be forthcoming...

Any advice about removing a front axle?

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

Is the donor donating an actual solid traditional axle? Or do you mean the stock twin traction I beam when you say axle? Good luck. If your friend is pressed on time I would show up before him by a couple hours and get to work on removing the axle. It might take a lot more time that you think. Otherwise if he is willing to help on labor great! Twice as fast!

 

[MrQ]

Its a TTB. I am not interested in a solid axle...yet

 

[MrQ]

Whew!!:fire:

That was a real trial. Got out there at 9am with 4 people. Got back at 2pm with NO axle and heatstroke.

Heat index: 99 Degrees (Shade)
Humidity: 30%
Actual temp: Under the hood my temp stood at 120 degrees with the car NOT running.

I swear we could have fried an egg on the hood of that misbegotten Ex.

So we start out with the guy coming out using a giant CAT forklift to lift the truck up and dropped it on makeshift stands (spelled "two welded hubs). He had to put two under the axle and two on the outer frame right before the front wheel well. Then we got started. In direct sunlight. Without shade.

Dropped the driveshaft alright and removed the brake equipment. Then using a "Texas Toothpick," a screw driver about two feet long and about as thick as your thumb, we remove the coils and shocks. By this time it was 11am. Took a respite then went back into the oven. Couldn't for the life of us remove the steering joint. I had brought a pitman arm puller, but it was the wrong tool for the job. So I went and tried my Spanglish on the salvage yard workers and in turn they gave me a giant tuning fork. I had no idea about how this would work, so my dad and I slid it in between the two arms and took a BFH to it. Voilah! The joint pops free as neat as you please after we had been wretling with it for half an hour. Next up was the stabilizer bar, I just refer to it as "the PITA". After another 20 minutes of finding the right tools we tackeled it. It took the pressure of my friends foot ON the handle of the wrench to get it to budge about two inches (The guy weighs about 450) and for ever subsequent turn.:frustrate

Therefor we overcame just about every problem till we got to the radius arms. Those stupid bolts would NOT budge. I was an idiot and didn't put some penetrating oil on the bolts the day before. On top of all that these guys had WELDED a lot of the hanging brackets to the frame.

Granted that probably made it stronger but it made our job twice as hard. We had to pull that whole radius arm bracket!!!

It was now 2pm, The sun was beating us to death, and I had sweated away every drop of water accumulated in my body for the whole month. The others weren't much better. My friend had to go pic up his bro and we didn't have the right sockets to pull the last three bolts. So we had to leave to come back another day...

My advice to people considering this job...

NEVER EVER EVER do this job in a salvage yard in the middle of summer!!

I am now off to my coffin till Father's Day...

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

You need some PBlaster. Its better then penetrating oil. Its formulated specifically for frozen joints (nuts, bolts, all the like). When I had to take off the EGR pipe off my exhaust manifold I gushed some of this stuff on it the night before and in the morning the nut came off like butter.

http://www.amazon.com/Blaster-Penetrating-Catalyst-oz-aerosol/dp/B000I2079E

Wish I could drive down there to help. (damned macro economics class:frustrate)

 

[MrQ]

I have the axle!! I got one of the guys from the yard to give me a hand. Took us about an hour to pull the rest of it. Went smoothly until I got my ratchet extension stuck in the axle mount hole.

But its home!! So I have few things to knock of my list:

-3.73 D35 TTB Front Axle
-18" Coil Springs
-4x4 Rotors
-4x4 steering linkages
-4x4 radius arms
-Auto Hubs

All for $200!!

I need to do some maintenance on it. Need new ball joints (tore those up in removal), bearings, turn the rotors, and diff fluid change.

Rear axle or manual TC next?

Around and around I go.
Wherever I stop, nobody knows.

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

How How!!!