prerunner to 4x4 conversion

With proper planning you can do it in an afternoon . 1st step is research. Jump on the Internet and find a 4wd for sale near you...



I love cars but unless my kids are born in the backseat, they're completely interchangeable.

 

I've always loved the old "dont bother converting it, go trade it in for a 4x4" "way ahead" "save you money"... blah blah blah. For the 10ish years ive been into the 4Runner and Tacoma, there has been NO way you arent taking a giant bath on any trade in like this...especially when the salesman will know exactly what youre up to.

When I did my Preunner TRD DCSB, I had paid 13k for it and 4x4s were going for 17k-25k. I converted mine to 4x4 for under $1000. (Plus some blood, sweat, and tears LOL but I really enjoyed it)

These trucks are old enough now its getting harder and harder to find nice ones. If i have a nice one that's Prerunner, no question I would do the conversion again. And if I was shopping for one, no question I am for sure looking at Prerunners as well as 4x4 so I can find my best option and easily convert it to 4x4 later.

Perhaps different areas of the country were/are different, but ive looked at prices on these around the US last year when I was shopping and they really werent that far off.

I guess if you went all *new* parts for a conversion, you could possibly end up spending more than an equivalent 4x4....but if youve already got the truck and you think its worth it, go for it! Ive got a buncha brand new parts to convert mine to manual hubs up front. I'm into that almost $1000 bucks and that didnt even include the cvs or aisin hubs. Basically just the wheel hubs and bearings stuff. Used, complete manual hub spindles go for about $300 (I even had some of those too...but sold them) worth it to me, for my truck. But, alas, everyone has their own thoughts and opinions and preferences for *their* truck. Do it however you want.

 

After months of unsuccessful searching for a 4x4 in good condition, this is what I've decided to do as well . I found an 01 prerunner with 135k with one owner. I was babied it's whole life and I'm not even sure if it had ever been driven on any kind of dirt. Most of the 4x4's I found were either way over priced, or just beat.

So I'm also in the planning stages for a 4wd swap and have heard some of the same comments about what a waste of money this would be. To each their own I suppose.

 

It's not a waste of money, if 1. You really want to do it, 2. Can do it and 3. OK with possibly destroying the value of the truck.

I like working on things, I pick them up all the time because I get an idea and do it. So that's 1 for me. But for others they just want a 4wd that works, so no 1 for them.

I've been doing the same for ages, one of those annoying people that has learned how to do everything and evrrytime i come across something new I learn it. So 2 for me. And I have tools to do pretty much anything, or at least did before I moved across country. But if you've never turned a wrench, no 2 for you.

3 for me is the kicker. I've seen far more people that didn't have 1 of 2 destroy a vehicle and then pass it on because they got in over their head. Whenever I'm shopping and I see something advertised as modified the number in my head drops by 2/3. I want stock so I know I'm not getting a basketcase, unless that's what I'm shopping for. My bike was a basketcase, well Rubbermaid case since that's what I used to bring the parts home. $350, a couple hundred in parts and it's running and riding after a week or 2 part time assembling it.

And I have some rules of thumb I've learned over the years.
1. Never buy a builders house (unless he used it as a model),
2. Never buy a mechanics car.

Generally people are too tired after work to do the same thing correctly as a hobby. Although I have made good money buying builders house, fixing/finishing them and selling. I started learning houses because I bought a builders house and had to make it liveable. Now it's a hobby to gut and rebuild.

For me personally, 4wd tacos are too easy to find to spend the amount of time needed just to add 4wd to a 2wd. If I was building an actual off road vehicle it would be a different story as most of the stock parts are coming off anyway. If it was rare, different story. But for just 4wd, no interest. Ymmv obviously, good luck and hope you have fun. There's nothing you can't do if you put in the time to get the knowledge.

 

Can I swap a 2000 4x4 forerunner auto trans into my auto Prerunner ? Have read something about kick cables and how 03/04 have electric solenloids

 

Depends what year you have. If you have anything older then a 00 then yeah. if its 01-04 you're gonna need a matching transmission.

 

I thought the only issue with the transmission was if you had an 03-04. Whats the difference between an 00 and 01?

 

01-04 should be the years with the different transmissions being as that’s when the body changed also. May find an early 01 with the same transmission from a 95-00 but doubtful. I could be wrong and it’s been a while since I did my conversion but as far as transmissions you want to stick with the model years that match yours

 

Nope. I used a 98 4runner a340f and t-case on my 2002 Tacoma Prerunner conversion without issue. Well, I did have to swap the connector gizmos on the side of the trans around between them, but otherwise, worked like a champ. Forget what that thing is called...

Oh and the ABS 3rd Gen 4Runners dont have the speed sensor on the tcase and the 2wd one is different. So you have to find one elsewhere...I got mine on eBay.

Its just the 03-04 Tacoma and 01-02 4Runner.

(BTW, for anyone reading that lives in Cali, you may other requirements on matching correct years trans...but I dont know much about that...)

 

So you did run into issues then Lol but yeah one of the trans used the shift by wire and the other a linkage so just make sure that part is correct or you have the right wiring. I used a 96 a340f out of a runner for my swap only thing I had to hanged around was the speedo gear as the 4Runner used a different method or measuring speed. Just pop the plug out and wired it into much prerunner wiring.

 

Haha. Yeah. Sorta I guess. But it was not the trans kick down cable issue, which is a huge issue. All I had to do was swap the gizmos around...and I figured out the name of the gizmo is the neutral safety switch. And it took all of like 5 mins to swap them.

 

I h

i have an 04

 

So you definitely want to find one from an 03-04 Tacoma or 01-02 4Runner. And verify that it is not cable controlled.

Or convert yours.

 

Well this is good to hear. So as far as 4runner transmission options I should focus on trying to find a 96? to 99 a340f/tcase

 

Does anyone have a procedure or steps for a 1st gen prerunner to 4wd conversion? Or at least a link?

 

A few threads on here with links to other websites.

 

For future reference - some posts talk about the need to replace your 2WD ECM with a 4x4 ECM, some say its not necessary. Still trying to determine if it will be needed for a ADD/Jshift (non 2-4 selector), I don't think so but still researching.

2002 PreRunner DC, 6cyl, Auto
Stock 2x4 ECM (TPN #89666-04030) located behind glove box. For reference, the 4x4 ECM is TPN# 89666-04021.
If you need to pull it for whatever reason, use this as a reference (very simple process)



This is different from the 4WD ECU which would be located above the Airbag Sensor Control Module just forward of the shift console. The PreRunner does not have the 4WD ECU. If you had 4WD stock from the factory with the 2-4 pushbutton selector, you had the 4WD ECU in this location and a 4x4 ECM behind the glove box.

@nzbrock mentions this here:

The TRD PreRunner (at least 2002) had a separate ECU for the Rear Diff Locker. It is located behind the driver's side kick panel.

 

I have a question maybe someone here could answer.

I have the opportunity to purchase a trans (a340f) and t-case (J-shift) from an "03" 3.4 liter.

After doing some searching, it looks like this may work with a 3rz bellhousing and torque converter.

I keep seeing that I need to stick with a 99-02 trans and tcase. Preferably from a 3rz. But the 3rz drivetrain is so hard to find, so I thought the 5vz might work.

Any ever done this or have knowledge on a swap of 5vz drivetrain into a 3rz?

Thanks in advance.

 

An '03 and '04 is a drive by wire setup.

 

In what way? Trans, tcase or engine?
Is there a way I can make it work....or just pass it up.
2.7 4x4 stuff is incredibly hard to find.

Will a 99-02 5vz work?