4x4 conversion ?'s

Ok, so forget about the cost. I'm not selling my prerunner. I'm damned and determined to not have another car payment, so it's one is staying. That being said I have read the other threads here and on other sites regarding this topic. My question is why isn't this as simple as leaving out the electronics?

So I get a manual fj transfer case, front diff, cv's, ect. I don't want to get into the electronics. Ball park price of $4500 for parts and labor. Will everything mount up correctly? Do the prerunner and 4x4 have the same mounting positions?

I'd love to o an SAS, but that's double the price and I'm not opening that can of worms.

Thanks,

Eric

 

No way to bypass the ADD? Seems like manual t-case would solve the issue, unless I'm missing a major unseen step.

 

holy poo


good luck OP! sub'd for interesting reading

 

Without taking it out, no I don't believe so.

 

i have only heard of it being possible on first gens..... i just havent seen anyone try it on a second gen either. everyone says it cant be done on a second gen

 

I've looked into this, also. If you're intent on doing it, you should just do a SAS 4x4 conversion. Cost will be high, but it's less of a headache.

 

OP,are you almost at the end of your payments on your pre-runner which is why you don't want another payment?

 

Answering the question that was asked:

There are two steps to engaging the 4x4 system on a 2nd gen.

1. The "Center Axle Disconnect" (aka "Automatic Differential Disconnect") actuator on the front differential slides a fork moving a sleeve so that the passenger side CV is now mechanically engaged with the center differential itself. This is an electrical actuation step. Power is provided to the actuator motor until the internal switch reports the sleeve is in final position, when power to the actuator motor is cut. It's not a complicated circuit, but it's more than just a switch.

2. The transfer case engages, providing power to the front differential via the front drive shaft (propeller shaft in toyota service manual lingo.) Out of the box, this is also an electrical actuator - but this is the part you were thinking of making pure mechanical only with your FJ transfer case.

The concept of 4x4 conversion been proven out on 1st gens. 2nd gens are getting old enough where it's going to be worth someone's while to do it eventually.

If you're gonna get your hands dirty - go for it. Take pics and show the rest of us the way. It'll probably go best for you if you can obtain a totalled out (rolled?) 4x4 2nd gen in the driveway next to the prerunner to canabalize the parts off of as you need them.

But the fact remains it's not cost economical to *pay* someone to do this at standard shop labor rates of 80 to 140 dollars per hour.

 

What is the reason behind that? At least with the 4x4 conversion with CV axles existing factory parts for every component is available. SAS is a bunch of custom fab work.

 

I've got a guy who is an awesome mechanic and fabricator. I trust his work and he likes to try new things. I have a few years left, but crazy low miles. It's an 07 with 28k miles. It'll be cheaper for me to convert it than to sell the truck and buy a 4x4. Plus I'm not gonna sell it when it's payed off, I'm gonna drive it till the wheels fall off.

So how do I get around the center axel disconnect?

 

Make sure you agree on a flat amount ahead of time, not an open ended "by the hour" rate.

Behold! I give you your first challenge.

You must get the pinouts on the actuator from the factor service manual, and design a small circuit. There's a specific name for this type of circuit, but it escapes me at the moment. Basically, it applies power when the switch goes on, until shut off by activation of a second "positional" switch. It's not complicated as circuits go, but it'll have a low power switched power (via a switch in the cab), obtain unswitched power from the battery, and have a pair of solenoids.

I'm actually not sure if the disengagement is via reverse actuation, or simply that power is no longer applied to the actuator, allowing an internal spring to return the internal sleeve to the disconnected state. You'll have to find out.

I can't lay it out for you exactly because I'm not familiar with the exact pinouts and voltages on the ADD actuator. IIIRC it has 5 wires going into it.

 

If you're too stubborn to be convinced that converting a 2WD Tacoma into a 4WD Tacoma is not worth the headache and expense over just buying a 4WD Tacoma, then at least do a solid axle swap so that you're making progress with all that money you're spending.

 

Ok, so now that that's out of the way. Will everything from the donor truck fit right into the prerunner without major mods?

 

I spent a year doing a complete rebuild of a 73 jeep cj5. Talking new wiring throughout the whole vehicle, drivetrain rebuild and overhaul, paint, bumper mods(they don't make plate bumpers for the 73), and much more. I don't care about a headache. It'll be a fun conversion when I do it.

 

Stock FJ also has ADD. An FJ transfercase will have switches on it that are used to activate the ADD on the FJ. There are writeups on here where guys have swapped FJ cases into stock 4x4 2nd gen trucks. Try searching for "2lo" mod. I know it came up during that discussion.

It should be quite a bit simpler if you go with the manual shift case. I don't know if the FJ case bolts to the Taco trans without mods. That info should be available if you search around a little more.

If I was to embark on this conversion, then only thing that I would really want to know is how the front diff mounts up, and whether the stock Taco 4x4 driveshafts will work with the FJ case.

 

What he said

 

Sell 2wd +$4500 = 4wd with no payments.

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/125288-2wd-low-2.html

Post 22 has a link in it. I think that's part of the info you need.

 

NO!!! Don't talk him out of it. He's done big mods before. I want to see the pics!!