Convert Prerunner to 4×4

Hello, I recently got a Tacoma 2003 sr5 prerunner and I been wondering how hard would be to convert it into a 4×4 ? I been reading a lot about it but no one seems to give a full list of parts needed to make the change or where to get them.
I know selling the truck and buying a 4×4 might be cheaper but this truck was a gift from my dad and he loves it, I wanted to surprise him by turning it into a beast.
Please help and thank your for your time (8

 

Go to the Solid Axle forum on this site. Much info there.

You'll need to decide on a leaf or linked front end and many other things.

Good luck.

 

Leave it as is imo. If it was a gift that he loves, its going to be heartbreaking to see it undriveable for the next 10 years before you get tired of looking at it and sell it for pennies on craigslist.

I'm not trying to be harsh, but large projects started by people that don't have a lot of experience doing large projects have a real tendency to turn into major obstacles in the garage. They just languish partly finished for years as important parts get mislaid and drive to finish dies. I've made more than a few dollars over the years buying exactly those from people, then parting out everything. The people selling them always take a massive loss between the vehicle, all the parts they bought and never installed etc, but they can't find the knowledge or the time to finish.

It's a trap, lots of people fall into it.

The easiest way would be to buy a 4wd truck, and just swap everything over. The entire suspension, tcase, all the connecting bits, all the interior bits etc.

Then assuming you do everything 100% correct and the vehicle is 100% correct, you have a pre-runner that is worth less than a regular pre-runner to 99.9999% of the population. And a 4wd that (assuming you swap all the 2wd pieces over and make it a driver) is worth substantially less than it would be in stock trim.

That and 4wd doesn't make a 'beast'. It's just a 4wd truck. If you want a really impressive 4wd you are going well beyond what the factory parts are capable of. You're looking at SAS, which is a lot of time and money. Then appropriate lifts, gears etc etc etc. More time and money. That path is for people with a real goal in mind in the world of capability, not so much for a 'looks cool' cruiser. Unless you have a lot of $$$ to throw at it.

If you really want a 4wd, buy a 4wd. It's the same advice I give classic mustang owners that don't have a v8 but want a v8. Sell the car, buy the one with a v8 already and build from there. While the 4wd or a v8 is a doable project, down that road lies madness

 

Recently had this done on my 03 preunner double cab. i was into it a total of around $400 for all the parts needed. i also kind of lucked out on a lot of it. i found a guy parting out a 1996 tacoma with manual hubs that he let me cut the front of the frame off with all the parts still attached for 300, got a 4wd auto trans for free, and found a transfercase for 100. i would suggest getting a manual j shift tcase just for the simplicity of it all.

as for putting the parts on, mine was stole by some friends and it was done as a birthday present. with 4 of them working on they did it in a total of 6 hours or so. they told me though that it was just a matter of unbolting unneccesary parts and rebolting on parts to make the 4wd work.

 

@Medina33

 

I have a transfer case for sale

 

Okay, like I said I don't mind about the price just want my truck to be better. I'm not planning in getting any work done to it until I have all the parts needed and i'm paying someone to do it since I know nothing my self and I just don't want a cool looking cruiser, I live in Arizona and off road is kinda like a big deal to us from where i'm from
And of course i'm planning on changing the stock parts later on, thinking on getting a brand new engine with more power on it. Going to do more research on that topic

 

4wd transmission and manual transfer case
Front and rear front section drive shaft
Front diff(add or manual doesn't matter) just need the same gear as the rear gears
Cv axels and manual hubs

 

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