4x4 conversion option?

Hi! I just finished my 4x4 conversion in my 02' double cab last week. Here are a few things I learned along the way.

-any A340F transmission will work, 4runner or Tacoma, regardless of submodel. However, the later year models (03'+ I believe) do not have the throttle cable that the earlier years did, so they WILL NOT work with your truck. I personally have a trans. out of a 97' 4Runner Limited I pulled out of a junkyard, it works just fine.

-Make sure you have the matching torque converter that came with your donor trans. I thought I was doing a good thing by putting my A340E TC in my new trans and it caused all sorts of weird issues. Ended up having to drop the trans and replace it with the one it came with. That sucked.

-Any J-shift transfer case from the 1st gen Tacomas or 3rd gen 4runners will work. Make sure you don't get one out of a Limited 4runner, these look like a J-shift but are actually an "AWD" transfer case and WILL NOT work. A true J-Shift has a "thread on" 4wd shifter, no other transfer case has that feature. Mine came out of a 97' 4runner SR5 off of eBay and works just fine.

-Any front diff. from the 1st gen. tacomas or 3rd gen 4runners will work. HOWEVER, there are different gear ratios, my advice is to pull the clamshell apart and check the ratio and all of the bearings while its out of the truck. It's a real pain in the ass to put in by yourself. Mine came from a 97' Limited 4Runner out of a junkyard with 4.30 gears, of which I had to re- gear to 4.10's. Also make sure you get the mounting brackets if you pull it from a junkyard, those bad boys are expensive online. I think I paid $2 for them at the junkyard.

-I would highly insist on going with the manual hub setup. By the time you get to the point of actually installing the spindles you will be so ready to be done with this project, trust me. I found a complete hub/spindle/locker set for sale on the classifieds for $400, I also installed new bearings and seals for $300. If you do not have a 30 ton press, I highly suggest having a professional do it. I work as a mechanic for a local shop and it was a very nerve racking job for 3 of us.

-Finding driveshafts for a decent price is a nightmare, if you can get them out of a junkyard you'll be in great shape. I ended up finding the 30.5in rear driveshaft on ebay for $200 and built my own 27.5in front driveshaft out of leftover parts.

This swap is not for the meager, it is very doable for the right price. I am very blessed to work as a mechanic with other like minded individuals that helped out a ton with this project and theres no way I could have done it as quickly as I did by myself. Ebay was my best source over the last 2-3 months.

I think I covered most of the important stuff, feel free to hit me up with any questions while its all still fresh on my brain. Best of luck!

-Nate