3rd gen rwd to 4x4?

I have a 2020 trd sport rwd. I know the suggested idea of just buying a new truck with 4x4 but i don't want to. I want to learn how to do the swap myself. I've done some research as of right now I will most likely need a 4x4 trd sport transmission. I front dif. CV axles. and the front and rear drive shaft. As for the transfer case I was thinking I would go with the fj one because itll save some wiring. But my biggest concern is the wiring. What would I need to due to in that sense. Ive seen some people say I wont need to wire anything up besides the dash lights for 4wd? is that true? Would my ecu still work with the 4wd parts? I need some advice and direction. Thanks

 

Anything is possible with enough time and money! Worth the effort? I doubt it but one thing for sure is you will be without your truck for awhile. This is not a weekend/case of beer undertaking.

PS: Welcome to TW and have fun with your effort!

 

You'll wish you had before it's done.

 

Closer to a drink yourself to death before it's done thing.

 

You will end up completely upside down on the cost of doing vs the value of the result. The truck is likely to be worth less than it was in 2WD, due to the modifications and the fact that the VIN will say it is a 2WD truck. It will be valued, essentially, as a rebuild.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/05-15-2wd-to-4wd-conversion-guide-for-dummies.716703/

This is probably as close as you're going to get for a guide.

As far as advice and direction? It's 100% not worth the time or the money just because you want to learn how to do it yourself, with absolutely no guarantee that it will work or you won't ruin something much more expensive in the process. Resale value goes out the window immediately, nobody would ever buy a 2wd to 4wd truck done by someone in their garage, or at least they wouldn't pay nearly what an unmolested 2wd or 4wd truck would fetch, so you're stuck with the truck forever. Buy a beater 1st gen and try it on that if you have the itch to work with your hands and learn about the process, at least you aren't tanking the value of a $40k+ truck just because you feel like it.

 

Forget about doing 4x4 conversion, not worth the time, or money. Better off buying good used 4x4, no need buy brand new.

 

This is definitely a Friday post. You're 2 days early. Repost on Friday you'll get more replies.

 

This is the kind of thing you do to a beater project that already has no value, not a four year old truck. You'll spend a couple grand on parts and tools to do the job and lose about $15k on the value of the truck afterwards.

 

I think everyone has said exactly the truth. But if u must butcher ur truck, go full hog. Might as well LS swap it too.

 

i considered it for about 5 minutes on my 2nd gen (RWD) when i got stuck in the mud on a kayaking trip for the 2nd time. I laughed at myself, then decided to trade it in for my current.

 

Way early for April 1, mate!

 

Welcome to the forum

Can you do it - sure.
Is it worth the time & effort? Probably not.

Back in the days after dinosaurs roamed the earth but when vehicles still had breaker points & carburetors I did the 6 cylinder to V8 and automatic to manual swaps.

IF you had the identical vehicle with the desired drive train right next to the one you wanted to modify it was a lot of work transferring all the parts -- If you were gathering the parts piece by piece it was a lot more work still.

I'm much older and a bit wiser from the experience - like what you have or buy what you want is my opinion.

 

I'd bet on an ECU swap too, because of the extra functions that the traction control system is going to have with 4WD. ATRAC on a 4wd will be different than a 2WD.

Like others said, this is better learned on an old beater than on a truck less than a decade old. You'll lose money hand over fist. If that is no concern and this is just a project you want to do, go for it, but if you need your truck to work reliably then this is a major risk.

Post up a thread chronicling it all if you do decide to go at it. Just be ready for the flak you'll get for it.

 

The bot new member posts on TW have been getting out of hand recently. 1 and done

 

Doubt it's a bot post. Lots of people post up a question on lots of forums, and then it takes a few days to get back through and check them.

 

Sounds like a great idea. Here’s my suggestion. Buy a “20 trd sport” 4x4 just like the 2wd you have. Then transfer all the 4x4 stuff to your 2wd and all the 2wd stuff from your truck to what was the 4wd. That way you get to experience the joy of making your 2wd a 4wd. And best of all you can sell the former 4wd which is now 2wd and almost break even cost wise.

 

You better check the frame. I think they are slightly different.

 

The OP joined TW Wednesday, made a single somewhat bizarre post and has not signed on to tw again. Hasn’t looked at a single response. Three possibilities here, mom took away his computer privileges, it’s a bot, or a troll. On various sites I’m seeing more and more - join, make a single post (usually somewhat bizarre or dumb), sign off, never seen again. Time will tell, maybe the guy is legit, we shall see.