2wheel to 4wheel

Has anyone attempted to convert there 2wheel x to a 4wheel x? just curious what else i would need besides the obvious t-case, diff, axles, shifter and spindles. does the computer have to be changed? any info would be greatly appreciated.

I know nothing of the details but have to believe it would be far easier, less expensive, and more reliable in the long run to simply trade your X for a 4WD if you want/need a 4x4 that badly.

OnlyoneDR made his Desert Runner into a 4x4. I know there he has pictures of the build online someplace I just can't find them. It would be a very similar project.

The knuckles have to be changed, but everything else (minus t-case) will bolt right in.

I'll be giving my wife's X all my 4x4 parts when I go SAS, but that won't be until fall or next winter.

I think OnlyOneDR did some research on whether or not the rear extension housing on the transmission can be changed out (instead of getting an entirely different trans). I need to talk to him about that as well.

It's a lot cheaper to get a 4wd truck then it will be to do the conversion unless you are going to be doing a straight conversion to SAS. I priced this stuff when I was over in Iraq and still had my 2wd Xterra. For me to get the parts from a junk yard along with all of the needed hardware was around $4,000 and then you figure in the labor to do the work by a shop which was another $4,000 and I was at around $8,000 before taxes and what not. Just for the SAS stuff was $5,000 before the shop and about $4,000 for the labor and what not. So about $9,000 for it all. I chose to go with a new 4wd truck instead and I love it.

I have found a wrecked x in a local junk yard, and was going to buy the wreck for the complete drivetrain and suspension. its a supercharged se. I thought it would be feasible if i had a complete wreck to work from.

Why not just take the wrecked one and make it into a trail rig, fixing what is broken or an exo would be a lot cheaper, and remove any fear of further damage.

the whole rear end of the x is destroyed. the frame is mangled ond useless

Not figuring in my personal "time" or any of the additonal extras I added at the same time (cralwer gears, lift, Calmini steering, Alcan springs, SS brake lines, etc), the conversion cost me a tad under $2K. $900 for front end, $600 for trans/t-case, $200 for driveshaft, $200 for interior bits, some minor extra $$ for miscellaneous bolts and etc.

I think that's the first time I posted up the actual cost to me. Mind y'all it took me nearly a year to find all the different parts I needed to make my project happen. With SASs being more common now and other parts prices can be found cheaper, I think it can now be done for ~$1500 easy.

Cyclemut:

The issue with the adapter housing is with the output shaft on the transmission. The 2wd is a long-shaft trans for the slip yoke, the 4wd of course is a short-shaft. The housing should bolt up no problem, but the output shaft is too long. On the manual trans it seems that you can have the shaft cut down (I believe I have seen a notch on the shaft where it needs to be cut), but I have not seen the Auto output long-shaft to tell if that is the same scenario.

Thanks Only...

I'll have to take her housing off one Saturday to see if it's there or not. If it's there, then I'm in business.

We've got a couple of t-cases laying around, and when I go SAS later this year, I'll just swap her out on a Sat.

I'll be getting different drivelines front and rear at that time as well, so she'll have them too.

Curious, did you tell your insurance that it was 4x4 now?

You know, at one point I even called and talked to them about it. Instead of insuring as a 4x4 they wanted me to catalog all the "aftermarket" accessories and bolt-ons. I guess the coverage is normally limited to a certain $$ amount, I did not ask how much because I knew it was not enough. Now that I am moving I will probably go through all of that with the next insurance policy, just so that it is covered. I mean seriously, will they care if it is wrecked that it has $1300 in the t-case alone? Probably not.

Not to sound completely stupid... But what's SAS?

SAS = Solid Axle Swap

Yeah... it's where you remove all the independent front suspension junk and put in a real axle. It gives MUCH MUCH better articulation/flex offroad

Here's Mr. Admin showing off SAS flex:


Compare that to this pic of my X with IFS:


Yeah - the wheel lift looks cool... but when your wheels come off the ground your 4WD turns into a 0WD and you don't go anywhere (unless you have diff lockers like I do )