Str8sixfan's painfully slow 2wd to 4wd SAS project

[nb11]

Here's a photo diary of how I got to where I'm at today:



In March, I had a rough back to back 60hr work weeks, so I bought another piece to the puzzle to help me feel like there was more to life than work:

If I'm not mistaken, you also have the M50-D transmission (assuming it's a manual). So you just bought a tailhousing from a 4wd trans and output shaft. You'll just swap output shafts and tailhousings, right? If this is correct, where did you get the tailhousing and shaft? It looks to be new.

 

[Str8sixfan]

I actually have an automatic. But these are relatively easy to find on eBay. Should you have an M5OD, you'll likely be able to find a whole tranny relatively cheap, and it would be a much easier R&R affair. I on the other hand, would have had to wait out forever to find the right auto. But yes, it's my understanding all I have to do is swap out tailhousings and shafts. We shall see.

 

[colinrmitchell]

I saw my name mentioned and figured I would chime in. It's been a while since I have been on this site. I haven't updated my thread about my build in a long time.

I am a noobie to this stuff, but I figured I would do it as a fun learning experience. Everyone had pretty much told me to buy a 4x4 truck and swap the suspension parts over, but I figured that would've been too easy. And, for me, too expensive.

My truck is a 96, and I got the 4x4 tailhousing and output shaft from a local transmission shop for pretty cheap, around $40 I think. I took the transmission (4R44E) out and tore it apart myself. The problem about this project was that I thought I could just take off the tail housing and the output shaft, put the new ones in, and be done with it. In actuality, the transmission has to be ENTIRELY DISASSEMBLED. That includes removing all the drums and bands, the valve body, the bushings and bearings, and also the shifting pistons (or whatever they are called). This took me a full weekend to do, with shop manual, and I still managed to mess it up. Stuck in 3rd gear.

I took it out and had someone disassemble and check everything. I got it back, and it worked decent for a couple weeks before it got weak, and no reverse gear.

Basically, it sat in the weeds since then. Just last night, I decided to check Craigslist for a manual transmission, and Jumping Jehosaphat, I found a 4x4 manual transmission for a 1996 2.3L. First one I have found in the area after looking for 3 years. So I'm indeed taking the easy way out.

I just wanted to warn you in case you weren't prepared for the intensive transmission work this would take.

Otherwise, you swap is very similar to mine, and should be fun when you're done!

 

[Str8sixfan]

Awesome Colin, thanks for the update. Yea you did actually clear up some misconceptions I had until reading that last post. Hmm...that's a little more disconcerting, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there I guess.

Only thing I have to update right now, is last night I bought a welding helmet

So I hope to get started on some of the fabrication work next month. My buddy who's supposed to help with the gear swap had to cancel this Sunday with me. We were supposed to get started Sunday, but he works for Toyota, and got free tickets to the Nascar race this weekend (which is pretty typical). To make up for it, he offered to take me to the Saturday Nationwide race as he had one extra. So I'll take in my first NASCAR race from the Toyota Suite apparently for free!

 

[colinrmitchell]

A second thought that I had while I was messing around with the auto was, if the splines on the output shaft matched the input splines on a transfer case, was to just make it a 'divorced' setup. Mounting the transfer case with some kind of custom crossmember or something probably would be a lot easier and cheaper than disassembling and reassembling the auto.

Just an idea I had, who knows if it would work.

 

[Str8sixfan]

I think I'm smellin' what you're steppin' in.

A tiny progress report: finally dropped my axle off a week ago at my buddy's. He wanted to 'stare at it' a bit, to make sure we had everything we needed before we dig in. Likely we'll hit up the thing after the new year, but hey. Should be moving on in January.

Also found a deal on Craigslist with someone selling some parts from a WJ knuckle swap. Of course I already have the knuckles, but he has the rotors, tie rod ends, and some unit bearings. I need a new one. I might think about looking into that action.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Got an amazon gift card for Christmas that just purchased wj knuckle spacers by jks for the ole unit bearings. Hope to have some significant progress to report by February's end

 

[Str8sixfan]

JKS spacer, yes that's right I said spacer. I'm a moron and must have been too excited about ordering parts that I didn't realize I was ordering 1 individually and not a pair. Well anyway, today's payday, so I'm ordering another. But here's the one I have in my hand today!

 

[Str8sixfan]

I got spacer #2 today what am I going to do with myself?

 

[Str8sixfan]

Started playing with my welder today

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136146

I have a long ways to go, but plenty of time for practice.

 

[Str8sixfan]

some progress made on the gear swap:

Got the bearings pressed off of the new carrier
Got the pinion out
Got the old axle seals out
Got the spider gears transferred from one carrier to the other
Got the new ring gear on the new carrier
Power washed the axle assembly

So it's now ready 100% to be set up. My buddy's going to finish it up for me this week.

Pretty stoked. Ought to be able to make some real progress this Spring. Probably get it back and finish the knuckles first, probably out to the unit hubs...might hold off on the brake install...then some extra practice is in order before I attempt to weld on new tabs on the axle tubes for the control arms.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Going to pick up the axle with 4.56s installed tomorrow! Should be able to make some real progress here in the coming weeks now!

There will likely be pictures!

 

[Str8sixfan]

yay! more talking to myself! haha. Well here's the update.

4.56s in! Let the re-assembly begin!

 

[railman]

I look in here for updates...so, no you aren't talking to yourself

seriously, I don't post up much, but I do look on TRS about everyday....

l8r, John

 

[Ford78]

Same here, i come on here daily just to look at everyone builds!! Looks really good!! when is the swap going to take place?