2 wheel to four wheel drive conversion

[mickytrus]

So yeah,

 

 Got an opportunity to get a  Front WD Auto Loyale...

 

 I would convert it over to     four wheel drive  Stick.....

 

I have the parts........

 

Can anyone tell me (from their experience)

 

  What is involved....

 

    Like yeah, I know what is involved but,  tell me if there are Glitches.....(things to loose sleep over)

or..........    CAN I JUST BOLT IT IN?

or       Some stuff is difficult to pull apart............... (you need certain tools.... etc etc etc)

 

Thanks Micky

[DaveT]

I put 4wd 3AT at into a 2WD 3AT wagon.

Swap the trailing arms, add the diff mount onto the tube the arms mount on. Had to fabricate the driveshaft center bearing mount. The holes for the moustache bar were visible under the car, but not drilled through all the layers. I drilled them through with a long thin bit, and then up through the wagon back floor, and used a hole saw to make access through the floor so I could put nuts on the bolts.

 

Added the wires into the harness for the 4wd switch and dash light.

 

Depending on years, the rear trans mount may need to be swapped.

[mickytrus]

                          Thanks for your input on this Sub'Nt.

 

     If I can ask some particular questions.......

 

 

 

 

I put 4wd 3AT at into a 2WD 3AT wagon.

 

 

         Where your  2wd front axles  smaller(less beefy) and did you use the 2wd axels?

 

 

 

Swap the trailing arms, add the diff mount onto the tube the arms mount
on.

 

Had to fabricate the driveshaft center bearing mount.

           I will take a look at the 4wd one to see what the mount looks like. I will get back to you with a question or two, more than likely...

 

The holes
for the moustache bar were visible under the car, but not drilled
through all the layers. I drilled them through with a long thin bit,
and then up through the wagon back floor, and used a hole saw to make
access through the floor so I could put nuts on the bolts.

 

          This too above I will take a look at on the 4wd and get back to you....

 

But as for the tube...... both cars have the tube........

 

                    The trailing arm.......

   my trailing arms are a little weathered, so I would probably have to do alittle bit of stuff to them..

 I have one with a decent (recently installed bearing), I would probably use that one.....

 but, as for the  backing plate and the drum  and brake parts, those will have to be upgraded....

 

    So my question here:::::::     Can I use the 2wd backing plate  brake hardware, rear wheel cylinder ( doubting the drum)  the drum?

 

 

 

Added the wires into the harness for the 4wd switch and dash light.

 

    nice!  So what about   the dash light?   for 2wd Is it pretty much same cluster? just bulb missing?


Depending on years, the rear trans mount may need to be swapped.

                 Yeah, Here I think the vehicles are only about a year apart.......

 

Thanks!  Micky

[Gloyale]

You must swap over the 4wd trailing arms.  cannot put 4wd hubs onto 2wd arms

 

Can use 2wd brakes but need a 4wd drum to fit or a 4wd rear disc setup would be great too.

[DaveT]

The tube cross member on the 4wd has a couple of ears to mount the diff. The 2WD likely won't have them.

[DaveT]

Yes, the stock 2WD front axles are lighter than the OEM 4WD axles.  There is a chart in the FSM that shows the 3 kinds, and what they came with.

 

I have been using the 2WD ones interchangeably with the 4WD ones, since I'm running stock everything, it's been fine.

 

Gloyale answered regarding the arms / bearings / brakes.

 

I think it was just the bulb missing - But I have a few clusters, so it is possible that I swapped one of those.  It's not to hard to get it out and check.

[DaveT]

Oh, just to note, the title "Subaru Nut" is just an automatic status the message board software give users based on post count.  The user's name is in the bar above the post.

[Numbchux]

When I did it, I tapped the frame rails for bolts to hold the mustache bar (rear diff mount crossmember) in. Worked fine for more than 100k miles. I also swapped the entire rear suspension, including the crossmember that the trailing arms bolt to, instead of modifying for the diff mount. That was bolt-on.

 

Depending what transmission you're swapping in (non-turbo), the front axles will work, although the original 4WD ones are more beefy.

 

Several ways to do the driveshaft mount, I ended up having a custom one-piece one made.

 

You will need transmission crossmembers for the manual transmission conversion. Also brake/clutch pedal assembly.

 

Suspension components are different height for 4WD vs FWD (ride height is lower for FWD, but because of a change in the trailing arm mounts, the rear shocks are actually taller), so you will probably want to swap the struts.