June 23, 201411 yr I have an 80 gl 4wd and i was wondering if i could do an rwd conversion without swapping transmissions and everything?
June 23, 201411 yr If its a 4wd model the only thing I could think of would be to pull the front 2 axle shafts and click it in 4wheel?
June 23, 201411 yr As a temporary fix it would work - But you not sure you'd get all of available power to rear ... Add : Yet to confirm actual figure ... ( Do note that the transfer gears in an EA GL slush box are split 60% front, rest to rear ) If you want to make it more permanent - you would need to re-build the box without the transfer gears / front Diff ... Cheers, Bantum ... Edited May 24, 20178 yr by Bantum
June 23, 201411 yr Actually, you would get all the power. The rear shaft output is coupled to the pinion shaft in the tranny when placed in 4wd. The output is distributed equally. There are no spider gears in the tranny as far as the 4wd is concerned. Only in the differential section. It will work temporarily, but I do remember others on the board stating things tend to break if you don't go easy on it as the 4wd coupling gears were not meant to take the full torque of the engine. You would also have to leave the outboard CV bolted to the hub to keep it in place. Edited June 23, 201411 yr by skishop69
June 23, 201411 yr Hmm - I'm not sure about that, maybe only if you have a locked transfer diff ... More details found here : http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/139096-4wd-loyale-rear-diff/ + Something to show what were talking about : Note : this is from a later model, but the layout & gears are similar ... ( the transfer diff is not shown ) There's no way to get full power using this type of gearbox to the rear with out serious mods ... And how to get dual range 4WD here : http://www.ausubaru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15316 Cheers, Bantum ... Edited June 4, 201510 yr by Bantum
June 23, 201411 yr I've also been curious about doing this. Just picked up a brat and wanted to do a rwd. I'd have to pull the tranny and do some mods to it for it to be reliable?
June 23, 201411 yr I did something similar when my axle failed on my '89 GL. I left one axle in place and cut the other axle's shaft on the hub end of the axle, leaving the hub part intact to keep everything there together and just drove in 4wd. With dual range 4wd, you do get full power to the rear wheels, I can't speak for full time 4wd. I also can't speak for the durability of the rear wheel drive components. Bottomline: it works in a pinch, just take it easy when you're driving.
June 23, 201411 yr Not sure about the whole not all the power thing but I never experienced it, also that transmission picture is of an EJ AWD single rangle. It would work to just pull the front axles and leave the stubs in the hub but you will be putting a lot of unnecessary strain on your drive train pieces without beefing them up properly. You would probably blow your rear diff, even a welded one. Ask me how I know Long story short, do it right or don't do it.
June 23, 201411 yr I was thinking just yank my front axle shafts. Welded rear diff. And 4wd would get me going sideways. I'd love to hear from someone who's done it.
June 24, 201411 yr Author Ok so i really dont want to replace the front axle and regrease it because as we all knoe thats messy. So should i fix it or do a rwd conversion? Edited June 24, 201411 yr by 19804wdPOS
June 24, 201411 yr Ok so i really dont want to replace the front axle and regrease it because as we all knoe thats messy. So should i fix it or do a rwd conversion? Replacing a front axle is pretty darn easy. Just take the hub apart (don't even need to take the knuckle off.just take the ball joint but out, then pry the hub off the ball joint and pull the hub towards you. Should be enough room to pull the axle out and slide a new one in. Rwd sounds like a lot of fun though
June 24, 201411 yr Bantum.... No. A 1980 4spd, 4wd selectable trans has no center differential. In fact, all of our selectable 4wd trannies in the states have no center diff. Pull a front axle or both, put it in 4wd and full power goes to the rear. The pinion shaft in the Subies is what other trannies would have as a main or power shaft. It supplies power transfer to the front diff and rear output regardless of what the front diff is doing. It's a solid shaft with a solid couple to the rear output when engaged. With no center differential (available on the FT5MT) it's split 50\50 unless you disable the front diff, then it's 100% out the back in 4wd. This is the reason we can do the Nissan T-case upgrade in super lifted Subies. Full power out the back to the T-case, split there to front and rear, with a rear diff mounted up front and axles attached to it. I would replace the axle as suggested. It's like $60 through NAPA and an hour to change. No grease, no mess. You're talking about changing the CV and that's a waste of time IMO.
June 24, 201411 yr Might be a good idea to get hold of a manual, will help to follow up on the CV & other details on your car. Here is another thread to read up on : http://www.ausubaru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21886&highlight=rear+wheel+drive So here is my understanding of the situation : Remove front drive shafts, engage 4WD, and Bob's your uncle - you've got rear drive only. ( only recommended for light duty / emergencies though ) If you're after something more permanent, you would have to look into upgrading gearboxes ... Add : Found this diagram that sort of explains what I'm talking about : Found here : http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f89/front-rear-diff-questions-445610/ From this you can see that it's unlikely 100% is going to be transferred via rear through that kinda center diff ... ( Item 1 & 6 are not directly connected ) - Granted your transmission is different, so I have no direct knowledge of it. Hope I haven't confused you all too much - even if you have a similar gear box or not ... Cheers, Bantum ... Edited May 24, 20178 yr by Bantum
June 24, 201411 yr They work really well as a rear wheel drive. I did it to an 82 wagon, I used 2 old Outer CVs and popped the box into 4WD. I drove it for a month or 2 before I sold it to a young guy who used it as a burnout vehicle. he had a ball in it and the only reason he stopped driving it was because the motor blew up. as I understand it the diff and gearbox live on in another vehicle. Do it and have a good time. TOONGA
June 24, 201411 yr Bantum. It's all good. It's just inexperience. We've all been there. In this case, no dyno needed. Simple math and physics. While you will loose some power to the rotation friction of the tranny, it's all going out the back. If you take an axle or both out of a FT5MT that does not have a locked center diff, you go nowhere. Just the same as would happen if you pulled an axle from a front wheel drive vehicle. Power follows the path of least resistance so the side with no axle just sits there rotating. With no resistance at the front diff on a FT5MT, the front diff would just spin.
June 24, 201411 yr Yep - only if you have a locked front diff ... More details found here : http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/139096-4wd-loyale-rear-diff/ + Something to show what were talking about : There's no way to get full power to rear with out serious mods ... And how to get dual range 4WD here : http://www.ausubaru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15316 Cheers, Bantum ... What are you talking about. Manual trans in 4wd with zero or just one front axles.............you get ALL the power to the rear. I was thinking just yank my front axle shafts. Welded rear diff. And 4wd would get me going sideways. I'd love to hear from someone who's done it. Gotta have the outer end going through the hub to keep the wheel on. Can't "just pull them" you need to replace them with stubs.
June 24, 201411 yr Author I'm probably going to do this. So do i need stubs or can i just remove the front axles that attach to the knuckle?
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