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fwd to 4wd


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i have heard of this what is included what parts do i need to do the swap?

im thinking about doing this my car: is a 88 dl sedan with a 5 speed spfi motor

 

has anyone done this before and also where can you get lift kits for subies?

 

thanks

 

red subaru

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You need: a 4WD transmission, rear differential, rear axles and differently splined hubs, driveshaft and rear suspension parts from a 4wd car. Sounds complicated but it's pretty much bolt on from what I hear, never done it myself.

 

As for lifts, you can make one, find one here or buy one from OZified, BYB Boys, Allied Armorment, others... there's a hundred threads about it, you'll find tons if you search.

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well, Sako's got it right, but I thought I'd post a picture. you'll need the trans, linkage, and this:

3242PICT1014.JPG

 

that's from my old 1985 GL wagon. it's now bolted up to my 1992 Loyale. 14 bolts, and a couple fuel/brake line brackets, is all that holds that on. this can come from an Auto trannied car, but the front half of the driveshaft will be shorter.

 

it's quite a simple swap. the tranny isn't too bad, and it's a good time to put a new clutch in there too. the rear diff hanger (or mustache bar, you can see it bolted to the back of the diff there...) has 2 brackets, with 2 bolts each, that need to be bolted to the frame rail. there are no holes there, but a drill and tap will fix that.

 

the hardest part is the driveshaft's center carrier bearing bracket. you can also see that in the pic, right next to the middle U-joint. the little plates that that would bolt to on a 4WD car are not there on a FWD car. you could weld them there, maybe have a driveline shop make you a custom one-piece driveshaft (was quoted $150 at one shop, and $800 at another...). or, just get some metal strip, cut a couple 6" long pieces with a hole in either end, and bend it to bolt through the side of the driveshaft tunnel, and then to the bearing bracket. That's what I ended up doing, and it's worked great so far.

 

 

as far as lifts. there's lots of information around here. but options are limited. Allied Armament doesn't make lifts anymore, and I've heard that PK Davis (the man responsible for making BYB/Ozified lifts here in the US) isn't making them for the time being. so that leaves you with SJR. which is ok, because he makes, by far, the best product available. you can find his lifts at http://www.sjrlift.com

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so would a 4wd wagon work for a donor car as far as everything bolting up?

 

or do i have to find a sedan for parts ?

 

:banana:

 

either one should work. the only difference might be driveshaft length. but I'm pretty sure sedans and wagons are the same. only the 3-door coupes are different.

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