2wd into 4wd
08-20-2011, 12:50 PM
#1
JK Junkie
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2wd into 4wd
Howdy. I got a great deal on my '08 JKU Sahara. Only thing is that it's 2wd. I am looking to turn it into 4wd.
Could i take the front end off any 4wd jeep and just transfer parts over? What do i need to get? About how hard would it be? Is there a better route?
Axels? Driveshafts? Tcase? What cables? Wires? Bars?
Thanks
Could i take the front end off any 4wd jeep and just transfer parts over? What do i need to get? About how hard would it be? Is there a better route?
Axels? Driveshafts? Tcase? What cables? Wires? Bars?
Thanks
08-20-2011, 04:52 PM
#5
JK Super Freak
Yeah, it has been done here a couple of times by guys on this forum however they sourced the parts themselves by scouring the yards for late-model wrecks & using dealer contacts to keep the parts cost down & did all the install labor themselves, saving big dollars. If you have the time & are handy with a wrench then it does come out a bit cheaper doing it this way than paying the extra for a 4WD-equipped JKU off the lot and isn't particularly difficult as long as you know how to properly install a set of axle shafts, carriers and gears. However if you're going to pay for a shop to do all the work & get new parts from the dealer, as Tinman said, it wouldn't be worth your while financially to do it.
From memory, a tip these guys had to keep the cost of parts down was to contact the shops that do hemi swaps as these places usually have a bunch of transfer cases sitting out the back which have been swapped out for the Atlas, & they'll often also have axles, gears & driveshafts lying around too (otherwize check with the shops that do gear swaps & axle upgrades, as they'll usually have OEM take-off gears & components they'll sell for cheap).
From memory, a tip these guys had to keep the cost of parts down was to contact the shops that do hemi swaps as these places usually have a bunch of transfer cases sitting out the back which have been swapped out for the Atlas, & they'll often also have axles, gears & driveshafts lying around too (otherwize check with the shops that do gear swaps & axle upgrades, as they'll usually have OEM take-off gears & components they'll sell for cheap).
Last edited by JKlad; 08-20-2011 at 04:55 PM.
08-20-2011, 05:40 PM
#6
JK Junkie
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Yeah, it has been done here a couple of times by guys on this forum however they sourced the parts themselves by scouring the yards for late-model wrecks & using dealer contacts to keep the parts cost down & did all the install labor themselves, saving big dollars. If you have the time & are handy with a wrench then it does come out a bit cheaper doing it this way than paying the extra for a 4WD-equipped JKU off the lot and isn't particularly difficult as long as you know how to properly install a set of axle shafts, carriers and gears. However if you're going to pay for a shop to do all the work & get new parts from the dealer, as Tinman said, it wouldn't be worth your while financially to do it.
From memory, a tip these guys had to keep the cost of parts down was to contact the shops that do hemi swaps as these places usually have a bunch of transfer cases sitting out the back which have been swapped out for the Atlas, & they'll often also have axles, gears & driveshafts lying around too (otherwize check with the shops that do gear swaps & axle upgrades, as they'll usually have OEM take-off gears & components they'll sell for cheap).
From memory, a tip these guys had to keep the cost of parts down was to contact the shops that do hemi swaps as these places usually have a bunch of transfer cases sitting out the back which have been swapped out for the Atlas, & they'll often also have axles, gears & driveshafts lying around too (otherwize check with the shops that do gear swaps & axle upgrades, as they'll usually have OEM take-off gears & components they'll sell for cheap).
08-20-2011, 05:59 PM
#7
JK Enthusiast
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I would say if your looking to pick up a used d30 axle and throw that in there that would be great but if I was you and wish I would have gone this route.... you can pic up a good condition used d60 from a junk yard or a you pull it yard from 1000 to 2000$ and cut off all mounting points clean it up and order all your mounts from like rusty's or northridge and weld them on.. you can use your front false tube for all your measurements but hey thats just my opinion 
hope it all works out for you 
hope it all works out for you
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08-20-2011, 06:24 PM
#8
JK Junkie
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I would love to go the D60 route, but that would cost way over my college budget. I would rather go the D30 way, that way I don't have to regear the rear or look for non free takeoffs.
08-20-2011, 06:35 PM
#9
JK Newbie
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I actually found that you can do it for about 1600.00, in parts only. There is a jeep scrap yard in rancho Cordova California ca. That would have everything you need. Axle tcase wiring suspension. Lot cheaper than trading it in IMO.