Modifying 4x2 truck into 4x4

October 30, 2011 11:08 AM

What needs to be done to turn a 4x2 Toyota 2011 Tacoma truck to a 4x4?

Sorry to ask this, but I'm mechanically declined. What would it take to turn a 4x2 Toyota Tacoma into a 4x4,as if I'd bought it off the lot instead of buying a 4x2?

posted by badger11 to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (8 answers total)

Best answer: A fuckload of money. At a minimum, you'd need a transfer case, new front axle setup, possibly a new computer, dash switch... And then the 4x4 models have different suspension parts front and back, maybe different final gearing, and different wheels and tires. New drivedhafts. A few body pieces.

This comes up on Toyota forums all the time. Unless you have a donor truck and a lot of time, the cheap and smart way to do this is to go down to the dealer and trade in your truck for a new one.
posted by Forktine at 11:27 AM on October 30, 2011 [2 favorites]

Is the 4x2 a regular 2wd Tacoma, or is it a PreRunner? If it's the latter, it will be slightly cheaper. But 'slightly cheaper' does not mean it's a good idea.

Unless you know how to work on cars, and you enjoy doing it, and you have access to a work area and a donor truck, you're probably better off doing as Forktine suggests.

(Bonus info: the two biggest Tacoma forums are Tacoma World and Custom Tacos.)
posted by box at 11:42 AM on October 30, 2011

Axle, computer, suspension, t-case are the biggies. Cross off the suspension if you're starting with a pre-runner. There's also a whole list of other things that might come up, like regearing, or moving the motor and transmission, but that's generally a case by case thing.
If you have the time, space, and fabrication skills you can do it yourself, and take parts from a ton of other vehicles to do it. If you're paying someone else to do it you'll spend enough to buy two trucks that came from the factory with 4wd.
posted by gally99 at 12:06 PM on October 30, 2011

Convert 2x4 > money.

Convert money > 4x4.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:25 PM on October 30, 2011 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks guys. Appreciate the replies and links. It's a PreRunner. Think I'll have to look into trading it for a 4x4 one.
posted by badger11 at 2:08 PM on October 30, 2011

1) Sell 4x2 Tacoma Pickup.

2) Buy 4x4 Tacoma Pickup.
posted by chosemerveilleux at 3:23 PM on October 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

Actually, if you could buy a donor vehicle for a reasonable price (eg body wrecked in rollover, mechanicals fine), were able to do all the work yourself and could get a reasonable price for the mechanicals you remove, it might be possible to do this within a reasonable budget. However, it's likely to be not much different financially and definitely easier to a huge degree to sell your current vehicle and buy another.
posted by dg at 9:38 PM on October 30, 2011

I was looking into this with older Ford pickups, which I really, really love; spoke with a good friend who is really mechanically inclined and who has a really sweet set-up in his garage, and that, along with the fact that I am also fairly mech inclined and know the trucks *really well* made it something worth considering. But unless I came across the exact right truck almost free, it just really doesn't make any financial sense, as eventually the one that I'd want will come along at the right price anyways, just have to be patient is all. We work well together, it'd be fun to do with my buddy and relatively simple but ... Just not really worth it.

That said, plz do let me know if you come across a really sweet deal (like, free, or close to it) on a wrecked 1992-1996 F150 or F250 4x4 that I tear the body off of and set my current truck body onto so's I can go play in the mud ...

Save your nickels and dimes, sell your current truck, go buy the truck you really want.
posted by dancestoblue at 12:53 AM on October 31, 2011