Converting 2wd Rodeo to 4wd

[DiddyZook]

Bear with me if this is a dumb question or has been covered before, I don't have a Rodeo and have never tried this before.

Good mate of mine has a '99 Rodeo Dualcab, only 2wd. This is his work ute, pride and joy. He loves the Rodeo but regrets not having bought a 4wd (used to have one). He has lifted his Rodeo and runs bigger tyres, already goes better than pretty much any other 2wd but he needs more to keep up offroad.

Can we convert the Rodeo to 4wd? Who has done this before? Can we source a front end (diff, driveshaft etc) and transfercase from wreckers and bolt up? What other changes need to be considered?

Any help appreciated.

DDZOOK

[Utemad]

The only obvious differences between the two V6 models (2wd and 4wd) that I can think of are:

Front diff complete with the CVs and all associated front drive stuff. I think the suspension is the same.
Transfer case. Does the whole gearbox have to be swapped due to the 5speed/transfer being a single unit? (does the 2wd model just have a plate over the hole in the floor?).
Rims and tyres.
Rear diff. According to my manual the 2wd 5 speed has a 4.300 while the 4x4 has a 4.555 although the automatic 2wd has the 4.555.
Plus all the associated wiring although there is probably not much of this.

I would think it would be much easier just to unbolt everything he wants to keep and trade it on a 4x4 model. Especially when you consider having crap resale value as it is not a factory 4x4. I mean who would buy a modded 2x4 when there are 64674856968060 real 4x4s out there to choose from?

[Westoztroopa]

Conversion is not a viable option in my opinion. Not worth the time or the effort to go through what I imagine would be quite an involved process overall. Trade it in on a 4x4 version and save the grief.

Noel

[Tiny]

Conversion is not a viable option in my opinion. Not worth the time or the effort to go through what I imagine would be quite an involved process overall. Trade it in on a 4x4 version and save the grief.

Noel

what about doing a live axle front end? it coulnt be soo hard to get a lix diff and do this, hardly worth the expence of sourcing a rodeo IFS fron when the costs would be similar to do a coil sprung live axel

[Utemad]

what about doing a live axle front end? it coulnt be soo hard to get a lix diff and do this, hardly worth the expence of sourcing a rodeo IFS fron when the costs would be similar to do a coil sprung live axel

Perhaps. However the benefit in going standard Rodeo IFS is that in theory you could get a front cut and just swap the bits. Any backyard hack could probably do it.

The V6 chassis is the same in either 2wd or 4wd and AFAIK the front suspension wouldn't need swapping in its entirety. Just bits perhaps.

Still not worth either method though I reckon. Friend of mine considered doing the same thing to his 2wd Hilux. He ended up just trading it on a 4x4 model and he had full access to an engineering workshop.

[GOT MUD]

i agree with westoztrooper trade it in or he could buy mine its the same but 4x4 turbo diesel

[dani4JB1T]

I`m on the idea of buy a stock 4wd indeed to convert a TFR into TFS. But in the world of mechanics everything is possible. Check this out about a Thai guy converting his loved TFR into solid axles TFS.