Alrighty, well I am about to be back in a Toyota after a selling my 4runner a few years ago in order to take care of other obligations. The problem is everybody seems to think 4runners are made of gold, and are instant "rock crawlers" which means everything is either beat to crap or an auto which no one seems to want. I have been reading on here and 2 other boards about swapping in an AW4 which with a few subtle changes bolt in but I am wondering why no one uses the stock transfer case? I understand dana 300s are stronger and an Atlas would be great but I can't justify to my wife the cost. So what other reasons are out there to not do this?


Abridged version:
When swapping transmissions why not use the stock transfercase instead of a Dana 300 or Atlas?

 

which stock t-case are you referring to? the one behind autos or the one behind manuals? also, why does no-one want autos? I've wheeled both autos and sticks, and will never go back to sticks. a well built rig with an auto does way better for me.

 

I have to agree, not everyone loves manuals more. I've wheeled several manuals and autos and I like both. Autos are nice, they kinda give the "golf cart" effect - just push the pedal and go. Manuals give you more control, but modern autos are pretty nice and are way better for DD'ing and especially in stop and go traffic.

I wish my runner was an "instant rock crawler" because then I wouldn't have had to spend thousands on making it into a capable 4x4. Most of us on here have done a lot of different mods to our rigs because we understand that in stock form, the 4runner isn't anything to brag about off road. It is an awesome base to start building on though!

 

The other nice thing about wheelin autos is they tend to hide a lack of gearing... i.e. are less picky when you put too big of tires on and didnt regear the 3rds.