hi I have a 1988 2wd pick up and I have been looking in to making it in to 4wd ... has anyone done this ???? PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

Simple:

1. Remove all front 2wd suspension and replace with 4wd pieces.
2. Lift rear suspension to compensate for lifted front suspension.
3. Acquire a 4wd transfercase for your tranny, as well as the 4wd front and rear driveshafts.
4. Cut a hole in the floor so you can add your transfercase shifter.
5.*Replace rear axle with 4wd, 6lug axle.
6. Add in the additional wiring from transfercase to cluster indicating 4wd.
7. Extend brake lines.
*is to indicate an optional step, as maintaining front 6 lug and rear 5 lug is ABSOLUTELY feasible, however unpractical it may be.

Point is, it can be done. But adding price, parts, and time invested will equal something much, MUCH greater than the price of an '88 4wd pickup by itself, already put together by the wonderful Japanese who designed it.

If you don't care about the 2wd truck you've got, sell it and buy a 4wd.
If you're emotionally attached to the truck, get another one because your 4wd will likely get beaten up on the trails anyways, so no need to beat up the custom 2wd-->4wd rig you'd indubitably put out.

Whatever you do, good luck.

 

As mentioned, that's a really involved process. It's a great deal easier to just buy a 4X4 truck, and since they're in decent demand, good-condition 4X4s are to be found.
If you want a picture of the kind of fab work it would take, talk to Eric at Toy Connection or Georg at valley Hybrids. They will give you a look at the big picture of a conversion.
Personally, the only way I'd convert a non-PreRunner to 4x4 would be as a rushed truggy on the cheap. It takes too much effort to get a streetable rig out of it.

 

ok well thanx guys for the info on what I should do on my truck ... have a great day ..

 

After all they told you , hope it doesnt bother my question, but what have you decided to do???

i want to do the same thing to my emotionally attached 85' longbed
about to do the 3" body lift in the next days

 

After all they told you , hope it doesnt bother my question, but what have you decided to do???

i want to do the same thing to my emotionally attached 85' longbed
about to do the 3" body lift in the next days

 

Check out Gizler's "build for a buddy 2wd sas build" on the 84-85' buildup forum.

I would love to have a second Gen Xcab, but they're usually all beat and rusted out, seems like the 2wds are always in alot better shape. I would like to take on a project like this someday. If you have the tools, mechanical ability, and patience, I say go for it!

 

I am looking at turning a 4 runner in to 4x4 but using a dana 44 front and Corp 12 in rear

 

Well I think people where a little jumpy on the buy a new truck. Though the costs may be a bit higher the frame is generally very straight and there has been much less moilested parts in the 2wd. I think if you want to have a reliable wheeler you are going to want to rebuild most everything at the same time as to have it all work well together. sure you have to buy a few axles and a few more parts but then you are putting all brand new pieces together. I go and buy a truck for 1200 or less and there is going to be a lot of very unreliable parts as well as a lot of redneck engineering on most toyota 4xs that have been around for 20-25 years. I got my 2wd in trade for an sks and met a few connections to get some of the parts cheap not to mention sourcing the parts are not to hard as most people bang up their trucks with no intention of fixing it and sell of the parts needed. Of course the area you are looking for the truck makes a difference but I still believe 2wd give a better base to start with if you plan on doing the work no matter what truck it is you get. Being handy and knowing how to use forums such as yotatech help a lot. This of course just my 2cents!!

 

One plus besides the ones others have mentioned is way less crap you have to chop off the frame. That's probably one of the most time consuming/PITA parts of the SAS.