Rav4 2x4 -> 4x4 Conversion Documentation?
 

Does anyone have any documentation on a 2x4 Rav4 to 4x4 conversion? My g/f drives one and she really wants to take it to the snow and stuff. I know they came in 4x4 so would it be a matter of finding parts at a junkyard?

Thanks,
Steve

i sure don't know about a rav4. it's possible on a 4runner, that's for sure. casey did it a few weeks ago, and schefer will be coming out with the write up.

i'd imagine it'd be harder to find the parts for a rav4 since they're not as prevalent can't interchange parts with any other toyota 4wd, to my knowledge. maybe a higlander?

if you can get a smokin deal on parts and labor, it's something to consider. otherwise what you'll hear is just sell it and get a 4wd.

I bet dollars to donuts that the front uses the same diffs and axles out of the front wheen drive cars, a la celica. But as for which diff I have no idea. I've never been a fan of the conversion. I think you'd be better off selling the 2wd. I see quite a few RAV's around town so you should'nt have too much trouble what ever route she picks

that doesnt make any sence. FWD cars use transaxles. 4x4s go from the motor to the trans to a transfer case then to the diffs.

also rav4s dont have a part time T-case and dont have a low range.

youd be better off selling it and getting a 4x4.

Yes, it can be done and has been done. They use the same tranaxle as the All-Trac Celica. You can pick one of these up from alot of Celica owners. The popular swap for the Celica is to go to the 3S-GTE engine out of the all-Trac. They buy front clips which incluse the transaxle, but most don't use it because they would also need to get their hands on the rear axle and a few other select parts. This is just too much work and requires too much know how for most people that drive those cars.

But to answer your question, yes, I've seen it done. You could also get an Alltrac front clip for you RAV4 and drop in the 3S-GTE.....that is what I saw when I saw it done. Check out www.toysport.com.....they might have a project car or something on there that they have do this to. They won't be any help as far as technical side of things. They only help people that buy their parts from them. Also, search for "RAV4, 3S-GTE" on google or other search engine....I'm sure you'll find something.

The 3S-GTE would be a sweet engine in your RAV4. Lots of aftermarket support and I've seen these little 4 bangers push up to 1000hp. Lots of people are getting 300+hp with very little modifications. Check out www.alltrac.net for lots of infor on these engines.

Basically if you have anymore questions about this on this board, I am probably your best source of info. No offense guys, I look to most of you for 4Runner info, but if I know anything it's Celicas. Feel free to send me a private message.

Sweet! I'll let you know if I have any more questions! Thanks for those links.

Steve

I know Celica's pretty well too! :P

And you are my kind of guy too. An All-Trac and a supercharged 4Runner! You don't F@ck around do you? lol

Learn something everyday as I didn't know you can get 2wd Rav4's.

All Oz Rav4's are AWD but not true 4wd as they have no low range. Whether its possible to also fit some sort of transfer underneath I don't know as I've never looked.

A transfer case isn't possible with the RAV4 set-up to my knowledge. If you know how the drivetrain is set-up or if you got a chance to look at one you'd see what I mean. Still, for what his GF wants to do with it, the standard drive train should work fine. If she wanted to get in to rock climbing and stuff like that I'd say buy a cheap 1st generation truck or Runner.

I would have to agree. She just wants to feel safer going to the snow and besides, in a few months my 4Runner will be rolling again. I can use it for crawling and trails and stuff.

Thanks guys,
Steve

I would bet you dollars to doughnuts that making a RAV AWD requires putting the CV's in the rear and not the front.

The improvement would be negligible. My mom has an 03 that is AWD. It has lame street tires so anything more than an inch of snow and it is pretty much garage bound.

You'd have to see the way that the drivetrain is set up. And yes, it has CV half shafts in the rear. It has a center differential (which if I remeber right is the 7.5") and then half shafts out of that. The front runs half shafts as well, like a FWD car. Basically that's what it is with a drive shaft coming out the back. Not a terrible AWD set-up. I mean Carlos Sainz raced the All-Trac Celica in the WRC for years.

Yep its basically the same setup as the Subi's and the AWD DSM's. Viscous Cuppling (SP?) where the "transfer case" is attached to a FWD Transverse engine and a driveshaft runs straight back to the rear diff with CV axles.

Are these transfer cases attached to the transverese selectable? Can you choose fwd or 4x4? Or is it AWD?

They are not selectable, they are AWD systems.

Toyota also makes another type of system that was on the old Camry SR5. On it the engine is set up straight like a truck. Half shafts came out of the sides of the transmission. This is not the same set-up as the RAV4, though. I don't think it was selectable either. I'm just posting this FYI.

Thanks Dan, I've actually seen those Camry's before. I believe the early Corollas used that same system. I have yet to check out a AWD Rav, I really should. Thanks!

Yeah, I meant Corolla SR5....not sure about the Camrys....I haven't seen one like that, but guess there are.