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PreRunner 4WD Conversion ( SAR_Squid79 )

23K views 63 replies 27 participants last post by  HillBilly_Young01 
#1 · (Edited)
So I've finally done it!

Right now I'm about 90% finished. I still have to mount the front Drive Shaft, mount the Twin-Sticks, and button up the center console.

Last weekend I got all of the following done:
  • Removed stock UCA's
  • Removed stock PreRunner Spindles
  • Installed new Camburg UCA's
  • Installed 4WD Spindles w/ Aisin manual hubs
  • Installed Donahoe Racing Extended-Travel Coilovers
  • Installed front diff
  • Installed CV Shafts

I was so pressed for time (b/c I was doing all the work 100% on my own) that I didn't have time to stop and take any pictures. I couldn't even stop to eat lunch!

Here's a pic from this week where - if you look close - you'll notice Manual Hubs, Camburg UCA's and Donahoes:


This weekend I've gotten the following done:

  • Removed stock PreRunner drive shaft
  • Removed transmission tail housing
  • Installed new Inchworm tail housing/adapter plate
  • Installed Inchworm Transfer Case
  • BudBuilt Crossmember Installed
  • Installed rear drive shafts

Here are a few pics from that:

Tail Housing Removed from PreRunner Transmission:

Inchworm PreRunner Adapter Plate:

Inchworm PreRunner casting and coupler mounted:

Inchworm "Lefty" Transfer Case Installed:

I got the Crossmember mounted up, but I ran out of time at the shop so I didn't get a pic with the Crossmember mounted, and Rear D-shaft connected.

The calculations that I did in THIS THREAD ended up being right on! I took a stock 4WD Tacoma rear driveshaft and had it shortened by 4", and it turned out to be dead on balls! My logic that since I'm shortening the rear D-shaft by 4", I should extend the front D-shaft by 4" . . . that turned out to be WRONG! My front driveshaft is about 1" too long. So I'm gonna have it shortened back down by about 2 1/2" and it should be perfect.

Everything has gone pretty smooth. No big drama, aside from not having a few bolts that I needed, and stuff like that. I will take and post more pics as I get the last few details buttoned up.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
The Cost!

For you inquiring minds that want to know how much this conversion cost - Here is how it breaks down:

4WD Conversion Parts & Price List:

Front Drivetrain:
  • 1999 Tacoma Front Diff with 4.88's
  • 1999 4WD Spindles
  • Aisin OEM Manual Hubs
  • CV Shafts
  • OEM 4.10 Gears
    [$800]
  • 1999 ExCab F & R Driveshafts
    [$275]

Tranny / T-Case:
  • Inchworm "Lefty" Gear Driven T-Case w/ 5.0:1 Low Range
  • Inchworm PreRunner Transmission/T-Case Adapter Plate Kit
  • FROR Twin Sticks
  • Toyota T-Case Mount
  • Speed Sensor
    [$2500]
  • BudBuilt Crossmember/Skid Plate
    ($218)

Front Suspension Upgrades:
  • Used Donahoe Racing Extended Travel Coilovers
    ($500)
  • Donahoe Racing Extended Travel Coilovers rebuilt by DR
    ($160)
  • Camburg Uniball Upper Control Arms
    ($475)
  • WabFab Off-Road Swaybar Quick-Disconnects
    ($75)
  • Replacement OEM Lower Ball Joint's
    ($35)

Misc:
  • Regearing front diff back to 4.10
    ($260)
  • Lengthening/shortening Front/Rear Driveshafts
    ($325)
  • Replacement Studs for Manual Hubs
    ($17)
  • Repalcement Gaskets for Manual Hubs
    ($12)
  • New Center Console (front Half for 4WD shifter)
    ($37)

TOTAL:
$5689 (Plus odds & ends like bolts, permatex, etc.)
 
#25 ·
TOTAL:
$5689 (Plus odds & ends like bolts, permatex, etc.)
Ouch ! I spent about $2K but did it all with stock parts. Just to let you Pre Runner guys know, those who are considering a conversion, you can do it cheaper. Just an FYI :)

Nice job by the way. Just my :2cents:, if your going to spend $5K + might as well SAS it. I didn't have $5K which is the only reason I did a stock conversion. SAS is planned in the future though, at least now it won't cost near as much since I have a few of the big items I needed for SAS
 
#4 ·
good for you man, thats great!
 
#5 ·
Jamie, I SOOOO wish that I could have been able to come up to help you out. If things would have been ready in March, I would have been all over it. I'm glad that things went nice and smooth (kinda like I told you they would). :D You and I need to talk about Moab though. Bad news on my end but hopefully good news for you. Gimme a buzz sometime soon.
 
#8 ·
Hey, Jamie, way to go, especially considering you did this single-handedly! (Well, you probably used both hands, but you get the idea...)

-Radar
 
#9 ·
Nice job Jamie. That Inchworm transfer case looks sweet. Only question that I have is why didn't you just regear the rear to 4.88 instead of staying with 4.10s?
 
#10 ·
Because on THIS TRUCK - I don't forsee myself ever going with any tires bigger than 32's or 33's, and I'm already Supercharged with all the performance mods, and everything - so I have plenty of power.

Even if I was going to regear, I would need to regear to 4.56 as 4.88 would be way too much.

In the T-case I got 5.00:1 in Low Range, so I think I'm all set on my gearing.
 
#13 ·
Jamie, which method of getting the UCAs off and pressing in the slug into the spindle? I'm trying to get prepped for doing mine here soon. Thanks!

-Radar
 
#14 ·
On my Truck getting the stock UCA's off was a snap. Nothing to it. Just remember to unbolt the airbag sensors. Getting all 4 washers on there with the new UCA's was a little tricky, but IT CAN BE DONE (and done by yourself - as long as your arms are as long as mine!)

Getting the slug into the spindle was 1/2 home-made press, and 1/2 hammer!

Got the idea for the home-made press from here:
http://www.parksoffroad.com/tacomamods/allpro1inuni/allpro1inuni.htm

 
#15 ·
Awesome job! . . . Congrats from a fellow convert! . . . Got any trails to go back and show who's boss? I know I did. . . . Going back with 4WD makes the old obsticals feel like a walk in the park. . . . But of course there's always bigger and badder stuff out there. . . .
 
#16 ·
Damn dude! That's awesome!

BTW, what's the matter with your fellow Illinoisians, they couldn't help a brother out ; )
 
#17 ·
BTW, what's the matter with your fellow Illinoisians
...You tell me and we'll both know!

I don't mean this as an attack against anyone, and I didn't expect people to drop what's going on in their lives to help me out, but ever since I moved here from SoCal, Midwest TTORA has proven tima and time again to be nothing but a lot of hot air. With few exceptions most of the guys from around here are a bunch of flakes that can't be counted on.

The times we've tried to get a trail run together (with the exception of Tall Corn) it always starts with 10 people saying "I'll be there, dude!" and it always whittles down to 1 or 2 guys that actually go, or the whole thing falls apart and nobody goes.

I wasn't really counting on anyone to show up and help, and I made sure I had all the resouces I needed to do it all on my own if I had to . . . but it would have been nice to have had some assistance.


Yet another reason that it will be nice to get back to SoCal where there's actually a pretty big corps of ACTIVE WHEELERS - not web wheelers.
 
#18 ·
nice dude, ive been contemplating the prerunner adapter and the lefty, i think im just gonna find a used case and used tranny to do mine

did it throw the case shifter farther back or what?
 
#31 ·
When I get back from Moab, I'll let you know if this is the way to go, or not. It is expensive, though...

The case shifter - since I got it set up forward shift fo Twin sticks - the shifter actually ended up being more or less in the stock location.
 
#19 ·
nice job!!!

just a question though, why didnt you just do a sas instead? it would have turned out about the same price. just curious b/c thats what i would have done, but you may not be wanting to go that far with your truck YET. lol
 
#20 ·
Nice job man. Questiion. Seems I remember you saying you ran the Superlift ORV park in Hot Springs as a locked prerunner. Are there some decent trails I could run there with my prerunner? Im getting kinda tired of beach wheeling and looking for some trails. Nothing too hard core, but a challege at least. You've been an inspiration. I think I see a conversion in my future
 
#32 ·
Yes - I did do TakeOver at Superlift ORV in my locked PreRunner...

...Superlift has the oddest terrain I've ever seen. At Tall Corn in Iowa, I could keep up with the 4WD boys at every turn. At Superlift - the terrain is noting but shitty small loose sharp rocks. It's very very loose, and uneven terrain. I hate to rain on your parade, but I would NOT recommend going to Superlift in your PreRunner. I only did 2 trails. I had to take a strap once, and ruined a set of tires. There were a couple of times when I had my truck in Low Gear, and pegged to the floor. I'm Supercharged, and my shit was red-lined. I was just waiting for either my engine or tranny to overheat, or blow up.

I drove all the way to Arkansas to end up wheeling my truck for 1 day, on 2 trails. The rest of TakeOver I rode with other people, took pics, and spotted for people.

There are many places that you can take your PreRunner, but I would not recommend Superlift as one of them. Sorry.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Bear - I consider you to be one of the exceptions.

I COMPLETELY understand about you, and Josh, and all the guys from Iowa not coming to wrench on my truck. Out of all the guys I've actually wheeled with you're the closest one at 3 1/2 hours away! The guys in Iowa are over 5 hours away! As I said in my post - I didn't expect you guys to get on the road at 3 or 4 in the morning to come wrench on MY TRUCK, and (a) have to stay at my place (b) get a hotel, or (c) drive all night to get home..

Perhaps I should have been more specific instead of encompassing all of the Mid-west guys (as I don't even know any Indiana guys besdies you). The part about everyone flaking out - that was a direct reference to you, but not in the way that you took it. We've tried to get Badlands runs together twice (that I was in on). One of those times nobody was interested, and the other time, when the day actually came - out of all the people that said that they were going to go - it came down to only being me and you (but then Badlands had that bad storm and flooded :rolleyes:). That was the time that you contacted me at 6am, and I was already on the road on my way to Badlands, and had to turn around.

You're right - I haven't gone to Kentucky to wheel. I can't justify that kind of distance for a 1-day trip. That's why I always go to Tall Corn - it's 6 hours away, but it's a 3-day event. ...and yes, everytime I've wanted or tried for Badlands something has come up. ...and I don't even know where or what Haspin is.

I didn't mean to offend you with my post, but it is how I trully feel about the supposed TTORA members in my local area. To count in my head - I can think of 8 people that I have made friends with, that I know are active, and contributing members, that I have actually met and wheeled or wrenched with. Of those 8, 2 have moved away and the rest are so far away that I kind of felt that it was unreasonable to expect them to drive this far for me. You, Bear, are one of those 8.

If you want to chaulk this particular incident up to something - I'd say it was part bad communication, and part that I felt guilty about asking or expecting you and Matt and Josh, and Kurt, and Adam to come all the way here for nothing other than to help me out.
 
#24 ·
part that I felt guilty about asking or expecting you and Matt and Josh, and Kurt, and Adam to come all the way here for nothing other than to help me out.
You shouldn't feel guilty about asking. You don't know if you don't ask. I wish a couple of us from Iowa could have made a road trip and helped out for a day or two. Bear may have a good point that some of us midwesterners complain too much about driving more then a couple hours.
 
#23 ·
Jamie, I don't think anything of the drive, Hell back in Texas that is same distance is merely a drive from San Antonio to Houston or Dallas.and back home I would drive it without hesitation. I actually laugh at all these "Midwesterners" that think driving from border to border of say Indiana (as an example) where it takes three hours is such a long drive!…but I digress.

What meant to say is I am sorry I wasn't there to help you out. I do feel guilty.But the biggest issue at hand was the comminucation IMO.

So let's chaulk it up to that…bad comminucation and trudge forward from this point, with no hard feelings!

I know you are going to Moeb soon, and want to trail test things. We are trying to origanize a run to the badlands currently. Hopefully we can get it together before your trip out west. If so, you are more than welcome to join us! maybe this time we won't have a Hurricane hit the night before/morning of the run.

(You were actually on the road that morning when I finally got you on the phone? I did not realize that! Damn)

Again, Jamie I am glad you got your project taken care of! Now let's wipe all this under the rug and do what we should be doing…talking toyota's and planning wheel'n trips!
 
#26 ·
Again, Jamie I am glad you got your project taken care of! Now let's wipe all this under the rug and do what we should be doing…talking toyota's and planning wheel'n trips!
Absolutely!

X 1,000 on no hard feelings.

Moab is 8 days away, and I still have to get my front drive shaft reduced 2.5"

There's no way I'm going to be able to actually wheel my truck before the 18th. :(
 
#29 ·
Bye Bye Cup Holders!

Got the shifter mounted today.

It was overall a pretty simple job. Just a lot of measuring and re-measuring. I had to do a little cutting and a little trimming - nothing a few minutes with the Dremel couldn't handle. On the twin stick, though, I did have to take a torch to one of the handles. The shifter comes with one stick bent to the left, and one stick bent to the right. Well the one that was bent to the right would have been too far over, and would have been into the Auto Trans shifter. The fix was to just make it exactly straight up. With that, and the fore-mentioned dremel timming it fit like a glove!

It came out looking pretty good, too, and shifts great! ...but I had to sacrifice my cup holders. :xbeer2:

Here's the finished product on the interior:



 
#33 ·
IT'S ALIVE!!!!

Got her all finished up today, and took her for her maiden voyage in 4WD!​


Got the Front Driveshaft back from the shop yesterday, and installed it today:







Here's a few shots of the suspension / front end:








And here's a couple of shots of her 1st 4WD trial run!



 
#34 ·
Very nice looking, Jamie! Congrats on all the hard work that has clearly paid off!!

-Radar
 
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