Can you really permanently switch an AWD to FWD?

[johnceggleston]

on the fronts, removing the top strut to spindle bolt and loosening the lower one will create enough space for axle removal. i have torn down a rear to remove the diff, but i don't remember the details about the axle removal.

 

but rear axles don't fail often so it is possible that it has not been removed since the factory. so it could be a real bear to remove the axle from the hub. so if you could separate the axle without removing it from the hub that would be a plus. but it could be harder to do than with the axle out of the car. even if it is possible.

[Fairtax4me]

i have always thought you could figure a way to do this with out removing the axle from the car by i have never tried.

Big vice grips and a hammer.

Clamp vice grips tight on the axle shaft, hammer away from the hub. This is of course after the diff has been dropped out of the way.

[idosubaru]

yes i've done it. you can remove the entire rear differential and axles and leave the end cups in the hubs by disassembling the rear axles. takes sound pounding to separate the joint but it comes apart eventually.

 

it's not a bad option to simply replace the rear differential if you can find one. they are literally worthless because they rarely fail and so there's no demand, yards are literred with units they'll never sell. if you were close i'd sell you one for $25 which would be worth the time savings invested in removing all those parts.

 

but then again removing all that stuff isn't a bad idea, a good bit of work, but you'll never have rear diff or axle joint and fewer ujoint issues with all of that removed too. and your gas mileage will go up by 0.003 mpg.

[1997reduxe]

Edit#2: YOu know, since I took the car out the other day,

and I've changed the oil out of it, I noticed it seems a lot

quieter in the rear. Of course, it's probably just the impending

converse of having to take the whole thing apart...that and

getting rid of most of the metal out of it.

 

Edit: (Grossgary, can you PM or message me your contact

info if you read this, believe it or not there's only a few of

them listed. Might need to take you up on that diff.)

 

yeah, i think I'm gonna go with the used differential.

Or I'll check out the price of a kit.

If I had a garage I'd go with the whole other project

but I live in an apt., etc.

I have a guy here in Houston who could probably do it

and he's really affordable but I'm not sure he'd be into

experimenting.

But thanks for all this list's help. It's good to know it's

an option.

'97

Edited January 30, 2012 by 1997reduxe

[idosubaru]

i doubt i want to mess with shipping that huge thing, but someone else might. i'm just too busy right now with car stuff, i really don't have time to mess with it aside from meeting up with you. although i was hoping to make a houston-austin trip - "can i check in a rear differential?"

 

but just post in the parts wanted forum, someone will have one. i have noticed they don't list them very often for yards, they don't seem to hold onto those - probably for the reasons i listed earlier, they don't sell because there's no demand.

 

houston, who needs AWD down there anyway, right?

 

my buddy took his to the Subaru dealer in Atlanta and they were very reasonable in price, i was surprised how cheap it was. i posted the price somewhere else on this forum but don't recall specifically how much it was.

[johnceggleston]

the cost of re-installing later would only be the added price of 2 rear axles (rear axles should be cheap). the price of the diff isn't going to change dramatically. so the cost of the axles and your time to remove all the stuff and then re-install all the stuff.

 

less money now to remove the diff and maybe about the same time. but a more money and time later if you wanted to return to AWD.

 

check for parts and prices at www.car-part.com. put in your zip and sort your search by distance. shipping might be expensive. on the off chance that someone swapped in a trans , or rear diff, that did not match the other, compare the trans code number on the bell housing at the starter and the trans number on the id tag on the driver side strut tower before you buy a rear diff. you just want to make sure the rear matches the front. we can help if you post the trans number. (stock rear diff was a 4.11 final drive ratio, and stock trans was a TZ102ZAAAA in 95, or possibly a TZ102ZABAA for a late 95 or 96. i think that trans number is right for 96, but in either case they were both 4.11 final drive ratios.)

 

i would think texas would be a good place to find parts with low salt exposure and or rust. does it snow much in your area.

Edited January 30, 2012 by johnceggleston

[idosubaru]

check for parts and prices at http://www.car-part.com. put in your zip and sort your search by distance. shipping might be expensive.

 

i would think texas would be a good place to find parts with low salt exposure and or rust. does it snow much in your area.

 

they don't list one subaru rear differential in the entire state of Texas...everything is bigger in Texas except their supply of subaru parts LOL. i think places just don't mess with them because there's no demand so better off recycling them?

 

i've looked for subaru rear diffs before and surprisingly few are listed.

 

you might be able to look for rear axles, or a transmission (with matching gear ratio) and then call places and ask if they have the rear diff/vehicle still available too.

[WoodsWagon]

I have a guy here in Houston who could probably do it

and he's really affordable but I'm not sure he'd be into

experimenting.

But thanks for all this list's help. It's good to know it's

an option.

'97

It's not experimenting. Subaru sold FWD only cars from the factory for quite a few years.

 

Pulling the diff, axles and rear section of driveshaft just reverts it to a FWD model.

[Ricearu]

pick and pull junk yards