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2wd to 4wd conversion?


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I have a Loyale with a good trans but a bad body due to a crash. I want to get a new body to move my trans into but I have a 2wd automatic. If I find a 4wd automatic, will I be able to use my transmission still? I'm fuzzy on the differences on how they connect.

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I bought a 2WD wagon years ago. Put the 4WD 3AT into it. Added the rear diff. Had to fabrication a mount for the center driveshaft bearing. Had swap the 2WD rear trailing arms for 4WD ones. Has to add a wire and swap the shifter to get the 4WD button. The cross piece that monuts the rear of the Trans may need to swap also. The frame / body had holes punched part way through for the mustache bar (rear diff mount), so I drilled them through. Used a hole saw to make access holes to put nuts on the bolts. You also need the suspension bar from a 4wd for the front diff mount. Or weld the tabs onto the one you have.

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I have a Loyale with a good trans but a bad body due to a crash. I want to get a new body to move my trans into but I have a 2wd automatic. If I find a 4wd automatic, will I be able to use my transmission still? I'm fuzzy on the differences on how they connect.

yes the 2wd trans will just bolt in. You leave off the driveline and can leave everything else hooked up.
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What's your desired end result here? You can bolt a 2wd trans into a 4wd car if you wanna do that for some reason, why not. You just won't have a rear driveshaft. You can also put a 4wd trans in a 2wd car, just put a stub in the end of the tranny so it doesn't leak fluid out. Not sure why you'd want to do this, but go ahead, it'll work.

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What's your desired end result here? You can bolt a 2wd trans into a 4wd car if you wanna do that for some reason, why not. You just won't have a rear driveshaft. You can also put a 4wd trans in a 2wd car, just put a stub in the end of the tranny so it doesn't leak fluid out. Not sure why you'd want to do this, but go ahead, it'll work.

I need a new body but my trans has like 2k miles on it. It was JUST rebuilt. I'm finding way more 4wd Subies than 2wd, which is not surprising. I want to find a subie needing a trans and put mine in. Edited by pheebs314
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you want to put a 2WD automatic 3AT transmission into a 4WD automatic or 4WD manual or either one?

 

that shouldn't be a problem at all.

 

i've installed 2WD 4EAT's into a 4WD 4EAT and it all plugged right up and ran without even swapping the computer. 

you don't have a computer to deal with in the 3AT so sounds simple. 

 

swap away!?....I75eye just confirmed it as i typed...

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Ok, I wasn't sure. You could put the 2WD in place of the 4WD easier. Me, I would drive the 4WD until it developed trouble, then use the parts from the 2WD to fix it. Assuming the problem was with the common parts.

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