Convert a 2-by to a 4-by or buy new?

jcreme · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:48 pm

I guys. THis is my first post! I just found this site. Cool forum.

I bought my wife a 2x4 liberty last year and now we've caught the jeep bug and I wish it was 4x4. We really want to do trail rides and jambories, etc.

I've restored a few cars from the ground up (not off-road) and have built maybe 10 engines, so I'm thinking it couldn't be that hard to convert a 2x4 into a 4x4. Just buy the stuff from chrysler and throw it on, right?

I've researched a little and figured that if we were to sell our liberty and buy one EXACTLY like it, except 4x4, it would cost us $5-6k This is asically the difference in KBB trade-in vs retail plus the additional cost of 4WD. It seems like I should be able to covert ours for a lot less than that, right?

Of course, I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't suspect I was wrong. What's the fine print? Would it be better just to buy new?

PitViper · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2005 9:29 pm

I would guess the parts them selfs if bought new would cost that much. Your best bet for parts would be finding a wrecked 4x4.

I was in your same boat once... I bought a 04' sport 4x2 last year and wished every day after I would have gone for the 4x4. So anyway I ended up with a 05' 4x4 Renegade last month.

I just couldn’t justify the cost or the pain of trying to make it all work, plus pretty much voiding your whole power train warranty.

Troysterr · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2005 9:39 pm

I'd be inclined to install a Powertrax in the rear, wheel with it for a couple of years, then get a new 4x4 when your warranty runs out.

I've said this before, but I really feel like a 4X2 w/ a Powertrax will make you as capable as an open 4x4. Plus, you're a lot lighter!

Depends on what you're doing, though...a 4x4 is better than a 4x2 in soft sand and on dirt roads. For rock crawling, a locked 4x2 would work pretty well, I think.

Edwin · **Posted:** Mon Sep 12, 2005 11:04 pm

Troysterr wrote:

I'd be inclined to install a Powertrax in the rear, wheel with it for a couple of years, then get a new 4x4 when your warranty runs out.

I've said this before, but I really feel like a 4X2 w/ a Powertrax will make you as capable as an open 4x4. Plus, you're a lot lighter!

Depends on what you're doing, though...a 4x4 is better than a 4x2 in soft sand and on dirt roads. For rock crawling, a locked 4x2 would work pretty well, I think.

Buy a 4x4 and then add a powertrax no-slip, and it will crawl all over the place. 4x4's have a low range, 4x2's don't. There's a dern good dealer in Temple, TX that's real good on prices. Tell me what you want and I'll see if they have it and how much it cost.

Troysterr · **Posted:** Tue Sep 13, 2005 8:57 am

Edwin wrote:

4x4's have a low range, 4x2's don't.

Excellent point...scratch what I said. :oops:

jcreme · **Posted:** Tue Sep 13, 2005 9:50 am

Thanks for the advice guys. Since I posted last night, I've been thinking about the effort and frusteration involved in a conversion. In a perfect world, It might be fun, but with a new wife, a new kid, a new (well, very old) house, I'm not exactly sittin' around twiddlin' my thumbs. It's starting to look a lot less attractive.

It'd be cool, I guess. It would give you a chance to sort of start from scratch with the driveline, I suppose.

A junked 4x4 is a good option too. I hadn't thought of that.

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 13, 2005 12:22 pm

jcreme wrote:

II bought my wife a 2x4 liberty last year

I know if I was your wife, I would be mad if you bought me a plank of wood to drive around in. :wink:

Calvin56 · **Joined:** Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:59 am **Posts:** 345

If you are going through all that hastle anyway, you might as well just JEDIJEEP it: http://home.comcast.net/~jedijawa/
:twisted:

TheChucklesStart · **Posted:** Tue Sep 13, 2005 4:38 pm

You could wait a year, buy a new rear drive shaft and a transfer case and then put a solid axel in the front.

You could do the drive shaft and the transfer case soon and wait for the SFA conversion that is going to come out (hopefully next summer).

You probably need more than just a new transfer case and a shorter drive shaft to make it work, but thats all I know is under there at this point, lol.

jcreme · **Posted:** Tue Sep 13, 2005 5:17 pm

Guyute1210 wrote:

jcreme wrote:

II bought my wife a 2x4 liberty last year

I know if I was your wife, I would be mad if you bought me a plank of wood to drive around in. :wink:

Haha. I grew up in a home-building family. I think 2x4 was my first word!

jcreme · **Posted:** Tue Sep 13, 2005 5:37 pm

Calvin56 wrote:

If you are going through all that hastle anyway, you might as well just JEDIJEEP it: http://home.comcast.net/~jedijawa/
:twisted:

Wow. wow. I'm not THAT hardcore (yet).

Strikeagle · **Posted:** Wed Sep 14, 2005 1:27 am

You probably are better off either selling it private party or trading it in. Private party sales are always better but you have to take the time to meet with potential buyers. Doing a conversion would probably bring more grief and expense. you may need more than a transfercase,axles, driveshafts- you may need new spindles, springs, ABS components for the spindles, etc. $$$ Cars are a neccesity, not an investment. So dont feel too bad if you trade it for a 4x4, just keep the positive thoughts and think of the fun you'll have with the 4x4 instead of the headaches in the garage. Remember ,while your working on the car it will be out of service and you'll need a spare, that may also affect your budget. Your wife and the baby will appreciate the new and safe car too.
Been there-done that with alot of things.
hope that helps.

vxla · **Posted:** Wed Sep 14, 2005 11:55 pm

Take the $6k you're going to spend on the conversion and put it towards a used TJ or YJ. You'll get more places for cheaper. Save the libby for getting groceries.

Edwin · **Posted:** Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:11 am

vxla wrote:

Take the $6k you're going to spend on the conversion and put it towards a used TJ or YJ. You'll get more places for cheaper. Save the libby for getting groceries.

I don't think that was the question.

vxla · **Posted:** Thu Sep 15, 2005 1:00 am

Too bad, kj's are just pointless expensive and full-of-hassle to modify. I don't get why they are; you'd think after almost 4 years of production people would take an interest.

Anyone know how long it took for xj mods to become widely available and cheap?

Edwin · **Posted:** Thu Sep 15, 2005 7:58 am

vxla wrote:

Too bad, kj's are just pointless expensive and full-of-hassle to modify. I don't get why they are; you'd think after almost 4 years of production people would take an interest.

Anyone know how long it took for xj mods to become widely available and cheap?

Why post here then? Get rid of the KJ and buy you something else and move on some where else and quit threadjacking! THAT WAS NOT THE QUESTION HE ASKED!!!! :shock:

Jesus Levy · **Posted:** Thu Sep 15, 2005 1:35 pm

vxla wrote:

Too bad, kj's are just pointless expensive and full-of-hassle to modify. I don't get why they are; you'd think after almost 4 years of production people would take an interest.

Anyone know how long it took for xj mods to become widely available and cheap?

Would you please get LOST ??

TheChucklesStart · **Posted:** Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:04 pm

Sorry to say, but I don't think it would be any easier to harder to convert a 2x4 wrangerl, cherokee or grand to a 4x4 than it would be to do that to a liberty. I have a friend who got a 2x4 toyota tacoma because that was all he could afford at the time, and he said it was going to be nice job

I would say that in a years time, it might even get easier. I say this because in about a years time, there will be a SFA conversion kit that will give you most of a new front end which you would have to scrounge around to get otherwise.

I can understand some peoples frustration with the liberty, but things are gong to change soon with the SFA kit(s) that is/are going to come out.

I have heard rumors of several different companies thinking about making one (although, I bet only 1 or 2 actually will). Once that happens the jeep liberty will become almost closer to the later uniframe cherokees out there in terms of mods.

I think that the harder wheeling that will ensue will cause more people to want new bumpers making more of those come out. Also more armor for underneath will probably come out that is stronger/better than the stock armor.

I think it took 5 or 6 years for the xj to become popular mod-wise (so an article I read reviewing the kj in 2002 said). That means that we should be happy we will have a SFA before 2007 (5 years).

That is all I have to say. Don't give up on the liberty yet, it still has its best years in front of it.

KaJunKJ · **Posted:** Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:24 am

anyone know how i can get in touch with JEDIJEEP? also, does anyone know if the 4x4 components would just bolt on to a 4x2 or is a whole new transmission needed?

Convert a 2-by to a 4-by or buy new?

Who is online