4wd Conversion - '07 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner
tl;dr
- 4wd Tacoma prices are sky-high, so I swapped my current truck's transmission.
Why?
Common question! The total cost of this conversion was in the ballpark of $5,000. At the time of the project, my current truck may have sold for $10k. In my area, Tacoma trucks reign over all others and 4x4's demand steep prices ($15k - $25k). Even the lower end of that can be a crapshoot of high-miles, bad paint, poor maintenance history, etc. Ultimately, my reasoning came down to:
- I like my current truck
- I love to learn
The Basics
The process for converting an '07 V6 PreRunner boils down to the following components:
Major Components
- Transmission - A750F (the 'F' stands for four-wheel drive)
- Front Differential
- FJ Cruiser Transfer Case
- 4wd Tacoma Front/Rear Driveshafts - Ensure the donor vehicle has the same frame (i.e. Double Cab, etc.)
Minor Components:
- Differential/Transmission breather hoses
- CV Axles
- Wheel Hubs/Bearings
- Miscellaneous nuts and bolts
What I'd Do Differently
Important lessons I learned during the installation process:
-
Make sure the transmission is flush and dowel pins are in the holes before you start bolting the bell housing. As you tighten each bell housing bolt, ensure you can still rotate the flex plate.
-
Delete the Electronic Automatic Differential Disconnect from the beginning. These are highly susceptible to water damage and thus prevent the front differential from shifting in/out of 4wd.