Before I begin the Conversion

[Stuck CAPS]

Alright, now that I've got around 1/3 of the price saved up now, it won't be too long before I start sourcing parts. Now, I know that the vast majority of you haven't converted a 4th gen to 4WD, but a lot of you will still be able to answer some questions about it.

First things first, a list of parts for the conversion:

- 4x4 Transmission with Transfer Case
- Front Diff (with matching rear gears if you can pull that off.)
- Both CVs (Right & Left )
- Both Drive Shafts (Front & Rear)
- Front Diff Mounting Bracket (Y Shaped Bracket that holds up the Tail)
- Front Diff Mounting Arms w/bushings (you will also need the long bolts, I recommend also using a diff drop kit also)
- Front Hub and Bearing Assembly (the old one gets destroyed when removed to install Drive Flange)
- Front 4x4 drive flange
- Front Wheel Bearing Seal Kit
- 4x4 skid plate
- 4WD Shift Selector (2wd T4R are prewired for the switch)
- 4x4 controller ECM (89530-35310)
- Toyota pin convectors for ECM
- ECM Plugs (90980-12149 & 90980-12150) Note: one plug is prewired, the second plug (from the ECM to the t-case you will have to make your own harness or cut one out of a donor, the parts are not avail via Toyota)
- 4wd dash light
- Transfer Case Cross Member
- Transfer Case Mount

Now for the questions:
1. Some of these parts are "not avail via Toyota", but I don't know whether that means available through the dealerships to the public, or made by some independent contractor strictly for Toyota. Any input would be nice. [MENTION=64685]TOY2G[/MENTION] if you could chime in on this (We've spoken about the overall conversion in the past, but we never really got too far into the discussion of how a plug is acquired outside what's mentioned in that post over at T120.)

2. Doing this in steps: Say that I have the 4WD Trans and the transfer case bolted up, as well as the shorter drive shaft for a 4WD drive-train installed. Assuming the T-Case is not sitting in 4LO, would I be able to drive without the 4WD ECM, front Diff, 4WD hubs, CV Axles, etc.? Even with the 4WD ECM and selector switch wired up (still no front half of drive train), would I be able to drive? OR would I have to knock it all out before I'm able to drive again?

3. Where IS the Torsen center differential located: Within the transfer case? If not, if it's somewhere between the two, would I be able to get one later on? [MENTION=4242]mysticz[/MENTION] IIRC, you're running with no center differential: I don't know if you've driven a (factory) 4x4 4R, but would it even be worth it going back in and adding a center differential if the answer to the first part of the question is that I would lose one by buying the Transmission and Transfer case separately?

4. For the 4WD lights, would I be able to get by not using a 4WD light at all? From what I've learned from speaking to [MENTION=63211]emelianenkov[/MENTION] and [MENTION=64685]TOY2G[/MENTION] , is that I would have to find an instrument cluster at or around my mileage to swap in. I also found that I could buy a full instrument cluster from the dealership, and get the mileage dialed in, but that would be expensive. If I were to find an instrument cluster under my current mileage, would I somehow be able to increase the mileage to my current mileage, or get this done without running myself 1 or 2 grand over my estimated cost?

5. Specifically; to those who have done (at least somewhat) extensive modification under their 4Rs, i.e. 4WD conversion, Transmission replacement, Transfer case replacement, etc.; Living in MO, we get a lot of salt on our roads, so rust is, to say the very least, a problem. How much time should I expect to put into re-tapping holes, etc., and are there any preemptive maneuvers I could take to avoid having to retap holes? (Bolts are much easier to replace without re-tapping, and buying bolts isn't too much of a problem )

Thanks in advance to those who read through this lengthy post, especially those who are able to help with some of these questions/concerns. Please refrain from the "Just trade your truck in for a 4WD" posts. I'm set on this, not only because I want to keep MY truck (Because I REALLY do), but also because this project, although pretty extensive, is something I want to do. I guess you could say it has slowly become a dream of mine.

Edit: I will make my best effort to write this up with pictures, etc, using factory parts, because although MysticZ's write-up has helped quite a bit, its only problem, in my case, at least, is that a lot of it was custom work, using parts from the FJ, etc. (Not trying to bag on you, MysticZ )

 

[TOY2G]

Alright, now that I've got around 1/3 of the price saved up now, it won't be too long before I start sourcing parts. Now, I know that the vast majority of you haven't converted a 4th gen to 4WD, but a lot of you will still be able to answer some questions about it.

First things first, a list of parts for the conversion:


Now for the questions:
1. Some of these parts are "not avail via Toyota", but I don't know whether that means available through the dealerships to the public, or made by some independent contractor strictly for Toyota. Any input would be nice. [MENTION=64685]TOY2G[/MENTION] if you could chime in on this (We've spoken about the overall conversion in the past, but we never really got too far into the discussion of how a plug is acquired outside what's mentioned in that post over at T120.)

2. Doing this in steps: Say that I have the 4WD Trans and the transfer case bolted up, as well as the shorter drive shaft for a 4WD drive-train installed. Assuming the T-Case is not sitting in 4LO, would I be able to drive without the 4WD ECM, front Diff, 4WD hubs, CV Axles, etc.? Even with the 4WD ECM and selector switch wired up (still no front half of drive train), would I be able to drive? OR would I have to knock it all out before I'm able to drive again?

3. Where IS the Torsen center differential located: Within the transfer case? If not, if it's somewhere between the two, would I be able to get one later on? [MENTION=4242]mysticz[/MENTION] IIRC, you're running with no center differential: I don't know if you've driven a (factory) 4x4 4R, but would it even be worth it going back in and adding a center differential if the answer to the first part of the question is that I would lose one by buying the Transmission and Transfer case separately?

4. For the 4WD lights, would I be able to get by not using a 4WD light at all? From what I've learned from speaking to [MENTION=63211]emelianenkov[/MENTION] and [MENTION=64685]TOY2G[/MENTION] , is that I would have to find an instrument cluster at or around my mileage to swap in. I also found that I could buy a full instrument cluster from the dealership, and get the mileage dialed in, but that would be expensive. If I were to find an instrument cluster under my current mileage, would I somehow be able to increase the mileage to my current mileage, or get this done without running myself 1 or 2 grand over my estimated cost?

5. Specifically; to those who have done (at least somewhat) extensive modification under their 4Rs, i.e. 4WD conversion, Transmission replacement, Transfer case replacement, etc.; Living in MO, we get a lot of salt on our roads, so rust is, to say the very least, a problem. How much time should I expect to put into re-tapping holes, etc., and are there any preemptive maneuvers I could take to avoid having to retap holes? (Bolts are much easier to replace without re-tapping, and buying bolts isn't too much of a problem )

Thanks in advance to those who read through this lengthy post, especially those who are able to help with some of these questions/concerns. Please refrain from the "Just trade your truck in for a 4WD" posts. I'm set on this, not only because I want to keep MY truck (Because I REALLY do), but also because this project, although pretty extensive, is something I want to do. I guess you could say it has slowly become a dream of mine.

Edit: I will make my best effort to write this up with pictures, etc, using factory parts, because although MysticZ's write-up has helped quite a bit, its only problem, in my case, at least, is that a lot of it was custom work, using parts from the FJ, etc. (Not trying to bag on you, MysticZ )

I think I can cover most of this for you, or at least make it more confusing.

1. The plugs that are not avail through Toyota, you can get from a junk yard. Simply rip out the glove box, find the 4x4 ECU and pull it. Then take the two plugs that are plugged into it, one goes over toward the HVAC and the other goes toward the kick panel. You only need the plug that goes under the vehicle to the transfer case. You have two options, cut the plugs off leaving enough wire (6" or so) to make your own harness (the option I used) or trace the wires from the ECM to the T-Case and pull that portion of the harness. The 4x4 ECU is not expensive. And if you do not have access to a pin out, you may want to take the entire harness from the ECU to the T-Case ( I believe it's was only 5 wires)


2. I'm not sure if you are using a V8 AWD transfer case it a V6 part time. But if you out the 4x4 ECU in the vehicle and try to drive it with the AWD transfer case it will not work because it will think you are loosing traction and it won't want to move. The rest if your questions about this I cannot answer because I did not try it without everything hooked up.

3. I made a mistake when I started the swap, I was going to just get the t-case and keep my 2wd transmission. As it turned out, they have different tail shafts and there is an adaptor between them that you must have. And from my experience (when converting my Lexus to 4x4) this adaptor is very hard to come by, they don't sell it with the t-case, and they don't sell it with the transmission....it just gets pulled and dropped someplace. So do yourself a favor and buy the entire package from in vehicle. In fact one donor vehicle can provide you with 90% of the parts you need, and if you manage to pull the spindles, gauge cluster, and traction device buttons perhaps 100%.

When I did mine there was not a lot of these in the junk yard, so I had to buy stuff all over the US and from Toyota. If you find a donor vehicle you can do your entire swap with ease. Not to mention most junk yards will give you a package deal.

4. Buy a gauge cluster off of eBay make sure it matches your transfer case, i.e. V8 or v6 4x4.. There is a member on here that does LED gauge conversions, he knows how to swap the odometer out of your old cluster into your new one, so don't worry about that part. FWIW, I did run mine for the first several months with the 2wd cluster. It works fine, but I had to have everything working perfect.


5. I just moved to OH, and I am new to rust, but I put my 4th and 5th gen in my heated warehouse for the winter to protect them from rust, so I hope I never know the answer to your question.


My sincere suggestion. Find one vehicle to pull..

Transmission T-Case as a unit
Front diff
Front and rear drive shafts
Cross member for transmission (your old one will not fit)
CVs
Entire spindle (this will save you a couple hundred bucks on new drive flanges and bearings)
4x4 Slector switch
DAC Switch
Center Diff Lock switch
4x4 ECU
ECU wires
4x4 cluster


This gives you every part for your conversion and likely under $2k

If I could do mine over and was not rushed for time, I would have done exactly that. But I had to buy new CVs, bearings, drive flanges, 4x4 switch, and a couple other OEM parts, I easily spent an extra 700-800 on parts because I had to buy them new.

 

[Stuck CAPS]

I think I can cover most of this for you, or at least make it more confusing.

1. The plugs that are not avail through Toyota, you can get from a junk yard. Simply rip out the glove box, find the 4x4 ECU and pull it. Then take the two plugs that are plugged into it, one goes over toward the HVAC and the other goes toward the kick panel. You only need the plug that goes under the vehicle to the transfer case. You have two options, cut the plugs off leaving enough wire (6" or so) to make your own harness (the option I used) or trace the wires from the ECM to the T-Case and pull that portion of the harness. The 4x4 ECU is not expensive. And if you do not have access to a pin out, you may want to take the entire harness from the ECU to the T-Case ( I believe it's was only 5 wires)


2. I'm not sure if you are using a V8 AWD transfer case it a V6 part time. But if you out the 4x4 ECU in the vehicle and try to drive it with the AWD transfer case it will not work because it will think you are loosing traction and it won't want to move. The rest if your questions about this I cannot answer because I did not try it without everything hooked up.

3. I made a mistake when I started the swap, I was going to just get the t-case and keep my 2wd transmission. As it turned out, they have different tail shafts and there is an adaptor between them that you must have. And from my experience (when converting my Lexus to 4x4) this adaptor is very hard to come by, they don't sell it with the t-case, and they don't sell it with the transmission....it just gets pulled and dropped someplace. So do yourself a favor and buy the entire package from in vehicle. In fact one donor vehicle can provide you with 90% of the parts you need, and if you manage to pull the spindles, gauge cluster, and traction device buttons perhaps 100%.

When I did mine there was not a lot of these in the junk yard, so I had to buy stuff all over the US and from Toyota. If you find a donor vehicle you can do your entire swap with ease. Not to mention most junk yards will give you a package deal.

4. Buy a gauge cluster off of eBay make sure it matches your transfer case, i.e. V8 or v6 4x4.. There is a member on here that does LED gauge conversions, he knows how to swap the odometer out of your old cluster into your new one, so don't worry about that part. FWIW, I did run mine for the first several months with the 2wd cluster. It works fine, but I had to have everything working perfect.


5. I just moved to OH, and I am new to rust, but I put my 4th and 5th gen in my heated warehouse for the winter to protect them from rust, so I hope I never know the answer to your question.


My sincere suggestion. Find one vehicle to pull..

Transmission T-Case as a unit
Front diff
Front and rear drive shafts
Cross member for transmission (your old one will not fit)
CVs
Entire spindle (this will save you a couple hundred bucks on new drive flanges and bearings)
4x4 Slector switch
DAC Switch
Center Diff Lock switch
4x4 ECU
ECU wires
4x4 cluster


This gives you every part for your conversion and likely under $2k

If I could do mine over and was not rushed for time, I would have done exactly that. But I had to buy new CVs, bearings, drive flanges, 4x4 switch, and a couple other OEM parts, I easily spent an extra 700-800 on parts because I had to buy them new.

My plan is to find a total salvage vehicle, check it out, and if drive train doesn't look tarnished, buy it. My only concern is that, after I have ripped out the drive train, will I have to PAY a salvage yard to take a half 4R? Or could I sell the 4WD with all my 2WD crap sitting in it?

Thank you for answering ALL of that, it was EXTREMELY helpful. I hope to get started at the beginning of the summer, and be done around then, too. IIRC, you said it took around 2 days to get the conversion finished, and I hope to do it over the course of a week or so.

 

[TOY2G]

I just want to add one note.
A lot of people will say, just buy a 4x4, to them I say........nope.

I spent a lot on my swap IMO, but not because it was expensive, but because I had two weeks to do it for the FJ Summit.

Fact is, if you have a 2wd and it's paid off, like mine was, and it is in good shape with lots of extras like mine was, why not do a 4x4 conversion.. It's all bolt in, takes as long as a tranny swap, double cv replacement, and diff drop combined. It's super easy, I cannot even explain how quick it went, we started late Sat morning and finished that same day late afternoon. I am 100% confident I could do it $1000-$1500 cheaper if I had it t do again.

So for less than the price of my Icon lift kit, I can convert to 4x4, why would I not. Saying just buy a 4x4 is like saying...........well......... It's like saying just go buy a 4x4 and spend a few grand more on a used vehicle you may know nothing about.

Worth mentioning

I sold my 2wd tranny, and my gauge cluster, for $440 (tranny alone goes for $650 on eBay)to a friend in Garland. So if Stuckincaps spends 2k on the swap and sells his removed parts for 500-700 bucks, he will in the end have a 4x4 for 1300-1500 dollars, a much smaller gap than the one left from selling his 2wd and purchasing a 4x4.


Parts to sell
HVAC trim
Gauge cluster
Transmission
Drive shaft
Tranny crossmember

I know I sound a little like a whiner, but it's because I am.

Also, I have converted the following to 4WD

03 T4R
96 Lexus LS400
1994 Toyota Truck
And 2004 Jeep liberty.

And I once drank milk that was 3 days past the expiration date, so I'm kinda a badazz..

 

[Stuck CAPS]

I just want to add one note.
A lot of people will say, just buy a 4x4, to them I say........nope.

I spent a lot on my swap IMO, but not because it was expensive, but because I had two weeks to do it for the FJ Summit.

Fact is, if you have a 2wd and it's paid off, like mine was, and it is in good shape with lots of extras like mine was, why not do a 4x4 conversion.. It's all bolt in, takes as long as a tranny swap, double cv replacement, and diff drop combined. It's super easy, I cannot even explain how quick it went, we started late Sat morning and finished that same day late afternoon. I am 100% confident I could do it $1000-$1500 cheaper if I had it t do again.

So for less than the price of my Icon lift kit, I can convert to 4x4, why would I not. Saying just buy a 4x4 is like saying...........well......... It's like saying just go buy a 4x4 and spend a few grand more on a used vehicle you may know nothing about.

Worth mentioning

I sold my 2wd tranny, and my gauge cluster, for $440 (tranny alone goes for $650 on eBay)to a friend in Garland. So if Stuckincaps spends 2k on the swap and sells his removed parts for 500-700 bucks, he will in the end have a 4x4 for 1300-1500 dollars, a much smaller gap than the one left from selling his 2wd and purchasing a 4x4.


Parts to sell
HVAC trim
Gauge cluster
Transmission
Drive shaft
Tranny crossmember

I know I sound a little like a whiner, but it's because I am.

Also, I have converted the following to 4WD

03 T4R
96 Lexus LS400
1994 Toyota Truck
And 2004 Jeep liberty.

And I once drank milk that was 3 days past the expiration date, so I'm kinda a badazz..

HVAC trim will be a no; For some reason, the part around the right center vent felt it was okay for it to just kind of melt on the edge. The only reason I have NOT replaced the ugly thing was because I plan on swapping it in the 4x4 conversion. And having spoken to Wyatt and Masa over on 120, they were saying that I wouldn't be able to just swap the A340E for the F. Would you have any idea on how much truth that holds? (I think it should be fine, my original plan, was, like yours, to convert the tranny originally.)

 

[TOY2G]

My plan is to find a total salvage vehicle, check it out, and if drive train doesn't look tarnished, buy it. My only concern is that, after I have ripped out the drive train, will I have to PAY a salvage yard to take a half 4R? Or could I sell the 4WD with all my 2WD crap sitting in it?

Thank you for answering ALL of that, it was EXTREMELY helpful. I hope to get started at the beginning of the summer, and be done around then, too. IIRC, you said it took around 2 days to get the conversion finished, and I hope to do it over the course of a week or so.

If you find a wrecked vehicle, you could by all means put the 2wd stuff back in it and sell it, but when I did my Lexus conversion the guys at the junk yard started pricing everything out and at about item 10 they just said $1500 and take whatever you need. And at the time that was engine, transmission, wiring harness, fuel pump and a ton of other stuff. So I suggest just making your list and asking them how much for everything...then haggle with them. It's not a giant job, and the parts list if pulled from one vehicle will make your life so simple.

When we did mine we originally pulled it in the shop and put it on the lift Friday at lunch. But when I realized I had forgotten a few things like tranny fluid, brake clean, hole saw and lift kit, we pulled the tires, drained the tranny, unbolted the drive shafts and then went and got the rest of the stuff I was missing. So, be Santa, make a list, check it twice, and make sure everything you need for parts to tools are ready for use before you start. And in your case, I would get a can or two of PB Blaster and soak ALL of your suspension and every bolt you can find a couple times before you even start wrenching.

Good luck.

 

[kevinpt]

I just want to add one note.
A lot of people will say, just buy a 4x4, to them I say........nope.

I spent a lot on my swap IMO, but not because it was expensive, but because I had two weeks to do it for the FJ Summit.

Fact is, if you have a 2wd and it's paid off, like mine was, and it is in good shape with lots of extras like mine was, why not do a 4x4 conversion.. It's all bolt in, takes as long as a tranny swap, double cv replacement, and diff drop combined. It's super easy, I cannot even explain how quick it went, we started late Sat morning and finished that same day late afternoon. I am 100% confident I could do it $1000-$1500 cheaper if I had it t do again.

So for less than the price of my Icon lift kit, I can convert to 4x4, why would I not. Saying just buy a 4x4 is like saying...........well......... It's like saying just go buy a 4x4 and spend a few grand more on a used vehicle you may know nothing about.

Worth mentioning

I sold my 2wd tranny, and my gauge cluster, for $440 (tranny alone goes for $650 on eBay)to a friend in Garland. So if Stuckincaps spends 2k on the swap and sells his removed parts for 500-700 bucks, he will in the end have a 4x4 for 1300-1500 dollars, a much smaller gap than the one left from selling his 2wd and purchasing a 4x4.


Parts to sell
HVAC trim
Gauge cluster
Transmission
Drive shaft
Tranny crossmember

I know I sound a little like a whiner, but it's because I am.

Also, I have converted the following to 4WD

03 T4R
96 Lexus LS400
1994 Toyota Truck
And 2004 Jeep liberty.

And I once drank milk that was 3 days past the expiration date, so I'm kinda a badazz..

Don't you have a v8 with 2wd option on transfer case? On app and can't see sig

 

[TOY2G]

HVAC trim will be a no; For some reason, the part around the right center vent felt it was okay for it to just kind of melt on the edge. The only reason I have NOT replaced the ugly thing was because I plan on swapping it in the 4x4 conversion. And having spoken to Wyatt and Masa over on 120, they were saying that I wouldn't be able to just swap the A340E for the F. Would you have any idea on how much truth that holds? (I think it should be fine, my original plan, was, like yours, to convert the tranny originally.)

There was a couple reasons we could not just swap the tranny. One is the shaft is longer on the 2wd and has to be cut, and second, if you buy just a tranny it is not likely you will get the transfer case adapter with the R-Case. You can get this part from Toyota, but it's several hundred buck (about $600 if I recall). Not to mention you don't know if the controller will work with an 2wd transmission.

Save yourself a lot of grief and just get a tranny and t-case together, it will have all 3 pcs and you will not have to modify anything express.


I have cut a 2wd transmission tail shaft and then put the adaptor and t-case on before on my Lexus swap, but it was a lot more work and you onl get one shot at it.

 

[TOY2G]

Don't you have a v8 with 2wd option on transfer case? On app and can't see sig

I just sold my converted 4runner to another member.

But it was a V8 AWD. The selector had a 2wd position (because I bought the backlit switch for a Tacoma, because the t4r ones are not lighted) but it still only had 4hi and 4lo.

 

[Stuck CAPS]

There was a couple reasons we could not just swap the tranny. One is the shaft is longer on the 2wd and has to be cut, and second, if you buy just a tranny it is not likely you will get the transfer case adapter with the R-Case. You can get this part from Toyota, but it's several hundred buck (about $600 if I recall). Not to mention you don't know if the controller will work with an 2wd transmission.

Save yourself a lot of grief and just get a tranny and t-case together, it will have all 3 pcs and you will not have to modify anything express.


I have cut a 2wd transmission tail shaft and then put the adaptor and t-case on before on my Lexus swap, but it was a lot more work and you onl get one shot at it.

So back to the original question, I shouldn't run into issues with a plug-n-play with a full trans and t-case assy.?

 

[TOY2G]

So back to the original question, I shouldn't run into issues with a plug-n-play with a full trans and t-case assy.?

Correct, keep it simple, do not try to mix and match v8 and v6 parts. Also worth mentioning, the first 4th gens had normal serviceable transmission, and later when to sealed units. Just make sure you know hat you are getting.

 

[johnathanng]

[MENTION=64685]TOY2G[/MENTION] how far is ohio from georgia? you really need to come here and help me.

 

[Stuck CAPS]

Correct, keep it simple, do not try to mix and match v8 and v6 parts. Also worth mentioning, the first 4th gens had normal serviceable transmission, and later when to sealed units. Just make sure you know hat you are getting.

Alright, I'll be sure to look into that. I also have the issue of the 3.91 or 3.73 gears in the front/rear. I will really need to either a. regear, or b. Somehow find out what I've got.

 

[johnathanng]

[MENTION=64685]TOY2G[/MENTION] although i dont know if its a 4x4 or whatnot, would this salvaged car be good as a donor? https://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/ptd/4281348260.html

 

[HHIRunner]

And I once drank milk that was 3 days past the expiration date, so I'm kinda a badazz..

sig worthy

 

[KidVermicious]

Absolutely get a donor truck, and save yourself 124 different kinds of hassles.

I didn't see anybody else answer this - when you're done with the donor/parts truck, you've got lots of options. You can put your old stuff on it and try and sell it as a working truck or sell it to a wrecker or whatever, but you'll get the most money back by parting the rest of it out and and then cutting up what's left for scrap.

 

[Stuck CAPS]

Absolutely get a donor truck, and save yourself 124 different kinds of hassles.

I didn't see anybody else answer this - when you're done with the donor/parts truck, you've got lots of options. You can put your old stuff on it and try and sell it as a working truck or sell it to a wrecker or whatever, but you'll get the most money back by parting the rest of it out and and then cutting up what's left for scrap.

I'm mainly worried about getting rid of the truck after I rip whatever I need out of it. I'm concerned that, if I part it out, will I have to PAY a junkyard to take it off my hands?

 

[KidVermicious]

I'm mainly worried about getting rid of the truck after I rip whatever I need out of it. I'm concerned that, if I part it out, will I have to PAY a junkyard to take it off my hands?

Nope. Worst case scenario, you call one of those guys you see driving around with "I buy scrap metal" spraypainted on the side of his junk trailer and he'll give you $100 and come haul it away. Or a junkyard might take it, but I don't know how likely that is, and I doubt they'll pay you much more than the scrapper. You're going to get the most money back if you part it down to the bare body and frame, sell what you can in your local classifieds/Craigslist, and then rent/borrow a trailer to take what's left of the body and frame to a local recycler (which is what the scrapper is going to do anyway). You've probably got several to choose from, and they normally pay $.05-$.10 per pound for scrap steel, depending on how clean the metal is.

Short story, you're not going to be stuck having to pay someone to get rid of the thing, but you might have to put a little effort into getting paid for it. Do it a good job parting it out and scrapping the leftovers and it'll pay for itself and then some.

 

[TOY2G]

[MENTION=64685]TOY2G[/MENTION] although i dont know if its a 4x4 or whatnot, would this salvaged car be good as a donor? https://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/ptd/4281348260.html

the link is dead. what you can do is look on ebay for a 4x4 transmission, look for one that shows a picture of the entire truck. It will likely be a salvage yard. contact them and ask to buy all the parts you need from them.

 

[TOY2G]

absolutely get a donor truck, and save yourself 124 different kinds of hassles.

I didn't see anybody else answer this - when you're done with the donor/parts truck, you've got lots of options. You can put your old stuff on it and try and sell it as a working truck or sell it to a wrecker or whatever, but you'll get the most money back by parting the rest of it out and and then cutting up what's left for scrap.

^^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^