4x2 to 4x4 Conversion

[Scap]

What's funny is when my 96 Tacoma 4*4 hit 10 years old, I was debating on doing a 4*4 delete and dropping in a V8.

Now, it is 2023 and I'm wishing I had hung on to that little tank of a truck.

 

[boogielander]

What's funny is when my 96 Tacoma 4*4 hit 10 years old, I was debating on doing a 4*4 delete and dropping in a V8.

Now, it is 2023 and I'm wishing I had hung on to that little tank of a truck.

nah that gen has C-frame instead of boxed frames. Not so rigid in structure and weak.

 

[Darksteel165]

Put some snow tires on it and Darksteel will probably trade ya.

My sold 2012 Camaro with a 6.2 V8 drives and handles better on top of snow then my Ram does with 4x4 and all seasons.
I don't miss the $200 a year changing between regular and snow tires though.

Only problem was I beached myself in my driveway twice because I would have over a foot of untouched snow going in from a road that was completely cleared, tires wouldn't touch the ground anymore, 4x4 wouldn't help me there either LOL. Would need to shovel the middle out so I could get the tires to touch again then was good to drive on top of the snow and pack it down.

 

[HSKR R/T]

My sold 2012 Camaro with a 6.2 V8 drives and handles better on top of snow then my Ram does with 4x4 and all seasons.
I don't miss the $200 a year changing between regular and snow tires though.

Only problem was I beached myself in my driveway twice because I would have over a foot of untouched snow going in from a road that was completely cleared, tires wouldn't touch the ground anymore, 4x4 wouldn't help me there either LOL. Would need to shovel the middle out so I could get the tires to touch again then was good to drive on top of the snow and pack it down.

I would hope a vehicle running dedicated snow tires would handle better on snow than a vehicle running all seasons

 

[Darksteel165]

I would hope a vehicle running dedicated snow tires would handle better on snow than a vehicle running all seasons

It's a common misconception.
Lots\majority of people think 4x4 is better then anything else with any kind of tires. Always funny to see an awd SUV stuck in the snow because they thought they were invincible. I remember driving past people in SUVs at the bottom of very steep hills because all 4 wheels would just spin meanwhile I crawl past them in a rwd sports car which had basically 0 reason to even be driven during the winter months except that's all I owned.

My G35x with snow tires was even better then the Camaro when I let it split 20\80 or locked it 50\50 4wd. With all seasons on the G35x the Camaro was still better in awd or locked 4x4 with regular snow tires.

With the amount of money OP would spend converting to 4x4, he could get brand new snow tires every year (which would be pointless) for like 10 years+ before approving the price of just converting to 4x4 and butchering the resale value of his new truck
I just don't see the hype for 4x4 just for snow.

Sure I got my truck 4x4 beucase I know it would help as I use all season tires and I don't want to need to change into snows.
If I lived somewhere with snow all the time I would still use snows, and likely just get another set of crappy rims that would fit for the winter months to save the $ and do my swaps myself (or have a shop just throw it on a lift and change all 4 rims, maybe check balance.
Lots of cheaper better options imo.

 

[HSKR R/T]

It's a common misconception.
Lots\majority of people think 4x4 is better then anything else with any kind of tires. Always funny to see an awd SUV stuck in the snow because they thought they were invincible. I remember driving past people in SUVs at the bottom of very steep hills because all 4 wheels would just spin meanwhile I crawl past them in a rwd sports car which had basically 0 reason to even be driven during the winter months except that's all I owned.

My G35x with snow tires was even better then the Camaro when I let it split 20\80 or locked it 50\50 4wd. With all seasons on the G35x the Camaro was still better in awd or locked 4x4 with regular snow tires.

With the amount of money OP would spend converting to 4x4, he could get brand new snow tires every year (which would be pointless) for like 10 years+ before approving the price of just converting to 4x4 and butchering the resale value of his new truck
I just don't see the hype for 4x4 just for snow.

Sure I got my truck 4x4 beucase I know it would help as I use all season tires and I don't want to need to change into snows.
If I lived somewhere with snow all the time I would still use snows, and likely just get another set of crappy rims that would fit for the winter months to save the $ and do my swaps myself (or have a shop just throw it on a lift and change all 4 rims, maybe check balance.
Lots of cheaper better options imo.

Yeah people get over confident with 4x4/AWD in winter. 4 wheel drive helps get you moving in low traction, but it doesn't save your *** when stopping or turning, and they feel they can drive faster because they didn't spin when they accelerated. I had an AWD Magnum R/T before my Ram. And that was the first AWD or 4 wheel drive vehicle I ever owned. Daily drove my Dakota R/T in winter at one point. But I did buy dedicated snow tires for it those two winters.

 

[djevox]

So basically buy all the parts needed to build a 4x4 truck from scratch except the seat, driver's side door handle and glove box.

You're practically. 000467% done already!

That frame difference blew my mind when I looked at diesel to hemi conversion. The only consolation was that the frame was less than $3000.