So you want to convert your 2wd into a 4wd truck and you’re curious as to how much that’ll cost, what parts you’ll need and how much time it’ll take. And do we do that here at 4 Wheel Parts.

We thought about it, looked at a conversion from all angles and thoughtfully decided…

No way in Hell.

And we mean that in the most respectful way possible.

The thing is, whether you’ve got a Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Toyota or any other kind of truck, there’s a reason the manufacturer made a 2wd version and a 4wd version. They are different. They have different parts. They don’t all fit together. They will never all fit together even if you’re a super awesome fabricator/mechanic/welder/magician.

You’ll have to swap and fit a big list of parts and alter a lot of others to make it all work.

Yes it’s possible. No we don’t recommend it.

What kind of list are we looking at here? Here is just the beginning:

  • Front Axle

  • Transfer case

  • Transmission

  • Shifter

  • Linkage

  • Front drive shaft

  • CV shaft

  • Shorter rear drive shaft

  • Wiring

And that’s just the beginning.

Not to mention where the heck are you going to find all of these parts for your specific truck. A junk yard? Yeah, let us know how that works out for you in a few years when these old, already worn-out parts start failing you. You’re already looking at thousands of dollars, where are you gonna get the cash to make those repairs? It’ll also never, ever be worth what you put into it whether you use new or used parts.

Where else might you spend that cash and get a good, reliable 4wd truck? Trade your 2wd in for a 4wd. Or buy an older 4wd to play around in. 

Say you’ve got a 2000 Silverado 2wd. Trade it in for the same year, mileage, condition as you have, but upgrade to the 4wd and you’ll shell out maybe a few thousand bucks on top of the trade. But you’ll still be cash ahead compared to converting your 2wd to a 4wd.

The (slight) exception to this is on older vehicles with leaf springs at all 4 corners. It’s quite a bit easier to do on a truck like this, but it’s not any cheaper. Trying this on modern trucks with independent front suspensions is a challenge that should be best left to guys who want to take your money (but may not be willing to tell you that it’s (financially) probably not a good idea.

Even if you do decide to go ahead, remember when you sell your truck that the title to the truck is still going to be for a 2-wheel drive. Try to convince you State Licensing Bureau that this is really a 4wd. Good luck with that. Even if you drive it up there to them, they won’t care. They’ll say something like, “The OEM said it’s a 2wd, they submitted papers saying it is, and that’s that”. At least, that’s what we think they’ll say. But maybe you’re great at convincing bureaucrats that they’re wrong.

If you’re still stuck on converting your 2wd to a 4wd, we truly wish you luck and would love to have some before and after photos, along with your story or video of it. Might be worth a $5 T-shirt for you. We just can’t go through with charging the amount of labor required for a science experiment destined to fail.