fwd to awd, is it worth it? Options

[TotalEclipse97]

Hey i was wondering if it's possible (anything is) or worth it to attempt to switch a fwd to an awd. i know you'd have to mess with a lot of stuff but i was just curious.

[turbohcar]

1G or 2G? It's easier to do it to a 2G but you still have to be pretty mechanically inclined. Not a task for the weak minded, but yes I know how to switch a 2G car.

[TotalEclipse97]

yeah it's a 2g...i was just wondering what all was involved

[turbohcar]

you need AWD front driveshafts, AWD transmission, AWD rear end, AWD rear subframe, AWD connecting driveshaft, AWD gas tank, AWD transfer case....plus you have to shim a mount where the rear subframe connects to the chassis. Makes for quite a job but my friend is wanting to sell an AWD conversion actually. I think $1000 outta do it but I'm not totally sure and all the parts have 30k on them. Just to be sure, we're talking about a 2g turbo manual trans correct? My friend has all the parts but the transmission.

[MidwestDSM]

its pricey and a lot of work...I've thought about doing it before myself. I've also wanted to make a DSM RWD. Like I said, lots of fabbing...

[turbohcar]

Going from AWD to RWD is not nearly as expensive as FWD to AWD. I helped make a RWD car from an AWD 90 for a Hornet racecar. Just weld the viscous coupling and disconnect the joints in the front shafts and put just the shaft ends back where they need to go. The racecar came sideways around the dirt track corners like a RWD V8 streetstock. Sweet setup.

[MidwestDSM]

Going from AWD to RWD is not nearly as expensive as FWD to AWD. I helped make a RWD car from an AWD 90 for a Hornet racecar. Just weld the viscous coupling and disconnect the joints in the front shafts and put just the shaft ends back where they need to go. The racecar came sideways around the dirt track corners like a RWD V8 streetstock. Sweet setup.

yeah but I am talking about making a modified DSM rwd. Not sure how long the parts would hold up to the stress.

[turbohcar]

Actually our racecar was pretty darn modified and none of the parts ever gave out under stress as long as we were running it (it sold earlier this year). Crower cams, Crower springs and retainers, 1.6 L Hyundai head for higher compression, 0.5mm oversize valves, ported and polished head, tubular header, open exhaust after the header, flat top pistons, turbo fuel pump, higher oil pressure mod, no balance shafts, 1G rods and crankshaft, Fidanza lightweight flywheel, Unorthodox Racing pulleys, welded viscous coupling. All that AND making it look stock, what a pain in the rear for a Hornet. But this car repetitively kicked A$$ on the track. Several times coming from last to first in a matter of two laps or less. As far as I know the guy that bought it is still racing it every weekend at Lincoln Speedway.

[KOU In3]

I think what MidwestDSM was getting at was not so much as how modified it was as much as how much power it's putting down. I 'think' your race car was converted to N/A as well?

Taking all the stress that used to be distributed to 4 wheels and putting it to just two will add some stress to the drivetrain there. I'm not sure how engineered our AWD cars are outback as far as driveshft and other intermediate areas for all out RWD.

Also, the traction on dirt is a bit more limited so the added slippage can keep a lot of driveline parts from braking.

Still, kudos on the functioning conversion!

[turbohcar]

Yes the racecar was N/A as the rules would not allow for turbos and they're a little harder to hide than the afformentioned parts. I think the conversion to RWD is still too new to be able to guess how long stock parts would hold up. Not enough people have done the conversion to really say what kind of power they are capable of before breakage occurs. It seems to me that the Mighty Max pickup truck drivetrain may be better suited for that type of transformation because it's made to be rear drive. Swap out the bell housings and fabricate mounts for the truck transmission and rear end (I'm guessing here) and you'd have a stronger, better suited drivetrain for your desired format.