rear engine van 4x4

[Levi Harris]

Ok, I'm tossing around some ideas about converting my old VW westy into a more offroad capable rig. I have no desire to screw with buying a syncro and having everything break so I feel that getting what I want will be a matter of building it myself.
So.... here's what I'm thinking; Toyota 2l-t diesel in the back. The automatic (yes auto) Aisin Warner trans with transfer case and a some custom modded reverse rotation Dana 44's. The front one with the diff in the middle and the rear offset.
The problem that needs over coming is the 2wd mode... Is there anything I can do to the transfer case to make it rear wheel drive while in 2wd? (which would be front wheel drive in a front engine truck) Or is there a full time allwheel drive transfer case available that still has a 4x4 low selector? I'd really like to have allwheel drive but I will need a 4x4 low.
Merry Christmas,
Levi

[guidolyons]

What year VW? Westy=Westfalia I assume? VW made 4WD Van in the mid-80's-90's. It might be easier to convert using VW parts? Not sure if they had low range though.

Since you are planning on Toyota drivetrain, you might want to check with Marlin Crawler, they have a twin stick option that might let you select FWD (rear only for your application). I'm not familiar enough with the Toyota cases, maybe someone else will chime in.

http://www.marlincrawler.com/transfe...twin-stick-kit

The options include 2WD-High, 4WD-High, Neutral, and 4WD-Low. What you might not know is that these patterns are controlled by two separate shift rails that operate both 2WD/4WD and High/Neutral/Low respectfully. With Marlin Crawler's new Twin Stick Shifter, we can now separate these patterns and offer the user a 2WD-Low range selection. Since both rails are now independent of each other, they can be moved in any pattern desired. 2WD-High/Netural/Low and 4WD-High/Netural/Low. When used with a Marlin Crawler dual transfercase, you now have the option of 2WD-Double Low range. Marlin Crawler's new Twin Stick Shifter does just this and is very simple and innovative at the same time.

Sounds like a cool project post some pics.

[Levi Harris]

That would be a Syncro... They are pretty cool but no low and are very very easy to break... They are way to rich for my blood. Not shitting you but look it up... you'll spend 20k on a desent Syncro westy.
I think I can do it for a lot less. I like Toyota stuff but jeep parts my fit the bill. The only things I really have my heart set on is Dana 44's front and rear, an automatic trans and a turbo diesel. I'll be doing some very high mileage road trips and some moderate four wheeling to get to the places I want to go.
A jeep auto and 242 might be a good idea also but I'm not real sure which diesels could be used... Also, only a mechanical injection diesel will fit the bill for me, newer than 83 for legalitly but no electronic injection. Realiabilty is key for my needs.

[four27_cobra]

Seems like an extrordinary amount of work for what you'd end up with, Im sure you have a specific mental image of what you want to end up with though. Why not just start with something way closer to what you want, instead of going all crazy custom?

[guidolyons]

An auto behind a diesel = Auto transmissions suck a lot of power, and with a diesel has a much narrower RPM band.

A lot of Jeep transmissions share components with Toyota (Aisin) transmissions. The A340 (toy) and AW4 (jeep) are very similar.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...ght=aw4+toyota
Perhaps you could run a Jeep AW4 with a D300 transfercase. I know you can get FWD only out of a twinstick D300.

[GMGuy]

If AWD floats your boat, a 4wd converted subaru 5 speed adapted to a 2wd Vanagon in this link, might give you some ideas;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=407222

Alex.

[Levi Harris]

Ok, back from the dead! So I've been chewing on this for some time and have most of it figured out and have even scored some parts. I'm in it zero dollars at this point... but that isn't going to last much longer...
Here is the dilemma; The whole engine, transmission and transfer case will be sitting in there backwards. So I have 4 reverse gears and one forward gear. Both of my Dana 44's are low pinion. I've thought about different ways to get the wheels rolling in the right direction but I'm not sure what the best, most feasible method is. Keep in mind I haven't taken the axles apart yet. I will need to do custom tubes and axles so I can configure them how ever I want.
1. Swap the front and rear axles. I have to do the tubes, etc. so it won't matter which one ends up steering so long as it's in the front.
2. Flip both of them upside down. The coast and drive foot stays correct, the wheels turn the right direction and the drive lines end up higher, which is desirable but how do I fix the lubrication so that it will live?
3. Reverse cut gears. As I understand it, reverse cut gears aren't really reverse rotation per say. It will be rotating the correct direction with the coast and drive foot also being correct but do these gears even fit into regular rotation differential’s?

Help me out here guys.

[white_n_slow]

Why not start out with one of these? They can be had with hi/lo transfer case and would probably be a bit more reliable than the VW.

[FuzzyZ]

Originally Posted by white_n_slow

Why not start out with one of these? They can be had with hi/lo transfer case and would probably be a bit more reliable than the VW.

Its Toyota! its got to be tuff!

[guidolyons]

Originally Posted by Levi Harris

Ok, back from the dead! So I've been chewing on this for some time and have most of it figured out and have even scored some parts. I'm in it zero dollars at this point... but that isn't going to last much longer...
Here is the dilemma; The whole engine, transmission and transfer case will be sitting in there backwards. So I have 4 reverse gears and one forward gear. Both of my Dana 44's are low pinion. I've thought about different ways to get the wheels rolling in the right direction but I'm not sure what the best, most feasible method is. Keep in mind I haven't taken the axles apart yet. I will need to do custom tubes and axles so I can configure them how ever I want.
1. Swap the front and rear axles. I have to do the tubes, etc. so it won't matter which one ends up steering so long as it's in the front.
2. Flip both of them upside down. The coast and drive foot stays correct, the wheels turn the right direction and the drive lines end up higher, which is desirable but how do I fix the lubrication so that it will live?
3. Reverse cut gears. As I understand it, reverse cut gears aren't really reverse rotation per say. It will be rotating the correct direction with the coast and drive foot also being correct but do these gears even fit into regular rotation differential’s?

Help me out here guys.

Glad to see you back after it. Sounds like a cool project.

#1 won't work they will still rotate the "wrong" way.

#2. Do this. Read through the FWD transaxle buggy threads (like Rock Ape's Low Budget Pimpin' he used toyota axles which are easier to mod because you can flip the 3rd and keep the steering correct) Since you are doing a rear engine, you'll have to flip both axles to get them to rotate the "correct" way. Since they are upside down, you'll need to address pinion oiling, and you'll have to rotate the C's 180* too for correct steering geometry. You might want to rethink the D44s, Toyota axles will be easier to mod, or maybe a pair of custom Ford 9"s. Ruff Stuff has some nice bare housings.

#3 Contrary to popular belief of the uneducated, reverse cut gears DO NOT rotate the opposite direction. They are "reverse cut" because they are made for high pinion housings, they have reverse spiral cut on the gears since the pinion is above the axle centerline, in the front (normal application) reverse cut gears are on the drive side, standard low pinion gears are on the coast side. In a rear axle, a high pinion axle is weaker, because it's on the coast side. Reverse cut gears won't fit in a low pinion axle housing.

Good luck on your build.

[dieselvan]

I am planning something very similar and actually made a thread about it earlier today before finding this.
Anyways, have you figured anything out about the axles? or the t-case?
Hope you haven't given up!

[Subybaja]

I'm all about hacking up perfectly good VWs (Subaru-powered Baja bug), but- for god's sake, why?

1) Find a rolled/smashed/burned Synchro and swap in the parts. Betcha it's cheaper than an Atlas and custom axles.

2) Drop the bus on a Jeep chassis, butchering the VW frame as necessary to fit. Build ugly engine hump in the front.

What are you trying to achieve that one of the above wouldn't cover? Rear-engine for rear-engine's sake?

This should be an interesting build, however you go about it!