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Convert AWD to FWD?

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1LE

20+ Year Contributor
1,347
4
Aug 1, 2002
Sylvania, Ohio
What's the bare minimum parts I need to swap to go from AWD to FWD? Can we pull the driveshaft, replace the rear-end and hack/weld anything in the trans to make it not care that there's nothing to drive back there anymore? I have a trans with some really nice custom built internals in it, hate to have to swap it out for a stock FWD specific trans.

I'll just proactively answer the first question... "Why?". Wheel bearing died in the left rear. The assembly is a big ball of rust. Not all the damaged parts are available new anymore (either OEM or elsewhere) and all the used ones we've come across so far have been in even worse condition.

I'd rather have a FWD DSM that can move than an AWD DSM that's a large paperweight.
 
It would probably be less work to replace a wheel bearing or any related parts in the rear end / suspension than to convert the trans to FWD but if that's what you want to do you need to weld the center diff, remove the output shaft and plug the hole.
 
It would probably be less work to replace a wheel bearing or any related parts in the rear end / suspension than to convert the trans to FWD but if that's what you want to do you need to weld the center diff, remove the output shaft and plug the hole.

Believe me, I'd much rather replace the parts that are damaged beyond reuse. However, that doesn't appear to be possible anymore as not all the 2g AWD specific rear end parts are available from the factory anymore, the aftermarket doesn't provide them, and all the used ones out there also seem to be trashed.

Converting the car from AWD to FWD is looking like my last resort to save the car. Otherwise I'll probably have to part it out (which would be really sad since I just had new custom IC piping/IC install done a few months ago and it just has a bad wheel bearing).
 
Believe me, I'd much rather replace the parts that are damaged beyond reuse. However, that doesn't appear to be possible anymore as not all the 2g AWD specific rear end parts are available from the factory anymore, the aftermarket doesn't provide them, and all the used ones out there also seem to be trashed.
Got any examples of these unavailable parts?
 
Miller Import Parts - Specializing in DSM's

He's a supporting vendor of this forum and located in NC. Really good guy who's very active on our state forum and he'll probably have the stuff you need.

Good luck

+1 I don't know of any rear suspension parts that are that rare or un obtainable, people are doing fwd to awd swaps around here all the time.
 
As far as converting from awd to fwd . Drop the rear, drive shat and rear axels.take the outer cups off the axels and reinstal them. Now as far as the trans, I'm not sure if you can run the t case without a drive shaft and rear.
 
As far as finding parts . You just have to look for them , they are out thier. I just piced up two parted out 2g awd within a 3 week period. 1 was is 95 gsx that I got the lsd rear from. The owner called me back and asked if I wanted what was left of the car.So After looking at it finding good strut towers and and very solid underside I couldn't refuse.that car had the full awd setup minus the rear that I grabed for my spyder. The bad for the most part was the front end stuff and I mean everything was gone eccept the 6bolt short block awd trans , axels and tcase were still thier. 2 the car today that I bought was a filler car for what was missing off the other car. It was a rust bucket but had all its awd items and more.. with some of the stock parts leftover from the spyder like the 2gb body stuff and more . I can build a nice budget dd car and save a good chassi from the crusher.
 
2005 Mitsubishi Stratus Left Driver Rear Back Suspension Spindle Knuckle Stub | eBay

95 99 Mitsubishi Eclipse Rear Left Brake Knuckle Spindle Drum | eBay

Remove the drum brake, knock out the hub, press in one of these:
MOOG/NATIONAL Part # 512181

Transfer disc brake assembly to this one. If your hardware needs replacing, look online.
The hub bolts are 12mm x 43mm
Trailing arm and upper arm through bolts are 12mm x 74mm
Lower control arm bolt is 12mm x 68mm
Grade 10.9 at least.

The rest should be easy enough to find. Control arms are a dime a dozen.

But if you're still adamant about swapping to FWD, can I have your diff?
 
Miller Import Parts - Specializing in DSM's

He's a supporting vendor of this forum and located in NC. Really good guy who's very active on our state forum and he'll probably have the stuff you need.

Good luck

Bought a pair of rear control arms from him that were rust free and in excellent condition. I wouldn't hesitate to buy any parts from him again.
 
Just curious couldn't some body just remove the transfercase and rear axle and be done with it? Or would the out put shaft be spinning too fast because there is no drag on it and cause internal trans problems? Like I said I'm just curious.
 
Got any examples of these unavailable parts?

Outer axle cups for LSD.

As far as converting from awd to fwd . Drop the rear, drive shat and rear axels.take the outer cups off the axels and reinstal them. Now as far as the trans, I'm not sure if you can run the t case without a drive shaft and rear.

Unfortunately, it's those outer cups that need replacement but seem to be unavailable anymore.
 
I literally just did this to my awd spyder because I blew my awd trans up.. Pulled the drive shaft and t case and threw in the fwd trans.. Done.. Took me about 3 hours. But I have a lift so it was a bit easier.

Do you have pics of said parts? A wheel bearing is pretty easy to change on a 2g. Save some money and just change it.
 
Do you have pics of said parts? A wheel bearing is pretty easy to change on a 2g. Save some money and just change it.

I don't have any pics handy, but changing a 19 year old 2g rear wheel bearing is much easier said than done. Everything's rusted together and comes apart in chunks (and can't be reused). You know you're in trouble when the I-beam on the hydraulic press starts bending and the axle still won't budge. :)
 
Rear wheel bearings are 120ish bucks from the dealer. The rear outer cups is not your issue when doing rear end stuff. The hard part is finding the inner cups that go into the rear differential when you lose one. If the axle is rusted completely. Take off the knuckle with the rusted axle. Get a knuckle and axle that are not rusted, say from Miller imports and swap that into your car. The only difference in rear axles are the inner cups based on LSD or non LSD rear differential.
 
Just curious couldn't some body just remove the transfercase and rear axle and be done with it? Or would the out put shaft be spinning too fast because there is no drag on it and cause internal trans problems? Like I said I'm just curious.

No you cant do that, I posted what you have to do above. It wouldn't work because of the diff and the viscous coupler.
 
Rear wheel bearings are 120ish bucks from the dealer. The rear outer cups is not your issue when doing rear end stuff. The hard part is finding the inner cups that go into the rear differential when you lose one. If the axle is rusted completely. Take off the knuckle with the rusted axle. Get a knuckle and axle that are not rusted, say from Miller imports and swap that into your car. The only difference in rear axles are the inner cups based on LSD or non LSD rear differential.

Yeah, sorry, whichever is different for LSD. I swore I thought it was the outer, but must be the inner if you say so. It's been up on the lift for a couple months now, and the last month it's just been basically hanging out, with nothing being done to it, so I can't remember which is which anymore. :)

Going to confirm inner vs. outer, then will be contacting Miller and seeing if they can help. Have contacted other non-rust belt places and failed. I don't think Miller was on our list though (I can't recall ever having heard of them before).
 
I don't have any pics handy, but changing a 19 year old 2g rear wheel bearing is much easier said than done. Everything's rusted together and comes apart in chunks (and can't be reused). You know you're in trouble when the I-beam on the hydraulic press starts bending and the axle still won't budge. :)

This is what happens to muse about every one of these cars. The axle seizes into the hub suspension bolts seize in metal sleeves, and so on. People fix these problems on a daily basis.
 
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