2004 chevy tahoe 4x4 to 2x4

[livingez_123]

1. 2wd 4L60e
1. 2wd rear driveshaft.
2. 2wd front unit bearings.
remove trans and replace with 2wd unit, replace rear driveshaft with 2wd unit.
remove front diff, replace front unit bearings with 2wd bearings. adjust keys for ride height. get the truck an alignment. I had no PCM or ECM related issues or CEL's the AWD is a stand alone system and has no interface with control systems. The trans is a direct plug and play.
It took me about 6 hrs to do it all.

 

[yates ™]

How much in parts?

 

[livingez_123]

I bought a Monster in a box kit and it was $595
a reman converter was another $150
the driveshaft was $80
I bought a pair of Timken hub bearings for $249
plus Amsoil for the trans another $90

I needed to rebuild the trans anyhow so I just did the swap then.

 

[yates ™]

More reasonable then I would have thought, I figured the ecu would have had to have been changed.

 

[Blazed]

I think 4x4 would play out a little different if you went that route with it just because of the electronics involved. Awd is all the time no electronics needed.

 

[livingez_123]

Maybe a reflash or you might get lucky and it wont toss a code. I don't think the 4x4 system is tied to the ECM, sure it has the electric motors to shift the tc and engage the front axle. but if you just unplug everything I don't think the ECM will even notice

the AWD system is different from a 4x4 system. you might think it's locked all the time but it's so much more than that.

 

[yates ™]

I thought there was more electronics to an AWD system as it is constantly monitoring wheel speeds. I remember hearing of people having trouble unhooking axles on the front of AWD systems.

 

[livingez_123]

There is Zero electronic on the AWD system, You can pull the front axle and try to drive it but you won't get far before burning up the viscous clutch in the TC. both axles have to be on the ground. it would be like having a rear diff with no spider gears in it. the viscous clutch in the TC is kind of like a Quafi unit so try to think about it as a very smart posi unit. it has to have both front and rear output shafts on the ground. so when the viscous clutch in the TC senses the front axle starting to speed up over the rear axle it thinks it's spinning so the viscous clutch start to engage and transfer more power to the rear axle and visa versa. it's almost as good as the Subaru system. it's just that the front diff in the GM is the weak link and prone to fail. I'm not an expert by any means. I was ASE certified for close to 20 years until an injury put the brakes on that for me. Then I was a commercial drive until 2010 and went on disability. I love the car, I love working on them, but after 2 failed back surgeries and one 2 level fusion I don't get to do as much as I once did. Doing my swap on my Denali was the first big thing I've done in years. I miss it but the physical issues keep preventing me from doing what I love. So it takes me all day to change the oil, at least I still want to try.

 

[ROBELLO_103]

just pull the cv shafts out.... haha

 

[chevytahoez71]

4x4 to 4x2

I figure it out take out both the axle shafts disconnect them at the end that goes into the hub bearings then put the piece back in the hub to hold the bearing or the wheel will fall off drop the shaft and the diff raise or lower if you want via the torsion bars go for wheel alignment
NOW MY TRUCK IS LIGHTER AND BETTER GAS MILAGE
ALSO CHANGE THE INTAKE TO A K&N OR EVEN AN IMITATION HIGH FLOW INTAKE