Technical Can I convert a 4WD to FWD?

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Technical Can I convert a 4WD to FWD?

damnboxer

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Hi all,

I have a 2000 Peugeot Boxer (nearly same as older ducatos).
She is getting old and has a 4-wheel drive installed. The machinery underneath is not doing great. The vehicle vibrates like crazy at certain speeds. One day the rear drive shaft fell off from the U-joint (cost me 400€ to fix...). Soon after the "fix" it started making more noise again. :bang:

I'm thinking of throwing away the crap underneath (drive shaft, U-joint, differential?) making it a front-weel drive. Has anyone done this? Advice please, how to do it? Thank you:worship:
 
Hi all,

I have a 2000 Peugeot Boxer (nearly same as older ducatos).
She is getting old and has a 4-wheel drive installed. The machinery underneath is not doing great. The vehicle vibrates like crazy at certain speeds. One day the rear drive shaft fell off from the U-joint (cost me 400€ to fix...). Soon after the "fix" it started making more noise again. :bang:

I'm thinking of throwing away the crap underneath (drive shaft, U-joint, differential?) making it a front-weel drive. Has anyone done this? Advice please, how to do it? Thank you:worship:

Can you just remove the rear driveshaft and drive it? My brother had a work vehicle the driveshaft fell off (1990's shogun or mitsubishi mu) ended up driving it like that for 80k miles no issues.
 
I did this on a Suzuki Jeep 4x4 when the rear prop shaft broke and bashed the tunnel up a bit. It will do no harm to leave the differential on the rear axle in place, making sure it's got oil in of course, because it will just idle around like the front axle of many 4x4s when in 2x4 only.
 
If it is permanent 4wd, removing the prop is likely to make the output spin, losing all drive.

If it is manual select 4wd, you can disconnect the rear prop and remember never to engage 4wd.

If it is automatic 'on-demand' 4wd, the rear prop only engages when the fronts slip, so as long as the fronts never get into difficulty, the rear prop can be removed and it'll never know.
 
Thanks. The 4x4 operates with a manual switch.
I'm gonna try disconnecting the rear prop and see what happens... :D
 
Update: I removed the rear prop and it's working really nice. Vibration and rattling is gone. :cool: Too bad the part was relatively new, supposedly added by the previous owner to tackle the same issues.
Note to self: Never buy a 18 year old 4WD.
 
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