RWD L Series

someguy · Post by **someguy** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:36 am

Hi All.

I am considering converting the L Series to RWD (never goes offroad, buying a dedicated offroader)

I have heard the process can be as simple as lopping off the front drive shafts but I am sure the process is a fair bit more complicated than that.

Can anyone shed some light into how this is done?

Thanks

Post by **TOONGA** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:47 am

yes it is that simple 2 old outer CV 's with good splines and threads you can put dummy boots over them if you like

pull out drive shafts replace with outers only put your gearbox into 4wd and hey presto rear wheel drive

TOONGA

someguy · Post by **someguy** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:52 am

TOONGA wrote:yes it is that simple 2 old outer CV 's with good splines and threads you can put dummy boots over them if you like

pull out drive shafts replace with outers only put your gearbox into 4wd and hey presto rear wheel drive

TOONGA

Sounds good.

The car is mainly doing freeway/city driving and I would much prefer RWD over front wheel drive (because my other cars are commodores, FWD just doesn't feel as nice to drive)

Will it do any damage to the gearbox or diff considering they have both been built for 4WD

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:05 pm

Great anti theft leaving it in FWD!! And often wondered how to you do/undo the big 36mm nuts when no link to gearbox to resit either way, just rely on handbrake?

little_red_L · Post by **little_red_L** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 7:02 pm

Ive heard that doing this can cause undue stress to the rear moustache bar. It is pretty flimsy and not designed for 100% power. extra bracing and/or a custom sway bar might be in order to prevent torque twisting it. all this also depends on how you drive too.... drifting in this new RWD-guise, not reccomended.

spike · Post by **spike** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:49 pm

steptoe wrote:Great anti theft leaving it in FWD!! And often wondered how to you do/undo the big 36mm nuts when no link to gearbox to resit either way, just rely on handbrake?

ahhh but it would be very difficult to notice that it had been converted to RWD, and depend what wheels you were using it would be as simple as sliding a screwdriver or spanner thought the rim and stopping it turning right.

the car will handle like a pig though, and not the commodore type not a enough power from the 4 cylinder.
i would think about doing the conversion i think it would be different, but it would need the EJ and rear disks

brumbyrunner · Post by **brumbyrunner** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:14 am

It's been done plenty of times.
Like TOONGA said, pull out the front driveshafts and throw in some bare front CVs. You can remove the guts of the CV or just leave it in there.
Quick and easy thing to try, and easy to put back to original when you find it handled better as FWD.
I find the biggest problem is the 3 rear diff mounting rubbers. They're very soft (especially if original) and allow the rear diff to move around, absorbing power and making a racket under acceleration.

Post by **TOONGA** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:42 am

The wagon I sold to Clarkey had this conversion done it was way better IMHO at stop start city driving but not much else and yes doing rollbacks, doh-nuts or any other feats of tyre destroying insanity will cause the rear diff hanger (moustache bar) to turn into a pretzel

TOONGA

mattw · Post by **mattw** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:47 pm

as above, it's been done many times before and is easy to do.
I found it improves the handling and balance through corners, and makes it a bit of a laugh to drive through the hills. I've always hated front wheel drive understeer and loved having the rear wheel drive "steer by throttle" to balance the car with (power slide with an EA, yeah right...HA HA HA HA.....)
BUT I'll warn you now, the transfer gears in the box are the weak point and will fail sooner or later. Mine lasted 6 months or so and then went without warning or provocation. I was just pulling away quietly, and BANG....
the diff will handle it, but the mounts mentioned above will go too, but that can be overcome.

Post by **Alex** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:49 pm

brumbyrunner wrote: I find the biggest problem is the 3 rear diff mounting rubbers. They're very soft (especially if original) and allow the rear diff to move around, absorbing power and making a racket under acceleration.

amen....i ran rwd with ej22 for a while...only cos i had a blown front cv. Horrendus noises from the arse end....spesh when trying to drop 1st

alex

Morcs · Post by **Morcs** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:23 pm

Yes i had my Brumby with the RS turbo and old awd gearbox welded centre diff removed front CVs as described. With a VLSD also

Was a whole lot of fun untill it rained then it was down right insane
The brumby being very short it wanted to swap ends very fast and I mean fast could not get quick enough to catch it sometimes.

Took me a while to get used to it. Even still you had to drive so carefully in the wet.

I remember entering the free way at about 120 just accelerating to keep in front of a truck then having to steer the thing to keep moving in a straight line not much fun when your not "driving the car".

In the wet you just pick any gear and it just changed how fast its wheels spun.

maxxair · Post by **maxxair** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:18 pm

remove atleast one (1) CV and you're away. works well. handles better on hiway (no tracking ala fwd) just dont bump the lever and you're good.

heres a vid of my 'little red' on its final day out. wouldnt die, even with its terminal illnesses. poor ol thing copped a floggin and NO maintenence besides tyres. refused to die even with leadfooted doughies in Lo-range. coughed up some wicked clouds tho.

RWD is FUN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOxmb2WZPPg