I have a 2009 Patriot that is only 2wd fwd. I'm looking for how to get 4wd. I'm a complete idiot at this and I need to know where to start and if it's even possible.:doh:
Dweebski79
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I have a 2009 Patriot that is only 2wd fwd. I'm looking for how to get 4wd. I'm a complete idiot at this and I need to know where to start and if it's even possible.:doh:
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I think you should've just bought a 4x4. There would be a lot of stuff and not cheap either: PTU, rear diff, rear driveshaft, rear axles, rear hubs, different transmission control modules and a bunch of other wiring.
Oh and you have rear drum brakes right now correct? Those will need to be changed to disc.
Sounds like about 2k or more to me...
Oh and you have rear drum brakes right now correct? Those will need to be changed to disc.
Sounds like about 2k or more to me...
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You'll spend $10-15K doing the swap over. You're better off selling your 2wd and buying a 4wd.
as stated above, you'll need a new transmission, drive shaft, ptu, rear axles, rear diff, correct suspension. but mostly and more importantly, You'll need the computers/control modules. These are locked to the VIN and cannot be swapped without Chrysler's blessing, or paying somebody A LOT of money to crack and reprogram them.
You're far far better to sell and buy a 4wd.
as stated above, you'll need a new transmission, drive shaft, ptu, rear axles, rear diff, correct suspension. but mostly and more importantly, You'll need the computers/control modules. These are locked to the VIN and cannot be swapped without Chrysler's blessing, or paying somebody A LOT of money to crack and reprogram them.
You're far far better to sell and buy a 4wd.
I'm with the others. Best off to buy a 4x4 from the start. Or lift it and get some really good tires.
Everything is so computer-controlled these days. For the sake of improved fuel economy they're taking the fun out cars. Used to be you could swap an engine for a bigger one, or an automatic for a manual. Heck, soon they won't even let us drive the car, it will be driverless. First they will offer the driverless car, then they'll require it. A lot of people think that's a good thing.
Have fun while you can! . . . before its illegal.
Everything is so computer-controlled these days. For the sake of improved fuel economy they're taking the fun out cars. Used to be you could swap an engine for a bigger one, or an automatic for a manual. Heck, soon they won't even let us drive the car, it will be driverless. First they will offer the driverless car, then they'll require it. A lot of people think that's a good thing.
Have fun while you can! . . . before its illegal.
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Thanks guys
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see above...forget about it !
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years ago I bought a wrecked 4x4 Chevy S-10 pickup just to add the 4 wheel drive to my vehicle--it never worked--there was always something else that needed to be changed...not worth it unless you're in that business.
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I could see doing it if you had a 2wd cherokee that was in immaculate condition, and then was given for free a wrecked 4x4 cherokee that the drive line was perfect on. Still A LOT of work to get it in there, but hey, I'm up for a challenging project. But mainly, no computer controls to worry about with the XJ, just some levers.
Why do you need 4wd? The FWD Patriot is quite competent for snow and light off-roading. Check out some of the 2wd threads.
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I would just sell it and buy a 4x4 one. My mom lives in California and I suggested to her she may as well get the 4x4 model because it was only $1,500 more than the FWD model. And even though she'll probably never see snow or ice with it, she does live near mountains and when there is rain, the on demand 4x4 along with the anti-skid and traction control stuff will give her the best safety.
That area has tons of Jeep and Subaru owners. Plus when she goes to sell it, the 4x4 should be easier to sell. Maybe not enough to get the $1,500 back, but probably most of it.
That area has tons of Jeep and Subaru owners. Plus when she goes to sell it, the 4x4 should be easier to sell. Maybe not enough to get the $1,500 back, but probably most of it.
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Yeah FWD will get you 85% of the way there in terms of winter driving. Beats the heck out of RWD.
We got our first FWD car in 1986. It was a '79 Plymouth Champ. It sure impressed the heck out of my dad who only liked American cars and thought the Champ was a silly little thing until he drove it in the snow and also when he saw how good it was on gas. The Champ was a clone of the Dodge Colt (both were Mitsubishi captive imports).
You get the ABS and traction control with FWD, too. Its part of the brake system. Really, 4wd is useful mostly for getting started with in poor traction conditions -- off road or snow. If your Mom stays on the road and its not snowing, 4wd is like tail fins. Looks nice, but totally useless in her application.
Remember: Stopping distances are identical with FWD or 4wd or AWD, and cornering is roughly equal -- in some cases the 4wd will help, in other situations you're better off with FWD. The real danger is that people think they have better stopping & cornering with AWD or 4wd and they learn the hard way.
There's two more problems with that plan: 1) the fuel economy, and 2) you'll lose $$ trading. MPG significantly better with FWD than AWD. I had a 4wd Compass as a loaner while Ignatz was in the shop. The Compass is in every respect a nice vehicle, but the fuel economy was only around 22mpg. I'm used to getting high 20s mpg overall; Wifey's 2014 with the 2.0 hardly ever dips below 30mpg no matter what she does. Whenever you trade the trade-in value is always less than retail, because the dealer is going to turn around and sell it at a proflit. The dealer's profit is what you lost. No, the dealer's not a crook, they've just got to make money off the deal. Do like me and run it till its ready to disintegrate!
If your Mom is likely to be in the mountains, definitely go with a 2.4.
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Yeah she got the 2.4 and the 6 speed AT. I knew the ABS/traction control is also on the FWD, but I just meant the entire package working together -- the 4x4 along with the ABS and traction control is a safer package. The synergy of the system. And true, the driver is the most important part of the equation.You get the ABS and traction control with FWD, too. Its part of the brake system. Really, 4wd is useful mostly for getting started with in poor traction conditions -- off road or snow. If your Mom stays on the road and its not snowing, 4wd is like tail fins. Looks nice, but totally useless in her application.
Remember: Stopping distances are identical with FWD or 4wd or AWD, and cornering is roughly equal -- in some cases the 4wd will help, in other situations you're better off with FWD. The real danger is that people think they have better stopping & cornering with AWD or 4wd and they learn the hard way.
There's one more problem with that plan: the fuel economy. Its significantly better with FWD than AWD. I had a 4wd Compass as a loaner while Ignatz was in the shop. The Compass is in every respect a nice vehicle, but the fuel economy was only around 22mpg. I'm used to getting high 20s mpg overall; Wifey's 2014 with the 2.0 hardly ever dips below 30mpg no matter what she does.
If your Mom is likely to be in the mountains, definitely go with a 2.4.
As far as the gas mileage, she only drives like 50 miles a week (to go to the store and church), so gas mileage is not a concern at all.
So I guess if you're willing to take the hit on depreciation, go for it.
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Yeah depreciation sucks but it's going to happen on a new car purchase.
She had a 2008 VW Jetta that only had 25k miles on it in 2014 when I helped her sell it. Jeep dealership only wanted to give her 3k, so I sold it privately for her for 13k. She would've kept it but it was so low on the ground it hurt her hip and legs to get in and out. So after selling it for her, she only had to add $4k to it to buy the Jeep. I think she had paid $18k for the Jetta, so she only lost $5k on it when we resold it. Not bad for 6 years of use out of it.
My stepdad only believed in buying brand new cars, because when he was younger he bought a used car that turned out to be a lemon. So his theory was: buy new and maintain the hell out of it and keep it at least 10 years.
Bingo! The depreciation on any new vehicle is dramatic the first few years. It can even be $1000 just for titling it.Or I guess the depreciation could be from her buying a brand new Jeep and then only driving it 3,000 miles a year.
You'll always do better selling privately than trading in, but you have to wait for the right buyer to come along.
Or you can shop around to different dealers till you find someone who really wants to make a deal. E.g., I traded my 1996 Bravada in 1998 with 100,000 miles on it for a new 1997 leftover. First I shopped Dodge for a Durango and was offered $5000. Went to my original selling Olds dealer and he said, "Is that the one you got form us?" I said it was. "We've done all the service on that, right?" Again it was true. "I'll give you top dollar on that regardless of the miles." He gave me $15,000 for it. Three times the first dealer!
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