At manufacturer cost for factory parts 5-7k is pretty reasonable. But if the connection is not there, that could multiply quickly. All I can say is, if it goes down I for one would love to see all the before and after pics. Very interesting concert

 

The legality of it concerns emissions. Same thing with engine swaps. If you change anything that effects emissions negatively, it's illegal. At least here in Illinois it is.
This subject is open to interpretation, but the techs and dealership probably don't want to take the risk. It's not much of a risk, but there is a risk.
If someone were to come into the shop I work at with a JK and ask to put a Hemi in, I would definitely call the EPA to make sure I wasn't violating any laws. Just a liability issue. Same thing with taking a 2wd to a 4wd, I would ask the state for clarification. Fines are hefty for shops that violate the EPA laws. Every situation is different.

 

Read this thread. Includes parts list for things you need from the dealer.

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...2wd+conversion

also see this thread for how easy the axle swap is:

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...=1#post2203298

Quite a few people have done the 2wd to 4wd conversion, I myself am planning on it (the economy has just delayed the plans).

 

The question I would ask you is , what are your plans , if you are going to rock crawl then 4wd , if you doing fire trails mountain roads then a E locker and a winch will do you fine

 

i got a great deal on a 2wd 2010 .. i have all the parts to do the swap.. in the end i will save alote of money. dosent seem very hard to do.. with the right tools and parts

 

I think it's awesome that some of you have or will be converting the jeep into it's correct form!! Never understood the 2wd "wranglers," not that people buy them but that Jeep made them in the first place.

 

I agree but back in 07 when the 4door dropped I couldn't afford a 4x4 sahara with my navy paycheck due to the jku being new and in very high demand. The dealer had a 4x2 on the lot they couldn't move(bc it was 2wd). I walked out the door with it for 20,500. Steal of the century. Bought the major parts slightly used or take offs online and I was a 4x4 sahara for about 23.500. Can't beat it plus you really do learn a lot about the vehicle itself.

 

I definately don't plan to do any extreme rock crawling but enjoy trails and moderate rocks. I also want the 4X4 for winter conditions. The reasoning for the 2wd purchase was that my current truck is 4X4 and my wife would be the primary driver of the Jeep. She does not do any offroading and does not like to drive in winter weather. So basically, she wanted the Wrangler "look" and the open air adaptability for her "mall crawler". I bought the Jeep used and got a good deal because it was 2wd. I also didn't see the point in the extra maintenance when the 4X4 wouldn't be used. We are now thinking of getting her something different and me taking over the Jeep. This would leave us without a 4wd. I looked at this as an opportunity to get to know my Jeep better and use better than stock parts. I have a buddy that owns a kwick lube shop and am trying to gain the use of a bay for a couple of days. I'll definately do a full photo log of the project when it gets started.

 

How does the drive train change effect emissions? Engine swaps, yes-different parameters ; 4x2 to 4x4, I don't see an emissions problem- Clarify please?

 

Perhaps I should have explained a little further on this. A 2wd is rated at 16 city and 21 hwy MPG's, whereas a 4wd is rated at 15 and 19. If you look under your hood, you have a Vehicle Emission Control Information Label that says something to the effect of, this vehicle has been certified to conform with the laws of whatever year, and so on. Since the vehicle was certified as a 2wd, changing it to a 4wd, that certification would no longer be valid. There has got to be a difference in the ECM programming to accommodate for the 4wd. I don't know that for a fact, but after being in this industry for the 15 years I have been, I can tell you that I have not seen an ECM that is the same for all variations of the same model. Autos a different than manuals, and 4wd's are different than 2wd's, as far as ECM programming is concerned. That affects it's emissions. That's not to say that it would fail an emissions test, just that it changes it's certification negatively.
As I'm sure you're well aware, there really is no enforcement of these laws, no one will come to your house knocking on your door to check the configuration of your vehicles. I have plenty of friends that modify their vehicles illegally and nothing happens. They even pass emissions tests because the oxygen sensors have been tuned out. However that doesn't make it legal. How many speed shops are out there that do custom tunes every day?
For me, if a customer wanted this done on their jeep, I wouldn't want to risk the potential liability and would call the state EPA and ask for clarification on how to do this legally. Just to venture a guess, I would think that you would need to get the ECM flashed with the 4wd programming and maybe put a new VECI label on it along with whatever else they say to change.
Like I said, these laws are really open to interpretation, and there's really no enforcement of them anyway. There's not much of a risk for someone to do this. I was just trying to explain why the dealer techs said it was illegal.
If it was my own vehicle I was doing this on, I would have no second thoughts on doing it. No one is checking up on you.

I don't know how this would affect someone that lives in a state that has state safety inspections, we only have emissions tests in Illinois. Maybe the safety inspectors are more thorough, but I doubt it.