Homemade 4x4

There’s no better way to spend all your extra free time at home than transforming your SUV with a 4x4 conversion, says Ludwig Schaffner from Kempton Park.

2008 TOYOTA FORTUNER 3.0 D-4D

After years of using and getting to know his Fortuner as a towing vehicle for the Extreme 4X4 Challenge events, and a couple of months contemplating a 4x4 conversion, the time was finally right for Ludwig to put the pieces together.

I originally purchased the Fortuner in 2014 as a runabout for my then wife. This is the pre-facelifted model range, and as it was a code 2, I only paid about R116 000 for it. I then spent another R29 000 on repairs and a fresh coat of paint.

At the beginning of 2019, my ex had a fender bender with the Fortuner, and I decided to have an Onca front bumper and Onca rock sliders fitted.

A buddy of mine owns a pre-owned service centre, and he had a 2012 Toyota Hilux double cab 4x4 manual in his possession that a sound installation centre had used as a demo vehicle. Unfortunately, some of the wiring had been botched, resulting in the Hilux burning out. A lengthy court battle with the previous owner and his insurer resulted in the Hilux standing at my friend’s place for a year and a half.

That’s when the process became real, because I bought the gearbox, front differential and transfer case after making him an offer of just R15 000. I couldn’t use the prop shaft, because that had already been removed and the newer engine had been sold off, too. But as some of these items are quite sought after in the local drag-racing scene I sold my own gearbox for R6 500 and the prop shaft for R2 500. To get everything off on the right footing, I called in the services of my friend, Noel Marks, who provided plenty of assistance over the course of the build with his mechanical savvy.

Next up was a brand-new clutch, and we had the gearbox and transfer case checked before we fitted those. And then I managed to find a brand-new front prop shaft and alternator at a used car dealership for a mere R1 000. After visiting around 10 scrapyards looking for odds and ends, I managed to find a rear prop shaft – I paid R2 000 and had it reconditioned and balanced for R950.

I also bought a few things from spares and accessories shop Ultimate 4x4 to replace the levers and 4x4-specific trim that got burnt in the inside of the cabin.

I’ve got air-helper springs installed at the rear. With the 4x4 build in mind, we’ve had the controls set up in the cabin so the left or right rear wheel can be lifted or dropped independently, or I can lift the entire rear when I’m going up a certain incline.

I managed to get a really good deal on a set of GT Radial Adventuro 285/75 R16 mud terrain tyres and then the guys at Tiger Wheel & Tyre helped with the suspension set-up and so forth.

At the pumps, I’m averaging 6,5 km/litre, but that’s to be expected when I’m towing the likes of imported American rock crawlers. They’re not lightweight equipment and the consumption is understandable. There hasn’t been any hiccups so far, but because of the towing work I make the Fortuner endure, I also service it myself every 7 500 km instead of the usual 15 000 intervals as per the Toyota manual.

There are so many small things that goes into a build like this that are easy for people to overlook. Noel cut the fender flares, taking off 30 mm or so, and plastic welded them back with a soldering iron. Those sorts of things don’t cost extra money, but sometimes they’re what people get stuck on.

If I could offer any advice to someone doing a conversion themselves, it would be to not rush into purchasing parts. Be patient and don’t just commit to the first shop you come across that’s selling spares, rather spend some time looking around or online to find exactly what it is your looking for and the price that suits your pocket. You can also save money by selling your old items, like I did. I sold the Fortuner’s original tow bar for R2 500.

From being a seed in my mind in around September last year to proceeding with the build two weeks before the start of lockdown, it took us a little over two months to get the Fortuner in the condition it is now. Next on the cards is to have it Raptor coated in a bright colour so that it can be more of a deterrent to thieves.

There are so many small things that goes into a build like this that are easy for people to overlook