2003 Grand Cherokee 2WD to 4WD

Here's the deal. I work for a small ma and pa auto repair shop and this Grand Cherokee came into the shop needing an engine because one of the piston heads snapped off and the arm was flinging around inside the block (yes the truck started and ran for about two weeks before it finally locked up). I was in the market for a small 4 Door truck or SUV (just had a baby) so i saw the opportunity and bought the truck for cheap and put a renamed engine in it. After that i found out that it had an alignment issue in the front end causing it to pull to the right (after 3 alignments from two different shops) i found out that the two front wheels ( the right more so than the left) are tilted in at the top and it seems like a bent front axle beam is the cause. in another case, i feel as if it might have some transmission issues (automatic). So i need a new/used(straight) front axle beam and possibly a transmission. my question is, If i were to change both of those things (front axle beam and Transmission), how much EXTRA would it cost me to change the truck to 4WD. What is the difference in price between a re-maned RWD and a re-maned 4WD (manual transfer, i want to keep it in RWD on road and 4WD in dirt). Obviously there's the difference in the trans and the front axle beam with the dif and axles, possibly new spindles to account for axles, but would i have to switch out the ECM as well? other things i haven't thought of? maybe different length rear drive shaft?

What would the entire switch include and what would be the difference in price between the switch and sticking with 2WD?

I'm sure most of this website is for Willys but hopefully there is someone out there with some experience with this issue. I know besides the length of body and some suspension parts a cherokee and wrangler are pretty much the same truck.

Thank you.

 

I forgot to mentions that i am also wanting to lift it about 2 inches and offset the wheels out about and inch or so and then put the biggest tires possible (without wheel bite) on it. Any suggestions in that area would be appreciated as well. (Quality kits, spacers vs new springs, shocks (it needs shocks too), known width/outer diameter for max tire without rub on a 2in lift, etc.)

 

REally unless you are looking for a project, you would find another WJ that is 4wd for a whole lot less than converting that one to 4wd.

 

After you find a 4WD GC, that 2wd GC could be a source for some jeep parts if you got the space.

 

If you could source a 4wd trans, transfer case, front axle, and front and rear driveshafts it should bolt up.
You would need little things like 4wd linkage/handle and gear indicator and how the speedo gets it's signal would need to be swapped out as the 4wd may get that from the tcase instead of the transmission. If you have the space, the time, and the ability to do the swap I say do it but of course I am in the middle of an engine swap, axle swap, and lift kit install so I guess I just like to be glutton for punishment.

The straight axle unibody Jeeps are probably some of the easiest vehicles to do a 2wd to 4wd conversion on since the suspension and steering are the same.