[urq] Converting quattro to rear wheel drive only

[qshipq at aol.com]

 BTDT, Steve's procedure is dead nuts, and you *must* put the outer knuckle back into the hub, or the bearings will blow out in a couple hundred feet.  For the center diff, you can access all that in car from the back of the housing.  You can either lock/weld the dog clutch over the spline and remove the spider gears, or you can use a metal strap to lock the dog clutch without entering the trans at all.  WRT L-A concerns on the torque, IMO/U that rear driveshaft/rear diff can handle more than the I5 could ever put to the ground.  In Group B rally really high horsepower (and in Bob D LT1Q high-torque) applications it's the small front ring and pinion that can't take the horsepower/torque.  The rear driveshaft and diff were really never a known failure item, even in jumping (specifically 'landing') scenarios...  Well, torsen rear diff baskets exploded on landings, but that's another discussion.  For ease of service, I'd suggest a single side weld of the dog clutch to the rear facing driveshaft, so that it can come out from the tail without issue.

If I was to do this permanently, I'd seriously consider emptying out the front ring and pinion all together.  

Interested to hear how the project application is being considered.  A RWD version of a 4k or urq could actually be quite entertaining, and likely better tuning of chassis dynamics can be had.

HTH and my .02

Scott J
1 4.2 v8
2.5 urq
3 cgt


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: ur
q <urq at pacbell.net>
To: urq at audifans.com
Sent: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 9:55 pm
Subject: Re: [urq] Converting quattro to rear wheel drive only










... shouldn't take too much on a locker transaxle ... pull the front half
shafts, and disconnect the outer knuckle from the shaft and reinstall to
keep the front hubs together.  Figure out some way to permanently force the
center diff lock mechanism to lock the diff ... Voila!  I'd recommend
leaving the drive flanges on the transaxle in place.  

Why would someone want to take an all wheel drive car and turn it into RWD?

Of course all bets would be off if you had anything other than a manual
locking center diff ... although there may be some way to replace the center
Torsen with a locker ... 

Steve B
San José, CA (USA)

-----Original Message-----

Dear Audi Fans:

I once saw a website that showed a 4000q that had been converted to rear
wheel drive only.

I can't find it again.

Does anyone have any info on the work required to disengage/lock out the
front wheel portion of the trans?