hi,really toying with the idear of coverting my escos to rwd, i guess a few of you have done this, so just wondering what it handles like when this is done, and a parts list please,

 

Years ago when I asked about it I was told due to the short wheel base the handling becomes very understeery.... I can't understand that though as 4wd surely makes it worse?

Maybe people that have done it can comment though.

 

When people in here talk about the short wheelbase i should think the escort was much shorter than the sierra. ITS NOT!!!!!!!! Cant handle that bad. Heard many say that the handling is good.

 

although yes the floor pan is shorter,its the over hang of the rest of the body that makes the difference too.

i keep thinking of going 2wd too.but will only do it if it busts my 4wd again

 

Its quite the opposite - mines converted to RWD, with full 2wd running gear, including a 7.5" Quaife diff. Its all poly bushed except the rear arms, and i'm using solid beam mounts with AVO coilovers and the standard supplied springs.

The car handles superbly well, you point it in a corner and it goes, if anything, its the rear end that starts to break away first.

Mines abit skitish at times on the rear end tho on boost, but I think thats because the T38 comes in aggressively, in the wet the car will try to break traction in thrid gear, and you can spin the wheels up in second very easily.

Its not a drift car by anymeans - I have tried to build that part out of it, tho when you want you can still get nicely sideways

In all honesty - the car handles as well as it did, if not slightly better, its just a case of learning how to drive RWD if you haven't done so before

 

RWD would be very tedious on a damp/wet road, OK for a toy you only take out on sunny days.

Mark

 

well this is it, i dont drive it in the wet and yes its just a toy... an expensive one at that,
just loved the idear of having a rwd escos, ive been in a few saphs thats rwd and they just feel like complete animals compared to the 4wd and they are both around the same bhp with same sort of mods.

EL GRAND TOMISMOLA...
sorry to be a pain but is there any chance you can do use a parts list as i need to start collecting the parts.. thanks

 

Parts list as far as i'm aware:
complete 2wd rear beam
2wd diff+mount
2wd exhaust to pass the beam or a side exit
t5 gearbox+mount
2wd prop shaft( shortened 50/60mm can't remember off the top of my head)
Plus lots of bottle cos 4wd is for girls!

 

thanks bud!! bring on the 2wd!!!

 

I posted on a thread on escortscosworth.com about this...here was my response.

Theres also a setailed list of parts required to do the conversion.....see here http://www.escortrscosworth.com/foru...ead.php?t=1954

Cheers
Dan

 

Thats about right.

The gearbox mount has to be modded, i'm currently making a new better version of the one I fitted, an adaption of a Sierra 3dr one.

I am also still running the my old 4x4 exhaust that runs down the passengers side (under the gearbox) and it has little clearence issues even tho its 3" from the turbo.

You'll also need a different started motor and dust sheet between the gearbox and engine, a different Speedo cable (2wd one)

A 2wd sump is also a good idea, but you will need to reposition the crank sensor (well I had to) so it clears the crank pulley.

I'm also still on a 4x4 front crossmember and front hubs, I didn't want to change my front brakes as the 2wd hubs are different and it would also change my wheel offset, and also the fact that I was running 4x4 AVO coilovers - the 2wd hubs are smaller diameter for the front shocks strangly, so the i removed the outer CV joint and bolted it up in the hub (like the MGF has) just as normal.

If you do go RWD, then I would suggest you get a couple of standard diffs if your are upward of 400 horse. I killed a standard one within two weeks of the conversion. Quaife conversion is ideal, but they are cira Ł1300 fully built new, expensive but well well worth it.

The plus side is, if you don't like RWD you can always reconvert the car back to 4x4 and be safe in the knowledge that you are running a bigger rear end, Ok so the diffs will be out by about 0.04 or so on the ratios, but the centre VC should be able to manage that

 

SILLYFIEZZAMK1
EL GRAND TOMISMOLA thanks guys... this has made me more determined to get the parts sourced and get it done.. nice one!!!!

 

ive written a bit of an essay on here before on converting my escos to rwd and how i liked it, so dont want to type it again. basically its a great conversion and takes nothing from the car, an improvement all round imo. makes it a lot more exciting like the 2wd saphs.
the parts lists are all correct above but one tip from my own conversion is to use a gearbox output flange from what i think was a type 9 gearbox cvh sierra. basically it slips straight into the t5 box and has a three holed flange to bolt up to your escort rubber donut and hey presto , job done! no messing about with measuring and getting props shortened and its given no probs in my 350hp car thats not driven easily!
you do have to cut off one piece of it sticking in towards the rubber donut but it will be obvious when you offer it up. the reason i dont know what exact model sierra it is from is because i found it on a windowsill in a friends yard!

 

Take a look at page3, it`s one way to look up senter diff, and use 4x4 gearbox as 2 wheel drive

http://www.fmcn.no/forum/index.php?s...ic=44334&st=40

 

that sounds a great mod, but it makes it hard to figure out what has been done by the pictures! my norweigan is not good!
has he got the 3 semi gears macined to fit into the box to lock the diff?
i would love to read that site if it was in english

 

Hehe, sorry for norwegian text. Yes he has macined 3 half semi gears to lock diff. I can see if i got time to translate this, have to work a bit also

 

Would it be beneficial to fit a 2wd front crossmember an hubs etc? would it bolts straight in? Or shall i just leave the 4x4 one in as above?
Thanks Danny

 

I'm still running all the 4x4 front end bar the sump

 

ive been told that the only way to do it right was to fit 2wd hubs/rack/crossmember..ect
as this was the best way for it,as it would handle better? perhaps someone else can add to this weather true or not?

 

Only thing is if you fit 2wd front end you have 2 different offsets, I run my 4x4 saff converted to 2wd just using the 4x4 front end with driveshafts/diff/prop removed etc.

Just leave the stub shafts in to hold the hub together.

 

i'm thinking of doin something similar
i've currently got a 2wd saph,
its gonna be used more and more as a track car this year,
so as i'm building the spec up to 1 i'm happy with its staying in the saph
once i'm happy with it all, i want to take out all my running gear and put it into an escort shell
i've already got the escort shell lined up, and should have everything from my saph to put on,
what i am interested in is what will i need?
prop shortened and gearbox mount i know of, but is there anything else that needs mod'd or doesn't fit that i havent thought about?

 

Thats what mine is. Handles fine, and saves the hassle of new brakes and wheels etc

 

99% is just straight like for like.

The only thing I can think of is you may need the Escorts handbrake cables???

 

what about 2wd flywheel? been told to use this as they are lighter.. so any other benifit? liking the sound of not having to change the rack and hubs..ect this wil,speed the process up.

 

can leave the 7" rear in as well if you are not running mega power

 

Yes, they are lighter, and they are a good upgrade

 

thanks mate
might just convert to hydraulic handbrake while i'm doin it as it'll mostly be a track car anyhow

 

I'm using full 2wd running gear up front, crossmember, steering rack, hubs, ledas off ronnie.
Will be using Frs brembos on custom brackets with 300mm disc's under 16" compomotive's.
Using 2wd flywheel and sump too.
Aaron

 

Aaron,hows does yours handle with the 2wd set up at front, as the off set will be completely drifferent, does this make it worse or better, as i have spoken to a couple of people and they say to use the standard 4x4 front set up as it handles better..... can anyone confirm who has changed the front to 2wd.

 

My conversion is currently under way, so havent had a chance to test it out.
But i'm sure theres not much difference, If your starting with a bare shell like me, use what you can get.
If you have the 4 wheel drive set up use that. No point in buying gear you don't need

 

good point, as ive been offered the front end off a 2wd and was wondering to get it or not, does not seem any point now,
pritty much got all the bits now to do the conversion, so will be getting on with it in the next few weeks!!!!

 

my car needs fixing first lol...how long did it take to get to preston?

 

too long, 5 hours there, 6.5 onthe way back.. there was a crash on the way back, nearly 600miles and the gearbox leaked oil in the boot of the missus car... she aint happy about that,as you know what gearbox oil smells like.... id better get the vanish out

 

woooops why didnt u take the van