Yes...it's thumbs up for our first Sprinter 4x4 owner. Welcome to a new era for the North American Sprinter...4 Wheel Drive!! We are now offering the Sportsvans™ 4x4 Conversion. With this conversion, you can travel anywhere in the world and service parts will be as close as the nearest Mercedes or Dodge/Freightliner dealer! And, speaking of traveling anywhere, with the addition of our Rear Diff Lock, you will be able to go pretty much wherever you want whenever you want!! Below is a list of Sportsvans™ 4x4 Conversion facts that will help you learn more about our Sprinter 4wd conversions. The Sprinter pictured above is a 2006 140" 2500SHC Cargo with selectable 4wd and low range.
To view the USA debut and testing of the Sportsvans™ 4x4 Conversion, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7w72evi4w4 or check out other Sportsvans 4wd Sprinter videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/sportsvr
Check out our most recent 4wd power video!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF7Bgs0k_CM&feature=channel_page
FAQs and Sportsvans™ 4x4 Conversion facts:
The Sportsvans™ 4x4 conversion for the early and late model Sprinter is currently being re-designed with no ETA at this time.
4x4 Configurations that will be available for all Sprinters: Permanent 4wd, Permanent 4wd with low range, Selectable 4wd and Selectable 4wd with low range. The Sportsvans™ Rear Diff Lock will be available as an option and compatible with all 4wd configurations.
The permanent 4wd system applies 35% power to the front axle and 65% to the rear. The selectable system applies 50% power to the front axle and 50% to the rear when engaged. On the selectable system, 4wd engagement and disengagement can take place on the fly up to about 20mph. On either system, low range can only be activated when stopped, in neutral and with the brake applied.
With the Sportsvans™ 4x4 conversions, the ESP, ABS and ASR systems are active and fully functional when in selectable 2wd hi range and when in permanent 4wd hi range. When in selectable 4x4 hi range, selectable 4x4 low range or permanent 4x4 low range, the systems are deactivated. With the selectable 4wd system, low range is not available in 2wd mode. When shifting back to selectable 2wd hi range or permanent 4wd hi range, the ESP, ABS and ASR systems are automatically reset and fully functional.
Ride height with stock tires increases by 3.375" in front and 3.125" in the rear. With 245/75/16 tires, ride height increases about an additional .50".
Ground clearance at front cross-member: 9.0", transfer case: 11.50" and rear diff: 9.75"
The turning radius is slightly reduced.
The fiberglass transverse front spring is replaced with the factory two leaf steel spring.
The stock transmission cross-member mount is replaced with a new heavy duty cross-member. Clearance at the cross-member is 11.50".
Front struts are replaced. Koni struts are available as an option.
A 3.125" spacer with bump stop is placed between the rear axle perch and the spring pack. The rear shock location is retained by inserting a spacer block. Using our rear spring assist kit is not recommended; however, using our up-graded sway bar and Koni shocks is acceptable under most 4wd conditions.
The conversion includes a new transmission case with a short extension housing to mate the transfer case directly to the transmission.
The transmission and transfer case functions are operated by a small push button located in the dash board.
The driveshaft is shortened by 12". We offer the option of a new driveshaft which includes larger, heavy duty u-joints with Zerk fittings and a much larger carrier bearing. This up-grade is $1000.
The fuel tank gets replaced with a 24 gal. tank that has a recessed area to allow clearance for the transfer case. An optional extended range fuel tank will be offered in the future.
The conversion involves reusing your own Sprinter's brake pads, brake caliper, brake rotor, sway bar and power steering rack.
You can expect a fuel economy loss of 2-3mpg.
The conversion includes factory center-console mounted switches for the 4wd lock and low range lock, and 4x4 badges.
The conversion process is extensive. For this reason, it will only performed at our location. Kits will not be available for sale "over the counter".
4x4 related components will be warranted by Sportsvans™. The 4x4 conversion warranty is 12 months / 12,000 miles.
4x4 conversion pricing will vary directly with the Euro to Dollar exchange, your configuration and any added options. The kits are ordered specifically for your Sprinter based on your Vin# and rear axle ratio. Therefore, a $20,000 non-refundable deposit will be required on all orders. Conversion kit build and ship time is approximately 5 to 6 weeks. Conversion installation time for the kit is 1 to 2 weeks depending on our schedule. At this time, it is estimated the Sportsvans™ 4x4 Conversions will start at $27,000 depending on the Euro to Dollar exchange, your configuration and any added options. Take into consideration that your 4x4 conversion investment will enhance the value and appeal of your Sprinter at resale.
The Sportsvans™ 4x4 Conversion vs. the Competition:
Why is the Sportsvans™ Sprinter 4x4 conversion kit so expensive? All the components in this conversion are OEM parts designed to fit your Sprinter vs. the standard default Ford parts that are made to fit in a generic type conversion. Part of the price you pay for the Foreign exchange rates and the shipping costs from overseas. Remember, when you purchased your Sprinter, you paid a significantly higher price for it than you would have for a Ford E-Van! The same will hold true for a 4wd conversion.
The Sportsvans™ Sprinter 4x4 conversion is a proven and tested with fully functional safety systems. For instance, the fuel tank has a cut-out for proper spacing from the transfer case. The tank will be less likely to fail in an accident. Other conversions do not have the crash engineering incorporated in their design.
The increase in ride height with the Sportsvans™ conversion is only about 3.0". This low center of gravity is significant in possible roll over situations. Other conversions sit higher creating potential handling issues which may not properly integrate with the Sprinter's ESP, ABS and ASR systems.
The Sportsvans™ Sprinter 4x4 conversion uses the OEM sub-frame assembly which places the wheels, suspension and steering assembly in the exact same position as the 2wd Sprinter. This is critical to maintaining the excellent steering and handling characteristics that are engineered into your Sprinter. Other conversions may not properly locate these assemblies which may result in steering, tracking and handling issues.
The Sportsvans™ Sprinter 4x4 conversion uses an attached transfer case which mates directly to the transmission keeping the drive train assembly compact which reduces vibrations. Other conversion companies use a divorced transfer case with an additional driveshaft between the transfer case and the transmission. This will produce more drive train noise and vibration.
The Sportsvans™ Sprinter 4x4 conversion uses OEM parts. Servicing your Sprinter will not change. You will use the same brake pads and rotors you used before which you will be able to purchase almost anywhere you travel. If you have a fleet of Sprinters, very little will change. With other conversions, you will be dealing with a miss match of drive trains front to rear and with a new set of parts.
The Sportsvans™ Sprinter 4x4 conversion uses the factory wheels mounting to the factory front hubs and rear axles in the exact same physical locations as the 2wd Sprinter. Other conversion companies are using wheel spacers to "square things up" when mounting wheels to the vehicle. This can result in tracking and handling problems.
In the long run, you will find the genuine Sportsvans™ 4x4 Conversion is the conversion of choice.