4x4 Front suspension... AWD B2200?!?!

Does anyone know anything about the front suspension on a 4x4 mazda? I know the lower control arm is not the same as the 2wd. It's an actual A-arm with no locating bars. What about the spindel? Will it fit the upper and lower balljoints in a 2wd?

I am going to start working on my motor swap and have a complete donor 92 GSX with a 6 bolt block and 4 bolt LSD rear end. The car is AWD and I am looking into the option of making the B2200 AWD. I confirmed yesterday the front drive axels fit into the 4wd front hubs after digging around in the junk yard. I will have to have custom axles built for the front since they will need to be a little longer and also a custom axle to go from the xfer case to the rear end. I will more than likely build a complete custom frame to use the rear subframe of the GSX. Obviously the rear is not a problem since IRS been done before, but I am concerned about getting the front to work. I'm hoping the 4wd front suspention will work and still allow the truck to lay frame, if not I may workout using the front suspension off of the eclipse. I still need to measure the length of the block and tranny to make sure it will fit under the hood transverse. It will be a unique swap and I have a complete car with all parts I will need to do it.

Worse case... I sell everything except the motor and use the money to get a tranny and just settle with making it rwd.

it cut all the bs. and just use the eclipse stuff. its probably way easier..what kind of fs does the car have?

The front suspension on the eclipse uses struts with no upper control arms. That kinda of makes it a pain in the ass to use with bags. The 2nd gen eclipse still uses a strut, but has upper control arms and doesn't rely on the strut to hold it together. I may start looking for a 2nd gen eclipse in the junk yards.

It would be nice cause I could put the front bags on top of the upper control arm. I don't remember what the lower area of the suspension looks like. I will need to check that out since I havn't seriously thought about using it.

i'm pretty sure the bj's are different, as well as the brake rotor, caliper.....the problem i see you running into is having a differential under the engine, you may get it to lay frame, but you'll have issues keeping the engine under the hood, especially if it is bodydropped.....sounds like a kool project tho, would make for one heck of a ride, real quick off the line!

i think the easiest way would be to have your engine in the back and have everything backwards.

thats what my dads truck is like, and it is full time awd.

That would be interesting to set it up in reverse. Not sure how it would work. I'd like to see pics of your dads truck though.

hahah thats jokes i was actualy thinkin about that the other day...but with a fiaro motor and transaxel..or porshe

i'll get some pics for tomorow night.

Sweet... appreciate it!

okay, here are the pics......not the greatest angles but i'll try to explain.....the best i can lol


this is looking towards the front of the truck from the rear, you can see the rear differential housing, a rear cv shaft, and the drive shaft going to the front diff.


looking to the rear of the truck from the side, pretty basic
at the front looking towards the front, the drive shaft connecting to the front differential thang.


this is at the front of the truck looking to the rear, you can see the cv shaft and the majority of the lower suspension stuff.

hope these provide some help, kinda hard to take good pics.