truck and trailer total loss due to black ice
So it's been almost 3 weeks since we totaled our truck and fifth wheel. We were an hour from home enroute to Florida from Hamilton, Ontario when we hit black ice, lost control, went down an embankmen...
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Likes to tow wrote:
Gee so many different opinions about 4WD. I think there is a misconception about the benefits of it and a great deal of that comes from "marketing strategy" from the auto makers. Here's my opinion, for what it's worth, and I might add that I have only owned one vehicle with it. Actually it was AWD and there is a difference!! AWD is full time, 4WD is selected.
Keep in mind that when on a wet or ice surface and you are up to speed.....all vehicles are dead equal.........they all have 4WB. That's four wheel brakes!!
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You're wrong on all the benefits of 4wd when up to speed and they are certainly not dead equal. Downshifting you get drag from both the front and read wheels. In 4x2 you get drag only on the rear wheels.
If your front wheels start to slide and brake, you just made a mistake. Put your foot in it and the 4WD will straighten you out, did this MANY times in my snow plowing days and started to slide on the highway. Coming across the Rockies hail covered the road, no braking 4wd holding us straight down the east side of the mountain.
In fact at speed and on slippery surface, you're still pulling. That tends to make the rear slip. In 4WD the pulling is front and read and highly less likely to slip and have a rear slide out on you. NO ONE is fast enough to instantly turn on 4WD when needed in a flash.
