2WD or 4WD
I'm looking at the new cheverolet durmax to pull my fifth wheel. Do I really need the 4WD or should I go with the 2WD. If I go with the 4WD is the mpg a big difference and does the 4WD effective the...
Forum Discussion
Sport45 wrote:Sport45 wrote:RedRocket204 wrote:wwest wrote:
Other than initially getting up and going, moving, on the slippery stuff 4WD/4X4 drivelines are totally USELESS!
How about geared down engine braking with 4x4 engaged?
To me, your above statement is invalid.
You really shouldn't be in 4x4 mode when towing in a good traction situation unless you have a AWD vehicle. Forcing the front and rear axles to rotate together on a good road is asking for trouble. The best thing that can happen is rapid tire wear. It gets worse from there up to braking an axle or driveshaft due to driveline wrap. 4x4 is for off road or slick roads only. At least that held true for every 4x4 I've owned. Not one was AWD capable, meaning there was no center differential to allow the front and back to track through a different turning radius.
And if you're using 4x4 downhill on a slippery road you can lose steering as mentioned above when wheels slip on a turn because they're all locked together at the same wheel speed.
Towing was never mentioned in wwest's absolute statement about how 4x4 is useless other than accelerating moving forward and that is simply not true. Then he comes back and has a non-absolute statement...so, what is it?
You guys can continue to disagree and that's fine. WA and TX must have way more adverse driving conditions than I experience in the mountains of CO driving down into Denver and then back home 5 days a week. :R
BTW, it takes much more than 1" of snow to close down everything here and snowplows are not everywhere all of the time.
