2wd vs 4wd

I once backed my flat bed trailer into my sons back yard to leave it for a few days. The yard is flat as a fiddle top and my 04 Dodge diesel would not untrack in the wet grass. I had the go get his tractor to get it moving. I got it stuck in my own yard about a month later. Same situation, unhooked my horse trailer and there I sat. In my opinion the weight of the diesel in front and the light rear makes 4 X 4 necessary. It drove great on the road, I loved the truck but I had to replace it with a 4X. Just replaced the 05 and didn't consider 2 wd and I don't think I could have found one in Northern California.

The Mad Norsky wrote:

ls1mike wrote:
I don't drive them in winter and quite frankly my Trans Am sees more off road them my truck :).

Just depends on what are doing with it!

Bandit, is that you???????? :B

Lost you somewhere on the flip side!

LOL!

ls1mike wrote:
I don't drive them in winter and quite frankly my Trans Am sees more off road them my truck :).

Just depends on what are doing with it!

Bandit, is that you???????? :B

Lost you somewhere on the flip side!

kw/00 wrote:
I could be wrong but I think that with GM both 2x4 and 4x4 have similar heights.

They may very well be the same, but an '04 Chevy 4x2 is taller than my '04 Dodge. We had an '04 Chevy 2500 in our dept at my last job before I retired. I drove it a little. Still prefered my Dodge.

I have had both. I am not a truck guy so my last two trucks were 2wd. I don't drive them in winter and quite frankly my Trans Am sees more off road them my truck :).

Just depends on what are doing with it!

I could be wrong but I think that with GM both 2x4 and 4x4 have similar heights.

I have a 2005 2x4 2500 dodge diesel
every time I take it in for service the sales guys are all over me to trade.

they told me the truck would not set on the lot over two days and would be gone.

were always having people ask for them, but they almost never get in a 2x4

mine drives good, rides good and get great fuel mileage.
so I am keeping it,

however, as others have said with that heavy engine, do not get it off road in the mud or snow. have an old jeep for that or stay home with mama bear.

When someone builds a 4x4 that sits no higher than my current 4x2 then I might consider one. I know what works for me. JMHO.

With climate change being confirmed on a yearly basis...watching the news of the
poor folks who live in the path of these storms...thought of this thread

Again, personal choice. I don't live in those areas, but often visit places that
do require 4x4 (IMHO)

Even then...gotta have both the right components (mainly tires and chains) and
the talent to know HOW2 use 4x4. It's not just flip the lever/button/etc

APT wrote:

The Mad Norsky wrote:
Ownership and maintenance costs only????

Very little cost to own or maintain. Well, I do guess the initial cost of buying 4 X 4 versus 2 wheel drive. But hardly anything to do for maintenance anymore.

Other than that, gosh no nothing I have had to maintain on, lets see???? 96, 2001, 2006 and 2014 Rams. 2003 Chevy. 2011 Ford. All 4 X 4's.

That's because you and I change vehicles frequently and live where it snows. I will always buy 4WD too, but that doesn't mean everyone should. 4WD trucks use a little more fuel, cost about $3k more up front and have more moving parts that wear and can break. That doesn't mean every one will have more maintenance, but they can't have less than 2WD. If I lived in Texas like the OP, I'd get 2WD.

As far as wearing/breaking; nothing on any of those vehicles.

Back in the 1970's I did have bearing problems and had to frequently have the front lock out hubs re-packed and checked on the 1977 Ford F-250 I owned.

But starting with my 96 Ram and forwards, no problems with the four wheel drive areas of the vehicles.

Mind you, I did move away from the frozen tundra of near the Canadian border in 2008 for the relatively tropical climate of southern South Dakota ( :B ) so recent winters have been simple compared to where I used to live.

So I honestly have used four wheel drive little since arrival in South Dakota 2008. But I do think I made up for this in an almost over-use of four wheel drive during some of those brutal, icy, long winters along the Canadian border.