2wd vs 4wd

brulaz wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

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You're completely misinformed on most accounts here. The last 4wd transfer case that didn't act well on dry pavement in 4wd was the NP 205 in early 80s pickups. Maybe some jeeps for a few years after that. Any new or newer 4wd can be driven as far as you want in 4 wdh on dry roads, however unnecessary.
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My 2009 Tacoma 4x4 could not. You could feel the heat and smell the stink if you mistakenly left it on for a short while on dry hard roads.

And according to Ford F150 manual: "4WD should not be operated on dry pavement; driveline damage may occur."
The higher end F150s have a "Full-time 4x4" or AWD that can be left on all the time.

Well I stand corrected then. Only had one Yota back in the day and it wasn't for very long, but I've driven every brand of truck many a time in 4 wd on dry pavement for miles or even hours without issue.
Heck my wife drove our 01 Ram 1500 about 4 hrs in 4 low on dry pavement. Left a snowstorm hell bent for the other side of the state because we had a baby to adopt and after about 200 mi on dry roads, realized she was tached out in OD doing 55!
Drove that truck another 100k without issue.
In the mtns I will regularly drive in 4 wd when the roads are crvy and patchy with ice or snow in the shade. May go miles between slick spots.

Biggest reason for getting a 4X4 even if you don't need it, is resale value. A 2WD is not much cheaper than a 4X4 when buying new. But when the time comes to trade it in or sell it outright, you can't hardly give the 2WD away, nobody want them, not even the dealers.

Brisk wrote:

gafidler wrote:
the best thing about 4 wheel trucks is they can be pull by a 2 wheel truck when they get stuck.

Yeah, Ok. That's close......

Depends upon how they are stuck, and what is around......dropped my 88 K3500 right front wheel in a ditch, 4wd could not get me out, but could with a rwd toyota 4 banger to pull it back, as I lifted the front end out of the ditch with my bobcat. voila, truck was free. Yota driver got a kick out of that one! FE was bottomed out majorly! Even the yota driver admitted, his dually Fummins would not have pulled it out in 4lo! it would have needed the bobcat to lift the front tire out of the predicament it was in.

4wd is NOT the end all be all of every situation!

4wd is nice and saved my bacon a few times. Now after adding TrueTrac limited slip front and rear differentials it is another whole level up. Huge improvement in the sand, mud etc over the old open front and oem clutches in the rear. So far it has been unstoppable and never in a ditch.

wnjj wrote:

RedRocket204 wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
If you drive using engine braking more than using your service brakes, 4wd does handle slowing better on adverse surfaces.

Bedlam. 100% agree with you. You are not saying 4x4 stops you better, you are saying it helps slow you better while maintaining traction. Seems a lot of people don't get this...and I guess the experts who disagree all live in parts of CA that doesn't get snow or ice. I guess their experience trumps all.

Ditto. It's like the difference between braking when in gear or neutral. Driven wheels are simply harder to brake quickly (and lockup). If you stand on the brakes, all bets are off and there is no difference. It matters when you ease on the brake or let the engine do the braking.

Ditto x10!

In snow/ice/slippery conditions if you're hitting the brakes to stop, 4 wheel drive isn't going to help. However, if you're paying attention, it's an awesome tool for slowing down in a controlled fashion, which is usually much better than just the "braking" option. It's also your friend when trying to recover from those moments when you're not paying proper attention. I'm not sure about the newer trucks but the ABS on mine performs much better in neutral than in drive. It's not unusual for my truck to go from "drive" to "neutral" to "4hi" back to "2 wheel", ect. multiple times during a daily winter freeway commute with speeds varying from 20 to 60 mph.

Not sure what any of this has to do with towing in Georgia though, except to say that if I'm towing there, it'll be in a 4 wheel drive.

gafidler wrote:
the best thing about 4 wheel trucks is they can be pull by a 2 wheel truck when they get stuck.

Yeah, Ok. That's close......

ford truck guy wrote:
Having a 4X4 makes it HARDER for me to stop.... That's because having 4X4 allows me to go faster in bad conditions , thus making it harder to stop! :B.. In reality , IF ANYONE tells you that a 4X4 stops better they have co clue !! I have a 4X4 only because when my truck is not towing it is sitting,,, when it is not towing OR sitting , it is doing snow removal which is harder with 4X2...

Bedlam wrote:
You just hit the button on why you see so many 4wd's in the ditch. Many drivers do not realize how bad the conditions are when traveling in 4wd until they try to brake. If you are passing a number of 2wd's in your 4wd, you are most likely driving too fast for conditions.

This pretty much hits the nail on the head!!!
NO 4X4 doesn't improve braking!! This part of the reason you see so many 4X4's in the ditch in bad weather, drivers attempting to break the laws of Physics, the the penlites are swift.
One needs to be aware that with the extra control and traction for getting going, it provides no, nadda, zilch extra stopping power. 4X4 does nothing to change the coefficient of friction between your tires and the road, or snow surface!!!

The smart 4X4 driver will go with traffic, but just with more control. :)

I have posted the picture below several times, I was very capable of staying with the traffic in front of me, the reason there is a large space is I was at about 17,000# GCVW at the time and running about 45 mph. I wanted the space to allow time to react, and brake in a smooth fashion.

I live in Ohio, and during the winter months I do plenty of snow removal for my company. With several years of experience, I have used plow trucks with both 2wd and 4wd, and never have I once noticed anything in the 4x4s for helping me to stop in anyway.
Year after year it never fails when the "soccer moms in the SUVS" come blowing by me in a snow storm at 70MPH on the highway. I am in the weighted down plow truck, and there in there 4x4 SUV. Soon enough they realize just because they got a 4x4 SUV its not going to help them stop in any way or manner.

4X4s are GREAT, if your willing to spend the extra money, and feel your going to use it enough to justify it.

RedRocket204 wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
If you drive using engine braking more than using your service brakes, 4wd does handle slowing better on adverse surfaces.

Bedlam. 100% agree with you. You are not saying 4x4 stops you better, you are saying it helps slow you better while maintaining traction. Seems a lot of people don't get this...and I guess the experts who disagree all live in parts of CA that doesn't get snow or ice. I guess their experience trumps all.

Ditto. It's like the difference between braking when in gear or neutral. Driven wheels are simply harder to brake quickly (and lockup). If you stand on the brakes, all bets are off and there is no difference. It matters when you ease on the brake or let the engine do the braking.

99.99% you wont need 4 wheel drive. But there will be a time your gonna wish you had it.

The diesel pickup is a total different beast compared to a gasser, Its front heavy.