2WD vs 4WD?

I purchased my first 4wd just under 2 years ago. I never really needed it before that it might have been nice but never $4,000 nice and I had no trouble selling the 2wd truck. Around the same time I got the 4wd truck I started a business that takes me off road with a heavy trailer quite a bit, often in customer's yards and 4wd helps me get through without spinning my tires. One thing that I really like is that in Fords the upper trim levels have an automatic 4wd setting that only engages it when needed. Using this setting I don't have to worry about it "crabbing" on hard surfaces or spinning when I go onto more slippery surfaces. For my current use I would actually benefit for AWD which I understand that Ford is offering on their newest trucks. As others have stated, it all depends on where you plan to take your truck carrying what loads. I did a lot of offroading in my old 2wd and it would spin the tires in a heart beat empty but with 4,000lbs of slide in camper on the back it would go nearly anywhere. My main recommendation would be to buy what you need for your use, not for re-sale. Yeah, you might get more with certain options but I have never seen a case where you get more than what you paid for them to start with.

IdaD wrote:

At the end of the day it's not a real material difference most of the time.

Agree 100%

I've had IFS and SFA 4x4s and I prefer the way the SFA rigs handle in most conditions offroad. The pumpkin hangs lower but if you know what you're doing you have better clearance and performance than you do with IFS. If all you do it bomb up and down washboard roads IFS could be a better fit.

At the end of the day it's not a real material difference most of the time.

Having had both a IFS 2500 and solid axle F250, I find no difference in towing. I'd give a nudge to the IFS unloaded for a smoother ride but at the end of the day, they are both trucks and ride like such.

As for 4WD, I swore I didnt need it until the first time I needed it. I will NEVER go with out it again.

DaveF-250SD wrote:

transamz9 wrote:

DaveF-250SD wrote:
I have one of each 2wd and 4wd. I prefer the solid front axle of the Ford and Dodge trucks, and would never own an ifs 4wd.

So what's wrong with IFS? You can't say that it's too weak. BTW, I own Rams so it's not like I'm bias, just wondering why you wouldn't own an IFS.

IFS has CV shafts, which add maintenance, and the differential moves closer to the ground as your suspension compresses. I would own a Silverado, just not a 4x4 version. Somebody else defended IFS by mentioning death wobble of solid axle trucks. I have owned 4x4's constantly for almost 35 years, and have never experienced death wobble. Neither have any of my friends that have solid axle 4x4s.

3 trucks with CV shafts. With absolutely no maintenance and both had 150k+ miles. This one has almost 80k and still going. Yep, the differential moves up and down as the suspension moves up and down but my differential is mounted higher then a strait axle so in actual snow I have more clearance then my old strait axle had.

My IFS does not get axle wraps like I’ve seen on farm trucks causing the truck to hop so violently the bed and cab hit. Unhooked the 3/4 ton and hooked a Ranger to the load as it pulled smooth and actually out pulled the 3/4 ton in that particular instance.

Your excuses are on par with, “I’ll never ride an automobile because people die in them!”

DaveF-250SD wrote:

transamz9 wrote:

DaveF-250SD wrote:
I have one of each 2wd and 4wd. I prefer the solid front axle of the Ford and Dodge trucks, and would never own an ifs 4wd.

So what's wrong with IFS? You can't say that it's too weak. BTW, I own Rams so it's not like I'm bias, just wondering why you wouldn't own an IFS.

IFS has CV shafts, which add maintenance, and the differential moves closer to the ground as your suspension compresses. I would own a Silverado, just not a 4x4 version. Somebody else defended IFS by mentioning death wobble of solid axle trucks. I have owned 4x4's constantly for almost 35 years, and have never experienced death wobble. Neither have any of my friends that have solid axle 4x4s.

Haha, CV shafts are no more maintenance than the axle shafts and ujoints on a solid axle. As far as the diffs go, they have more clearance than a straight axle to begin with.

2003silverado wrote:
Most people who say they won't own an IFS truck don't own one and never did. It's normally some sort of unfounded bias and ignorance of the way it actually works.

IFS trucks handle better, ride better, and generally get much better life out of front end components, even under heavy use such as snow plowing.

The only instance I have seen IFS trucks fail is beating the s$%# out of them at truck pulls, and even then its normally on severely lifted trucks.

I can think of more reasons not to own a solid front axle truck than an IFS truck. Search "death wobble" and see what you come up with.

Yup^. People hanging on to not accepting that “new fangled axle” for, what, 30 years now?

Both have their individual merits, both have their weaknesses, but in normal use, both are just fine.
Mfgs are slow to react, but do you really think GM would be going into its 4th decade soon with ifs trucks if they s ucked? Btw, you cant even buy a solid axle light duty pickup anymore, since 2001, so yeah ifs = bad......right?

I had a "death wobble" problem in my 2006 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited.
The cause was a combination of a worn/weak shimmy dampener and oversize tires. Once the shimmy dampener was replaced with a heavy duty unit, the wobble went away.

transamz9 wrote:

DaveF-250SD wrote:
I have one of each 2wd and 4wd. I prefer the solid front axle of the Ford and Dodge trucks, and would never own an ifs 4wd.

So what's wrong with IFS? You can't say that it's too weak. BTW, I own Rams so it's not like I'm bias, just wondering why you wouldn't own an IFS.

IFS has CV shafts, which add maintenance, and the differential moves closer to the ground as your suspension compresses. I would own a Silverado, just not a 4x4 version. Somebody else defended IFS by mentioning death wobble of solid axle trucks. I have owned 4x4's constantly for almost 35 years, and have never experienced death wobble. Neither have any of my friends that have solid axle 4x4s.

I have a 4wd truck instead of a motor home because of their lack of ground clearance and 4wd where I camp. If I were to own a 2wd MH, I would have to change where and how I camp or rely often on others with 4wd trucks or winches. Has anyone found a good hydraulic winch mount for a diesel pusher?