4x4 vs 2x4

Grit Dog, your last post had a lot of good stuff in it. We are cool. :C

jerem0621 wrote:

mowermech wrote:
I guess it needs to be said one more time (at least).
A 2X4 is a piece of wood or metal. A 4X2 is probably a vehicle.
The first number is for the number of wheels on the ground (duals count as one wheel).
The second number is the number of wheels that CAN be powered (again, duals count as one wheel.
Thus, a 2X4 would be a 2 wheeled vehicle with 4 driving wheels. Pretty unlikely!
A 6X4 would be a three axle rig with two driving axles. A 4X6 would be, again, pretty unlikely.

As for what YOU should buy, most assuredly it should be what YOU want or need.
I bought a 4X4 because:
1. The price was right, for a diesel 2500.
2. It is towable behind the motorhome, should I decide to do so, without modification.
3. Around here, 4X2 trucks are as rare as 4X4s were when I was a teenager.

Satire? It's a Tow Vehicle forum.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

No satire intended, however:
You are absolutely right, it IS a tow vehicle forum! Therefore, I should have specified that I bought the DIESEL 4X4 because I towed a 7X14 trailer full of stuff from Billings to Sheridan, WY for a Hamfest, and my half ton 5.9 Dodge struggled quite a bit on the hills. I sold the gasser and bought the diesel. Now, I can tow that trailer with two Kawasaki 750 Brute Force 4X4 ATVs in it no problem at all, even going up the steep hill to the Ah Nei ATV off road area!
I am VERY satisfied with the TOWING performance of the Cummins!
Many years ago, I had a Dodge 3500 CTD dually 4X2 to tow a 32 foot triple slide fifth wheel. That rig went across the Rockies, the Cascades, and the Sierras no trouble at all. I used it to tow flatbed trailers hauling hay and vehicles, including during a blizzard over Donner Pass; again, no problems.
Yeah, for TOWING the Cummins, IMO, is hard to beat!

Would echo everything GritDog said. Particular emphasis:

- A good set of chains is cheaper than a tow call;
- The throttle does indeed have uses other than dead stop or wide open. Can't tell you how many people in Ewe-stun seem to instantly forget that on the very very rare instances of snow; a feather touch on the foot feed will often let one get through spots (or get started) when a heavy foot will just lead to spinning;
- Siping is good; when allowed, I like studs better for use on polished and wet ice, but siping is good;
- Not exactly a towing issue, but as many accidents during the snow months are due to loss of steering control (i.e. sliding) as due to lack of traction......traction tires on front (including in real bad cases, chains) are a good thing, whether 2WD or 4WD;
- 4WD doesn't stop any faster than 2WD....but in some cases, one can go slower with 4WD and not lose traction than one would be able to go in 2WD, hence being able to stop sooner
- Practice makes, if not perfect, competent.

Having spent the better part of a decade in my younger days traveling extensively with 2WD, I still prefer the pushbutton convenience of 4WD.....of course, it was better when it was "shiftlever" convenience.....

Farmerjon,
Does your 2015 have a manual shift transfer case?
And if so then the hubs are free/lock not auto/lock?

Back to the OPs question. Talking newer used trucks here. Leaving out the engine reliability discussion.
A used 2wd truck is a great economical choice due to its same on-road capabilities in general, combined with their lack of popularity should apples to apples net you at least 2x the savings as the initial 4wd upcharge. At least that's what I see for 2 wheelers.
No other downsides other than off road/bad weather, both of which can be mostly avoided if one is retired/not on a schedule.
Regarding traction and 2 wheelers, there's a few things that can be done to maximize what ya got.
1. Get one with a locker if possible. GM G80 or Ford e locker. At a minimum get limited slip.
2. Know how to get more out of a posi or limited slip by using your parking brake to get he other wheel pulling some in slippery conditions. (Not in the hiway, think wet grass or mud pullout scenario).
3. Tires. If you're going to get into anything sketchy, run some good AT tires at least on the rear. New highway donuts on your truck? Have them siped right away. Will take a little life span out of them but incrementally better traction on wet/icy roads. Wiping won't help with the wet grass scenario. Best traction = skinny siped mudders.
4. Moving up the sketchy ladder to driving/towing in snow and ice and mud. All of the above plus a set of chains = instant traction.
5. Tire pressure. On the dry hiway, who cares. Tire wear is your only enemy. Slick or off road? Know when and how Much to air down. Yes it's a pain to air back up. Easier than sitting in the ditch though.
6. External traction aids. Cheap and easy to bring along. Couple good lengths of some heavy orange construction fence (not the cheap Home Depot stuff) and a few steel or wood stakes make great traction mats for the wet grass, muddy lot scenarios. If you want to get crazy chain link works well too.
7. Steering. I wouldn't run a 2 wheeler anywhere sketchy without the same good traction tires up front. If you're just worried about the wet grass skip this. If you may get a little more western than that, have good front tires too. Same rules as back tires.
8. Driving style and traction control. If you don't know how to drive, you'll get stuck or spin out 10x more. See 3-6 above for some help. Otherwise go get you some experience in a controlled environment. DO donuts in a snowy parking lot til you can drive like Bo Duke!
General rules.
Don't stop moving. If it's slick keep your momentum.
Try not to spin tires liek a madman.
Turn off traction and stability control, Before you need to giver the beans! Yes it can save you from spinning out. (See donuts comment) but it will also keep you from moving when you're on the verge of no traction and won't let you spin the tires when you need to.

One can outfit themselves (skill) and the vehicle to go a lot of places that most would just flip the switch to 4wd, just have to know what to do when you get into that situation, preferably before.

Dave H M wrote:
Grit Dog, isn't there a distinct possibility that I have two wheel drive iffin I rotate that little knob on the dash to lock the diffy. :h

I did not ask the question but I just gave my opinion as everyone else did.

Also I give, I will not go out and play in the deep snow with you. I do not have to and thus another reason that I do not need 4 wheel drive.

Absolutely you will! The ford e locker is a very nice feature. Used the heck out of it on my '13.
Btw, I was just being sarcastic. But I'm sure you know... cheers!

Grit Dog, isn't there a distinct possibility that I have two wheel drive iffin I rotate that little knob on the dash to lock the diffy. :h

I did not ask the question but I just gave my opinion as everyone else did.

Also I give, I will not go out and play in the deep snow with you. I do not have to and thus another reason that I do not need 4 wheel drive.

brulaz wrote:

kw/00 wrote:
I know we mentioned snow as a need for a 4X4 truck, but let us not forget Florida's famous sugar sand.....

and mud, wet grass ...

Yes for sure ! And to add to this, when my previous truck had no locker and a 2 wheel drive only, I did get stuck on wet grass.... ! So I then added a G80 locker and was much improved but... No substitute for a 4x4.... When u need it u need it

kw/00 wrote:
I know we mentioned snow as a need for a 4X4 truck, but let us not forget Florida's famous sugar sand.....

and mud, wet grass ...