We don't need no stinkin 4X4 honey !

[Sportsmen]

Wife and I upgraded our tow vehicle a few months back from a 150 SuperCrew to a 2016 F250 CC gaser 2 wheel drive. We test drove 2 identical trucks. One a 2wheel drive and the other a 4 wheel drive. My wife found the 4X4 difficult to get into because of a bad back. I told her that we didn't need 4 wheel drive. Haven't had a need for one in 20 years. Fast forward to last Saturday night. We attended a wedding in the country where it had been raining cats and dogs for 2 days. Yep, the parking was in a grassy field on an up hill slope. Yep, you guessed it. We sunk up to the rims on the truck. Me and several others had to be towed back to the road. Guess this truck is a little heavier than the old 150.....


Lesson learned, stay on the pavement !

[Edd505]

Groover wrote:
One thing that frustrates me is that to get offroad tires or tow hooks on an F150 you have to buy 4wd. I thought that the point of 4wd was to avoid the need for tow hooks. Seriously, at least the tow hooks should come on all trucks. It sure is a pain to add them later.

A pain to put on, Huh?? Same frame so the holes should be there for OEM or after market. The tow hooks on the 4x4 are to pull stuck 2x4's out.

[Lessmore]

time2roll wrote:

Lessmore wrote:
They're are some 4WD trucks with actual 4WD when you get stuck...ie; locker/limited slip rear and locker/limited slip front axle...in this case when you get stuck...all 4 wheels are turning...I think maybe only the Ford Raptor maybe so equipped. I'm sure others would know for sure if there are others.

My F150 is so equipped with F&R TrueTrac limited slip and I assure you all four tires spin together and is far better than any electronic traction control.

As far as OEM the Power Wagon may also have some combination of locker/limited slip front and rear.

Could be right, think the Chevy Colorado ZR2 or Bison may also have lockers front and rear, but I'm not sure.

[time2roll]

Lessmore wrote:
They're are some 4WD trucks with actual 4WD when you get stuck...ie; locker/limited slip rear and locker/limited slip front axle...in this case when you get stuck...all 4 wheels are turning...I think maybe only the Ford Raptor maybe so equipped. I'm sure others would know for sure if there are others.

My F150 is so equipped with F&R TrueTrac limited slip and I assure you all four tires spin together and is far better than any electronic traction control.

As far as OEM the Power Wagon may also have some combination of locker/limited slip front and rear.

[memtb]

wnjj wrote:

Lessmore wrote:
When the going gets tough ie; stuck.. in a regular 4WD...you have 2WD...one wheel in the back turns, one wheel in the front turns.

With the addition of a locker or limited slip in the rear axle of a 4WD...when you're stuck...you have 3WD...two wheels in the back are turning...one wheel still in the front is turning.

They're are some 4WD trucks with actual 4WD when you get stuck...ie; locker/limited slip rear and locker/limited slip front axle...in this case when you get stuck...all 4 wheels are turning...I think maybe only the Ford Raptor maybe so equipped. I'm sure others would know for sure if there are others.

That's kind of true but when all of the wheels are in slippery stuff, they will all receive some power.

A gentle application of the brake will transfer the power to the wheel that was getting traction, which caused it to “not” turn (pull). Applying and releasing the brakes can transfer power back and forth to the wheels .....either helping you get out or stuck worse! 😉

[wnjj]

Lessmore wrote:
When the going gets tough ie; stuck.. in a regular 4WD...you have 2WD...one wheel in the back turns, one wheel in the front turns.

With the addition of a locker or limited slip in the rear axle of a 4WD...when you're stuck...you have 3WD...two wheels in the back are turning...one wheel still in the front is turning.

They're are some 4WD trucks with actual 4WD when you get stuck...ie; locker/limited slip rear and locker/limited slip front axle...in this case when you get stuck...all 4 wheels are turning...I think maybe only the Ford Raptor maybe so equipped. I'm sure others would know for sure if there are others.

That's kind of true but when all of the wheels are in slippery stuff, they will all receive some power.

[Dave5143]

Normally don't have a need for the 4WD my truck came with but it does come in handy when I'm trying to pull my trailer up on leveling blocks at a site with loose pea gravel.

[Lessmore]

When the going gets tough ie; stuck.. in a regular 4WD...you have 2WD...one wheel in the back turns, one wheel in the front turns.

With the addition of a locker or limited slip in the rear axle of a 4WD...when you're stuck...you have 3WD...two wheels in the back are turning...one wheel still in the front is turning.

They're are some 4WD trucks with actual 4WD when you get stuck...ie; locker/limited slip rear and locker/limited slip front axle...in this case when you get stuck...all 4 wheels are turning...I think maybe only the Ford Raptor maybe so equipped. I'm sure others would know for sure if there are others.

[Fordlover]

Sportsmen wrote:
Wife and I upgraded our tow vehicle a few months back from a 150 SuperCrew to a 2016 F250 CC gaser 2 wheel drive. We test drove 2 identical trucks. One a 2wheel drive and the other a 4 wheel drive. My wife found the 4X4 difficult to get into because of a bad back. I told her that we didn't need 4 wheel drive. Haven't had a need for one in 20 years. Fast forward to last Saturday night. We attended a wedding in the country where it had been raining cats and dogs for 2 days. Yep, the parking was in a grassy field on an up hill slope. Yep, you guessed it. We sunk up to the rims on the truck. Me and several others had to be towed back to the road. Guess this truck is a little heavier than the old 150.....


Lesson learned, stay on the pavement !

To be fair, it's been pretty wet around these parts lately.

I've had to use the 4x4 twice recently at an investment property, because the locker couldn't get the job done, just kept digging the rear end deeper.

[Lessmore]

philh wrote:

time2roll wrote:
Electronic traction control just serves as a gimmick or regulatory requirement.

Clearly someone that doesn't spend much time on snow and ice covered roads.

It's also a fun killer with a HP vehicle 😞

I do...usually 5 1/2 months of snowy, icy, cold winter every year...up here in the western Canadian prairies.

Electronic traction control is a pain. I generally shut it off...if you get a traction limited situation...one of the methods snow experienced drivers use is...momentum...to get through deep snow. Momentum is your friend...but the computer running traction control...often decides that momentum is a sign that the vehicle is out of control and immediately shuts the vehicles power down. When that happens , generally you end stopped in the middle of a snow drift.

I've found through experience that traction control...is anything but...and appears to be set to the lowest common denominator...drivers who can't drive very well..and that doesn't help a lot of us.

Give me a mechanical locker that I can turn off and on myself.

[time2roll]

OK and I have seen the effect of electronic traction control and it was lame in mud, snow, gravel and sand. Maybe it helped a little but it was lame. Feels like taking two steps back to go forward three.

[philh]

time2roll wrote:
Electronic traction control just serves as a gimmick or regulatory requirement.

Clearly someone that doesn't spend much time on snow and ice covered roads.

It's also a fun killer with a HP vehicle 😞

[Super_Dave]

The price of one or two tows in 20 years is still better than the price and rough ride of a 4X4. Take a 1 ton + 4X4 and I only drive my truck when I have to.

[ShinerBock]

Sportsmen wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:

Sportsmen wrote:


ShinerBock, wow this truck has traction control and I did not think to turn it off. This truck is very different than the F150 it replaced and I am obviously still learning... Thx !

Yeah these trucks have traction control. All vehicles made after 2012 are required to have some form of stability control program. My 2012 F150 also required me to hold it down for about 10 seconds to completely turn it off. If not, then the computer would start braking and reducing engine power every time the wheel slipped because it is thinking I am loosing control on the highway. Turning it off or putting the truck in off road mode made a huge difference in how far I can go since the computer is not slowing down my forward momentum.

When you tow do you turn off traction control ? This truck also has anti sway. Not sure whether to turn it off when towing ???

Yes if I am on road and no if I am off.

[time2roll]

Grit dog wrote:

time2roll wrote:
Not a fan of electronic traction control.
Give me a gear driven limited slip or possibly a locker any day over the electronics.

They serve 2 completely different purposes.....

Electronic traction control just serves as a gimmick or regulatory requirement.

[Sportsmen]

ShinerBock wrote:

Sportsmen wrote:


ShinerBock, wow this truck has traction control and I did not think to turn it off. This truck is very different than the F150 it replaced and I am obviously still learning... Thx !

Yeah these trucks have traction control. All vehicles made after 2012 are required to have some form of stability control program. My 2012 F150 also required me to hold it down for about 10 seconds to completely turn it off. If not, then the computer would start braking and reducing engine power every time the wheel slipped because it is thinking I am loosing control on the highway. Turning it off or putting the truck in off road mode made a huge difference in how far I can go since the computer is not slowing down my forward momentum.

When you tow do you turn off traction control ? This truck also has anti sway. Not sure whether to turn it off when towing ???