4x4 or not?

[Butch627]

OP sounds like he feels 4wd is not necessary for him. For me with the snow we get it is a necessity, without it there are several days a year I will either not get to work or home without it. Factory limited slip devices by in large for most makes are not very effective and wear out. With something like a Truetrac you will be far better off than with an open diff or factory offering. If snow is an issue put the weight as far back as possible behind the axle to get the most weight you can on it.

 

[luger fan]

we have a Chevy 1500HD, 2WD
Pulls a 26 ft camper, puts the boat in and out of the water. Very few issues, except winter and as stated above, a little sand in the back and we're good to go. And even winter isn't that big of a deal in Marion County

Really. This ain't Montana.

 

[VUPDblue]

It's not really a cost or matter of affordability, it's a matter of getting the right tool for the job and not unnecessarily overspending. I want to stay around 20k and from what I've been seeing, it will get me a decently equipped 4x4 or a decked-out 2WD with few miles. I don't think I'd classify it as a "daily driver" as I drive my police car to and from work. As it is we put much less than 10k miles on a car annually. I have never had a 4x4 before.

 

[Woobie]

I have 4wd, but rarely use it. Usually it's pulling a heavy trailer through a muddy pasture, getting through deeper drifts, or driving on very slick roads. And the last one isn't 100% necessary, but nice to have. But if you're not using it for more challenging tasks, go with 2wd. Factory locking diffs suck, btw. For snow, ground clearance is at least as important as how many wheels you can turn.

4wd is like a butthole, though. You don't need it all the time, but when you do, you need it bad.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

VUPDblue: think back to your OP. What was it that got you first thinking about a 4x4? What was it that made you decide to throw up a thread about it? I'm thinking that even though you may not feel you need one at the moment, you are looking for a reason to venture into the 4x4 world. There is nothing wrong with that. It is a bit more expensive to maintain, but as you say, if you're not using it as a daily driver, it isn't going to hit your wallet very much, and you'll still have the added capability of the 4x4 sitting there in your driveway should you need it.

Also, take some time on a weekend off and try out the 4x4 just for fun. Go exploring with some people at the Badlands off road park. There are trails there that are mild enough for stock 4x4 vehicles to go on without getting too stuck or being damaged. You can learn a lot about the capabilities of a 4 wheel drive vehicle by driving it o various terrain, and it's quite fun. Then you take that experience and apply it when a snow emergency comes up, or your neighbor's kid goes out and gets stuck mudding, or the wife wants a stubborn bush pulled out and you need 4x4...

 

[churchmouse]

As to maint.
I service both differentials every other year. Just because it is cheap and easy plus it is cheap insurance.. You can tell if you are loosing a bearing long before it goes south if you look at the 90 weight and the magnet on the plug if so equipped. I drop the cover on the rear. Also the transfer case should be serviced per owners manual. Again, no big deal. I know guys that have never done the diff's or the T-case with 150+ on the clock with no issues. This is all that maint. we do. Universals are new from 04 with 139K and change. with zero issues.

 

[Warrior]

The 4X4 Tundra and all others have the ability to shift into 4WD when in motion. I use my 4WD frequently on slippery roads during launch when I am most likely to lose traction and then switch it off when the need or road condition changes. The Tundra will likely have the lowest maintenance and repair costs over its lifetime. The trade offs being the used purchase price, Toyota's hold a lot of resale value, is often higher than other trucks of comparable equipment/features/options. Tundra probably gets the worst fuel mileage in its class.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

As to maint.
I service both differentials every other year. Just because it is cheap and easy plus it is cheap insurance.. You can tell if you are loosing a bearing long before it goes south if you look at the 90 weight and the magnet on the plug if so equipped. I drop the cover on the rear. Also the transfer case should be serviced per owners manual. Again, no big deal. I know guys that have never done the diff's or the T-case with 150+ on the clock with no issues. This is all that maint. we do. Universals are new from 04 with 139K and change. with zero issues.

I've owned and driven a lot of 4x4s, from a Scout II to my current Ram 1500, and the only 4wd part I've ever broken is one front u-joint and one transfer case, both in a 1987 Dodge Ram with about 150k on the clock. The most expensive maintenance item was ball joints on a F250 Super Duty. Holy crap. But on SUVs and half tons, nothing approaching that level of cost.

 

[churchmouse]

I've owned and driven a lot of 4x4s, from a Scout II to my current Ram 1500, and the only 4wd part I've ever broken is one front u-joint and one transfer case, both in a 1987 Dodge Ram with about 150k on the clock. The most expensive maintenance item was ball joints on a F250 Super Duty. Holy crap. But on SUVs and half tons, nothing approaching that level of cost.

On the trip mentioned up thread towing a loaded trailer (7500 Lbs est) in the snow all the way to Tulsa. Then to new mexico and back home 90% of the way in 4WD we did hurt the T-case. It was not well suited for running 70+ MPH in 4WD in the snow all day. What a trip...
The next winter I noticed a rumble when the drive was engaged. I figured the U-joints. Upon inspection they were OK. The box rolled for 2 more years and then took a
I got a rebuild from an Ingo Member () and installed it. My son was reading the owners manual as I was plugging in all the harness connections and filling it with the blue juice. He said "Dad, says right here not to tow at interstate speeds in 4WD for extended periods"
Well OK then. My fault. Not the trucks.

 

[bobzilla]

I’ve towed 4K in a Chicago blizzard in our 2wd truck and never had an issue. I just spent the last 10 hours on the road in it today picking up an engine. 22.3mpg at 77mph. Find me a 4wd truck that’ll do that!

 

[thunderchicken]

If you think it might be nice to have a 4x4 or that it may be useful a couple times a year...then get it. Like CM said just keep it maintained. I would also highly recommend finding some place to regularly engage the hubs and lock it into 4wd, for just a couple minutes. Helps keep stuff moving and functional. Many of the switch on the fly 4wd systems use vacuum to lock the hubs in. Also, I would recommend hubs that can also be locked in manually..again make sure to llock/unlock the from time to time so they work when you need them.

 

[CHCRandy]

I've owned and driven a lot of 4x4s, from a Scout II to my current Ram 1500, and the only 4wd part I've ever broken is one front u-joint and one transfer case, both in a 1987 Dodge Ram with about 150k on the clock. The most expensive maintenance item was ball joints on a F250 Super Duty. Holy crap. But on SUVs and half tons, nothing approaching that level of cost.

Yeah, I have ball joints on a F250 down to a science, I can do it blindfolded. Every 2 years, like clock work.

 

[KJQ6945]

On the trip mentioned up thread towing a loaded trailer (7500 Lbs est) in the snow all the way to Tulsa. Then to new mexico and back home 90% of the way in 4WD we did hurt the T-case. It was not well suited for running 70+ MPH in 4WD in the snow all day. What a trip...
The next winter I noticed a rumble when the drive was engaged. I figured the U-joints. Upon inspection they were OK. The box rolled for 2 more years and then took a
I got a rebuild from an Ingo Member () and installed it. My son was reading the owners manual as I was plugging in all the harness connections and filling it with the blue juice. He said "Dad, says right here not to tow at interstate speeds in 4WD for extended periods"
Well OK then. My fault. Not the trucks.

The only time I broke a 4wd, I got my 97 F350 crew cab, long bed, diesel stuck. And I mean stuck! The front bumper on this truck, was as high as my waist. It was sitting on the ground. The front tires were both buried in a ditch in my backyard. Tractor wouldn't pull it out. Broke several chains, and every tow strap I owned. Had to dig it out with the backhoe.
When I finally got it out, front hubs were toast, as well as the transfer case. Still had to tow it back to the house, because in 2wd that long ass truck couldn't move itself in the wet grass. Serviced the transmission and got another year out of it before I had to replace it too.

If I only had a 2wd truck, I'd never tried to get through that ditch. I'd have gotten stuck way before I made it that far.

 

[grandpa 55]

Take all things into consideration. 2wd will meet your needs 98% of the time especially if your not a farmer or off roader. What if there is a big snow and you're stuck at home, hopefully you have vacation days.

 

[KGS]

If you don't get a 4x4 the first time there is a big snow you will tell yourself, "Why did I buy a 2 wheel drive?" Also, the resale value of a 4x4 is much better and there will be more people that want to buy it. It's much harder to sell a 2 wheel drive truck.

 

[vitamink]

If you go Toyota, hit me up, I have a guy that’ll hook u up.

My dad has had the rock warrior tundra and and PRO. They are both insane. Gas mileage,comfort, speed, and capability are off the hook. He’s buying the new pro when it comes out. Go 4x4. I don’t think this has been mentioned as a 4x4 drawback yet, but if you have 4 wheel drive you may think that you also have 4 wheel stop. Had that issue in a Jeep once. It wasn’t until I hit the brakes that I remembered that I was driving on a sheet of ice.

 

[bobzilla]

If you don't get a 4x4 the first time there is a big snow you will tell yourself, "Why did I buy a 2 wheel drive?" Also, the resale value of a 4x4 is much better and there will be more people that want to buy it. It's much harder to sell a 2 wheel drive truck.

I keep seeing this posted but can’t find any evidence ti support it. Our 12 year old 2wd truck is still worth $10k. We bought it for $24k in 06. It’s hard to find good used 2wd trucks and when you do they still bring a premium. Well at least gm trucks do.

 

[junk]

tow rating is higher on 2wd , if your driving where you think 4wd is needed , you probably shouldn't be there . I grew up in Minnesota , never had 4wd , and we had snow . not the sissy snow falls you have around here . If you don't work a farm save the cash . If the weather is so bad you can't drive the cop car ,the criminals will stay in doors too .

 

[thunderchicken]

tow rating is higher on 2wd , if your driving where you think 4wd is needed , you probably shouldn't be there . I grew up in Minnesota , never had 4wd , and we had snow . not the sissy snow falls you have around here . If you don't work a farm save the cash . If the weather is so bad you can't drive the cop car ,the criminals will stay in doors too .

Lol yeah but when the criminals stay indoors the domestic violence goes up. They get liquored up, drugged up and go to hitting or killing each other.

 

[avboiler11]

Are people on a gun forum, where there's never an excuse too good (or bad) for buying a new gun, really telling a guy he doesn't "need" 4WD??????


I don't own a 4WD for snow; I personally have found front wheel drive vehicles do better in snow than any 2WD pickup, bed ballast or not. I own a 4WD not for snow but for soft ground and mud, and I'm not talking about 44" Boggers-type offroading..I live in a subdivision

You don't need it until you need it...and the extra expense and loss of payload/fuel economy is worth it to *me* "just in case".

Hey, kinda like a firearm, right?