The Questionable Advantages of a 4WD Truck

[Shawnee_b]

Yeah,the manual locking hubs definitely have their advantages as far as durability goes.
But then my FJ was push button and never had a problem with it.
And it locked in almost immediately,usually in one rotation of the tires.

That's good locking! Mine were never that good.

I'd like to see these little 2wd cars with "dedicated snows" put on a Fischer 8 foot plow and plow 3 feet like was normal where I was in Maine.

 

[Flash]

I had several 4 wheel drive vehicles. Jeeps, trucks SUVs.

Never really needed 4 wheel drive. Occasionally I used the four wheel drive for recreational purposes but really didn't need it.

 

[Wyatt earp]

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

How deep? I wasn't here till 2010. Had a Subaru, FWD great car in light WA state snow but no clearance. Small stuff high centers and is stuck.

I was driving down I65, Indiana was fine no snow, as soon as I crossed the border it looked like Armegadon (spl?)
15 inches? They closed down I65 I had to take the back roads to Bowling green

 

[Shawnee_b]

I had several 4 wheel drive vehicles. Jeeps, trucks SUVs.

Never really needed 4 wheel drive. Occasionally I used the four wheel drive for recreational purposes but really didn't need it.

Florida? Surprise

 

[Shawnee_b]

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

How deep? I wasn't here till 2010. Had a Subaru, FWD great car in light WA state snow but no clearance. Small stuff high centers and is stuck.

I was driving down I65, Indiana was fine no snow, as soon as I crossed the border it looked like Armegadon (spl?)
15 inches? They closed down I65 I had to take the back roads to Bowling green

They couldn't keep up in Maine, 6-12 on the roads. Like the new avatar!

 

[Crepitus]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

Then they were acting stupid.
There's no such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 when the conditions go to shit.

Some folks forget 4 wheel go doesn't equal 4 wheel stop.

 

[Jarlaxle]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

You must be the guy with the 4x4 in the ditch the first time it snows.

 

[Crepitus]

I've seen people talking about 4WD pickups being so bad in the snow. Having all 4 wheels working helps, but having no weight in the backend cancels that out pretty quickly.

Back in '78 a bunch of us went to a friend's cabin on Yellow Creek. There was a fairly steep hill at the last couple of hundred yards before the cabin. Paved road, just steep. Sometime while we were there it started sleeting and the road got icy. Not bad, mind you. Just slick. There were 2 4WD pickups and an old Jeep Cherokee there. I understand the Cherokee got out not long after I left. At the time I was driving a beatup old '62 VW Beetle. It never missed a lick and chugged to the top of the hill.

Actually most 4WD vehicles are actually 2WD with open differentials and for the same reason 2WD only have 1 t a time putting traction to the ground. With limited slip you'll have two wheels oer axle providing traction unless one gets off the ground then you're stuck with one spinning in the air and you're going nowhere. Then there are differential lockers that defeat the differential and force both wheels to provide traction. Even with one wheel in the air the other has traction so you're still moving. The only problem is with the axle locked up cornering is crap. Then you have selectable lockers that lock up on demand. With AWD you have an extra differential, one for each axle and one between axles so you have 2 wheels with traction and two free wheeling. With lockers in each axle you have 4 turnin and 4 burnin. My rock crawler has selectable lockers front and rear along with 20 forward gears to choose from and 4 reverse.

Positrac Axel's (and whatever the other companies call them) lock up when the drive tire slips and unlock when it catches up. That's the way my old Chevy 4x4 is set up.

 

[Jarlaxle]

People also think you need to have all wheel drive for snowy areas. For city driving you don’t, you just need dedicated snow tires, they make all the difference in the world.

Ever live in northern Maine? (2 hrs from Quebec) No 4x4 you aren't going anywhere. Garunteed.

Another thing OP didn't cover was CLEARANCE. These little 2wd shits with "snow tires" get lifted up in 6" unplowed snow and tires don't touch. I have seen 6" plus an hour, plow trucks can't keep up.

I have driven thru 18" snow, up hill. (F350 1 ton 4x4) Try that with your city 2wd and "dedicated snows".

We aren't even talking off road, hunt, fish, camp other than a park in NJ like you slickers, forget it. Ever try to cross or run a stream in 2wd? Good luck, you're now a boat, floating.

I got through the worst winter in 50 years in what most would call the WORST possible vehicle: short-wheelbase, high-torque 2WD pickup!

Also, FYI: the VAST majority of large plow trucks are NOT 4x4s!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Yeah,the manual locking hubs definitely have their advantages as far as durability goes.
But then my FJ was push button and never had a problem with it.
And it locked in almost immediately,usually in one rotation of the tires.

That's good locking! Mine were never that good.

I'd like to see these little 2wd cars with "dedicated snows" put on a Fischer 8 foot plow and plow 3 feet like was normal where I was in Maine.

You mean (sound of hanging curveball getting launched into the upper deck) the vast majority of municipal plow trucks? Yes, most of those are NOT 4x4s! (Though there is one dude in this area who has a huge highway plow and a wing plow on a Diamond-REO 5-ton Army truck, which is really cool.) 8' plows are small for those, though.

I did plow with a 4x4, but I saw 2WD plow trucks regularly.

 

[Flash]

I had several 4 wheel drive vehicles. Jeeps, trucks SUVs.

Never really needed 4 wheel drive. Occasionally I used the four wheel drive for recreational purposes but really didn't need it.

Florida? Surprise

We have good roads in Florida for the most part and no ice or snow and we don't climb many mountains.

Florida crackers learn how to get unstuck from sand without four wheel drive.

However, I did live in Washington State for seven years working at Hanford. I had a 4WD while living there. I honestly did not see any advantage of having it in snow and ice. The locals warned me when I first got there that it wasn't going to help much. and they were right

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

Then they were acting stupid.
There's no such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 when the conditions go to shit.

Some folks forget 4 wheel go doesn't equal 4 wheel stop.

Last I checked all four of my wheels had brakes.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

You must be the guy with the 4x4 in the ditch the first time it snows.

In Houston?

 

[Wyatt earp]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

Then they were acting stupid.
There's no such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 when the conditions go to shit.

Some folks forget 4 wheel go doesn't equal 4 wheel stop.

Last I checked all four of my wheels had brakes.

Doesn't do much good, panic breaking on snow in the old 4 wheel trucks of yesterday

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

Then they were acting stupid.
There's no such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 when the conditions go to shit.

Some folks forget 4 wheel go doesn't equal 4 wheel stop.

Last I checked all four of my wheels had brakes.

Doesn't do much good, panic breaking on snow in the old 4 wheel trucks of yesterday

I dont have an old truck. And it rarely snows in Houston.

 

[Crepitus]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

Then they were acting stupid.
There's no such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 when the conditions go to shit.

Some folks forget 4 wheel go doesn't equal 4 wheel stop.

Last I checked all four of my wheels had brakes.

Yes, but being able to go better in snow doesn't make them stop any better.

My bad there, I tried to make a silly/funny remark but I forgot conservatives don't have a sense of humor.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

Then they were acting stupid.
There's no such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 when the conditions go to shit.

Some folks forget 4 wheel go doesn't equal 4 wheel stop.

Last I checked all four of my wheels had brakes.

Yes, but being able to go better in snow doesn't make them stop any better.

My bad there, I tried to make a silly/funny remark but I forgot conservatives don't have a sense of humor.

It wasn't funny.

 

[Crepitus]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

Then they were acting stupid.
There's no such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 when the conditions go to shit.

Some folks forget 4 wheel go doesn't equal 4 wheel stop.

Last I checked all four of my wheels had brakes.

Yes, but being able to go better in snow doesn't make them stop any better.

My bad there, I tried to make a silly/funny remark but I forgot conservatives don't have a sense of humor.

It wasn't funny.

I understand you can't see that.

It's ok, Don't worry about it.

 

[Wyatt earp]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

Then they were acting stupid.
There's no such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 when the conditions go to shit.

Some folks forget 4 wheel go doesn't equal 4 wheel stop.

Last I checked all four of my wheels had brakes.

Doesn't do much good, panic breaking on snow in the old 4 wheel trucks of yesterday

I dont have an old truck. And it rarely snows in Houston.

So? We are talking about 4wheel drive in general not high tech brakes and drive systems. Not everyone can afford a $80,000 truck.

 

[Crepitus]

It just depends on the driver. My little old front wheel drive caviler station wagon used to blow away 4wd Jeep's in the snow.

I wont agree with that one.
No such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 unless they're running on bald tires....all four of em.

I still remember the Kentucky snow storm of around 92' 4wheel drives where all over the place in ditches and such.

My little car plowed right through it. That was the best car I had in the snow.

Then they were acting stupid.
There's no such thing as a two wheel drive that can beat a 4x4 when the conditions go to shit.

Some folks forget 4 wheel go doesn't equal 4 wheel stop.

Last I checked all four of my wheels had brakes.

Doesn't do much good, panic breaking on snow in the old 4 wheel trucks of yesterday

I dont have an old truck. And it rarely snows in Houston.

So? We are talking about 4wheel drive in general not high tech brakes and drive systems. Not everyone can afford a $80,000 truck.

Who would want one?