Any thoughts on 4wd vs 2wd in a pickup.

[JCH13]

Dad's 2WD truck has a limited-slip differential and he's driven it in the winter before. All the frothing at the mouth with 4WD is overrated - good tires are more important. Limited-slip diff's will help with towing too.

This.

If its going to see that few miles I wouldn't even bother outfitting it with snow tires, just don't drive it in the snow, wait until roads are clear or use your other vehicle. There is no need to have all of your vehicles prepared for every single weather contingency.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

i'd go for 4wd on a pickup

 

[todpod]

So I did it. I bought a 2011 Dodge Quad Cab 4wd, 4.7, SLT, nice truck. It has about 24000 miles on it. Its alot newer truck then I planned on buying but we could make the numbers work. I looked at a 2007 Quad Cab for $20000 and this was 23,500 out the door. The 2007 was a little more loaded up but I think this is well worth the trade off.

 

[Jadow]

I live in WI where the roads do get bad and have a 2wd F150. I put a couple 60lb sand bags in the back during winter, and just drive carefully and never had a problem.

 

[KK]

how far up in nw pa? if you can use that awd vehicle whenever needed with the snow you should have your bases covered. Like Jadow said, sand bags I would keep in the back to keep that backend down. Down here in GA, I've only wish I had it a few times when hunting back in the swamps. Probably shouldn't have been going thru some of the roads we did with water up to the doors on the 2wd tundra. Only had to get pulled out once, wish I had it then. So once in 6+ years of owning that vehicle did I need it. My little 2wd ranger I've had since 94, and can't recall ever getting stuck, of course one time pulling a boat out of a steep ramp did get alittle worrisome. Did take it up to my mother's up in New Castle years ago in the snow and it did alright, except for that one 360 I did but that was more of a lets gun it when we make this turn and see what happens.

 

[Raduque]

Lived in West Virginia and owned a 4x4 pickup, took it with me when I moved back to Texas. I can honestly say I used it more here (used it more than a few times to help get traction to jump curbs and parking spot stops when boxed in by idiots) than I did in WV in the snow. I can only think of one time off the top of my head that I used it in the WV winter.

I have a 4x2 now and don't regret it, though a 4x4 would be easier to take off roading. (I would only go off roading in a 4x2 if I had a good heavy-duty winch) A 4x4 would get worse mileage, be heavier, and probably handle a little worse.

 

[todpod]

Just below the lake effect snow belt along I-80, ended up with 4wd because i got a pretty good deal. Never really convinced that I needed it. Now I need a hitch and mudflaps.

 

[Ronstang]

To be honest most people never use their 4 wheel drive. It is a macho thing for the most part. I see many trucks a day and most are 4x4 and it simply makes no sense in my area since you would have to choose to drive in mud to need it and most people don't.

I just bought a truck the day before New Years Eve. You are right. Having 4x4 will cost you about 40K miles for the same truck, or an older model. I bought the fully loaded King Ranch F150 in 2 wheel drive with only 28K miles on it for a price I would have had to take 70K miles on the same year truck to get 4x4. It made no sense to me at all. On top of that you get worse mileage and a higher probability if expensive repairs down the road when the truck is out of warranty due to the complicated drive train that most will never really use.

 

[herm0016]

on the subject of trucks, are those switchable 4x4 things still around? Like the whole 4hi/4lo 2wd. I haven't seen them in the newer trucks but i'm not in many.

are all 4wd trucks equiped with this?

yes. most just have dash switches now. most trucks have selections for "2wd" " auto 4wd" "4 high" and "4 low"

some do not have the auto feature and some do not have the 4 low feature depending on the manufacture and the drive train choices. my gmc has all 4 options and the g80 locking diff. You can also still order the manual shift transfer cases in the gm work truck models.

my 4x4 gets used quite a lot exploring the desert and driving over the Mountains in the winter. GM also offers the G80 Eaton locking diff in the rear. I would never buy a 2wd truck without a locking differential like the G80 or similar. A limited slip will not offer nearly as much advantage as a locker in situations where you have traction on only one wheel.

example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8nAbg5suFw

 

[shortylickens]

Something I noticed with my S-10 and while test driving other small pickups: The weight is not distributed well for proper traction in 2WD. Its all up front and in rear-drive vehicles thats a problem even on dry roads. And going to 4WD only improves the situation slightly. Large pickups have better weight distribution and this isnt as big a problem.

Also, I think the Nissan Frontier is front wheel drive so it may be better. But for a work truck I wouldnt bother with 4WD unless you knew you'd have to deal with slick or uneven roads on a daily basis. You'd be surprised to find you dont get THAT much more traction. They arent sports cars and they arent Jeeps. Chains would actually help you out a lot more.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

I see the OP has already made his purchase, looks like a good deal.

Personally I would never buy another 4wd truck unless it was going to be constantly offroad. From my experience 4wd by itself doesn't help traction that much on snow or frozen payment. I have found that it is cheaper and more effective in bad weather to have

1. chains for snow and ice
2. added weight in the bed(sandbags) in bad weather.
3. A good winch for off pavement situations

 

[jlee]

I see the OP has already made his purchase, looks like a good deal.

Personally I would never buy another 4wd truck unless it was going to be constantly offroad. From my experience 4wd by itself doesn't help traction that much on snow or frozen payment. I have found that it is cheaper and more effective in bad weather to have

1. chains for snow and ice
2. added weight in the bed(sandbags) in bad weather.
3. A good winch for off pavement situations

4wd helps a lot in snow...it's not usually needed for typical winter driving, but it's definitely hugely beneficial at times.

 

[todpod]

I think that is part of the problem around here is everyone thinks that they need 4wd in a pickup. You have to make some effort to find 2wd trucks around here and most dealers if they have them its usually 1 or 2 not several to pick from.

 

[Raduque]

Something I noticed with my S-10 and while test driving other small pickups: The weight is not distributed well for proper traction in 2WD. Its all up front and in rear-drive vehicles thats a problem even on dry roads. And going to 4WD only improves the situation slightly. Large pickups have better weight distribution and this isnt as big a problem.

Also, I think the Nissan Frontier is front wheel drive so it may be better. But for a work truck I wouldnt bother with 4WD unless you knew you'd have to deal with slick or uneven roads on a daily basis. You'd be surprised to find you dont get THAT much more traction. They arent sports cars and they arent Jeeps. Chains would actually help you out a lot more.

The Frontier is a proper rear-wheel drive truck. Only the Honda Ridgeline is a front-wheel drive failure of an excuse for a "truck".

 

[CraigRT]

4WD for me.. As said before, you'll wish you had it at some point if you don't get it.

 

[Doppel]

In your case don't bother, but certainly a 2WD truck sucks all kinds of sh*t in the snow. It's just that it sounds like you won't be in the snow that often with it.

 

[exar333]

4WD really comes in handy when you need the extra traction on slow, muddy, poorly maintained roads. We hit these all the times in the fall while going out hunting, and I can say that having 4WD now is SOO much better than the old 2WD truck my dad and I used to take out. When you need to go up-hill and down-hill, slowly, on crappy roads, there isn't a replacement for 4WD. We hunt with a GM that has the different cabin-selections like 2WD/4WD-hi/4WD-lo and its very nice.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Did he have bald tires and drive like an idiot? I never had any problems in the rain with any car including my little 2wd truck unless I was doing something stupid. Nobody drives around in their 4wd truck with it in 4wd while it is raining either.

Precisly. If this is going to be an on road use vehicle, 4wd is a waste, even if there is snow and ice on the road. 4wd may help you get going, but it doesn't help you stop or steer.

At least around here, when it ices up (like 1 time every 2 years) it's mostly 4x4's in the ditch or slammed up against the walls of the highways.

 

[jlee]

Precisly. If this is going to be an on road use vehicle, 4wd is a waste, even if there is snow and ice on the road. 4wd may help you get going, but it doesn't help you stop or steer.

At least around here, when it ices up (like 1 time every 2 years) it's mostly 4x4's in the ditch or slammed up against the walls of the highways.

That's because they have shitty tires and think they're unstoppable.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Precisly. If this is going to be an on road use vehicle, 4wd is a waste, even if there is snow and ice on the road. 4wd may help you get going, but it doesn't help you stop or steer.

At least around here, when it ices up (like 1 time every 2 years) it's mostly 4x4's in the ditch or slammed up against the walls of the highways.

You're right that 4x4 doesn't help you stop, but it can aid in steering similar to how a FWD vehicle does - the front wheels will want to pull you into the turn.

Generally the reason you see 4x4s slammed in walls or ditches is not any fault of the 4x4 itself but rather the stupid driver thinking he's invincible because it is 4x4.

I have 4x4 on my Trailblazer and while I don't use it often there have been a couple instances where I was thankful to have it when I drove through some really bad winter weather.

 

[todpod]

I needed 4wd today i pulled into my yard and started spinning, kicked into 4wd and pulled right out. It was worth the 4 grand just for that.

 

[KMc]

Picked up a used Silverado last year as a 3rd vehicle for hauling, towing, hunting trips, etc. It's 2WD with locking rear diff and I've had it offroad in mud and snow plenty - no problems.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

yes. most just have dash switches now. most trucks have selections for "2wd" " auto 4wd" "4 high" and "4 low"

some do not have the auto feature and some do not have the 4 low feature depending on the manufacture and the drive train choices. my gmc has all 4 options and the g80 locking diff. You can also still order the manual shift transfer cases in the gm work truck models.

my 4x4 gets used quite a lot exploring the desert and driving over the Mountains in the winter. GM also offers the G80 Eaton locking diff in the rear. I would never buy a 2wd truck without a locking differential like the G80 or similar. A limited slip will not offer nearly as much advantage as a locker in situations where you have traction on only one wheel.

example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8nAbg5suFw

Something I noticed with my S-10 and while test driving other small pickups: The weight is not distributed well for proper traction in 2WD. Its all up front and in rear-drive vehicles thats a problem even on dry roads. And going to 4WD only improves the situation slightly. Large pickups have better weight distribution and this isnt as big a problem.

Also, I think the Nissan Frontier is front wheel drive so it may be better. But for a work truck I wouldnt bother with 4WD unless you knew you'd have to deal with slick or uneven roads on a daily basis. You'd be surprised to find you dont get THAT much more traction. They arent sports cars and they arent Jeeps. Chains would actually help you out a lot more.

Picked up a used Silverado last year as a 3rd vehicle for hauling, towing, hunting trips, etc. It's 2WD with locking rear diff and I've had it offroad in mud and snow plenty - no problems.

The GM G80 rear end kicks @ss. It's like having 4WD in most other trucks (for getting out of crap). I used my 2WD Silverado to help pull a 4WD Tundra out of a ditch.

 

[Zargon]

nice purchase OP. sounds like a great deal

I wouldn't spend that much period on something I was only going to drive 5k miles a year . I'd spend about half that much and get a nice 2wd truck and keep that other $7,000 in the bank.

10K is generally going to get you a pretty shitty truck!

Just because insanely expensive trucks exist that doesn't mean that everyone has to buy them.

The OP is looking at used trucks and he can get a reasonable one for the price range that he's looking at.

a decent new 4x4 truck is going to run upper 20's new AND lightly used.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Zargon you just have way to high standards if you believe that