4wd versus 2wd

[gandalf12]

5 minutes ago, phutoie2 said:

One or two I would think, though a few decades back now, CTA, Salisbury Plain, Soltau ,Bergen Hohne and a nice excursion in the desert with 7th Arm Bde.

Exactly very few as you say. I had Off road training in the Middle East. Great fun but you have to learn how to drive Off road.

[madmax2]

18 hours ago, gandalf12 said:

Exactly very few as you say. I had Off road training in the Middle East. Great fun but you have to learn how to drive Off road.

Off road driving is not rock climbing as some people believe

If you work for any company or government dept that uses 4x4 vehicle off road on a regular basis in Australia a experienced driver teaches you all the tricks to successfully drive off road

Its mostly common sense and not hard to do

[gandalf12]

29 minutes ago, madmax2 said:

Off road driving is not rock climbing as some people believe

If you work for any company or government dept that uses 4x4 vehicle off road on a regular basis in Australia a experienced driver teaches you all the tricks to successfully drive off road

Its mostly common sense and not hard to do

I know I have had such courses but many people by a 4 wheel drive vehicle with no intention and if they do intend to go off road have no idea how to drive under such conditions

[transam]

11 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

I know I have had such courses but many people by a 4 wheel drive vehicle with no intention and if they do intend to go off road have no idea how to drive under such conditions

Just a learning curve, same as drag racing, looks easy but some folk have walked away scratching their head with their super car...

[gandalf12]

Just now, transam said:

Just a learning curve, same as drag racing, looks easy but some folk have walked away scratching their head with their super car...

Totally agree. As has been said it isnt difficult but put someone off road with no training and they could have problems

[madmax2]

Best to learn off road driving in someone else's vehicle

I originally learnt while working for the forestry department in Western Australia training to assess timber in out of the way places, their vehicle their tracks and they paid for any damage to the vehicle if it was damaged 

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, madmax2 said:

Best to learn off road driving in someone else's vehicle

I originally learnt while working for the forestry department in Western Australia training to assess timber in out of the way places, their vehicle their tracks and they paid for any damage to the vehicle if it was damaged 

You could use Trans 4x4 while his off singing.  

[transam]

1 minute ago, Kwasaki said:

You could use Trans 4x4 while his off singing.  

In the back seat........

[Gary A]

Did I need a 4X4? Not really, BUT, the few times I do need it, I am more than willing to pay the premium. One time, even in Udon Thani, there was a heavy rain and I was stuck behind a flooded out stalled car. It was a a three lane section of highway. No way was anyone willing to let me change lanes. VERY rude drivers. I put the truck in 4 wheel drive and passed the car on the right side by driving on the median through the mud.

 

Two wheel drive pickups are useless in the mud. Two of my wife's farms are on mud roads. No way would you want to try to get there with a 2 wheel drive. 

[JaseTheBass]

Nice to see everyone enjoying their time stuck in the 1970s

Sent from my Cray II supercomputer

[Dagnabbit]

RWD all the way for me. I have a rwd 245hp car and a fwd 211hp car.

I find the steering goes too vague in fwd when you put you foot down. Of course you do have the (fun) twitchy rear end on the rwd but its never the vague feeling of fwd under acceleration.

Sent from my SM-A720F using Tapatalk

[Kwasaki]

15 minutes ago, Dagnabbit said:

RWD all the way for me. I have a rwd 245hp car and a fwd 211hp car.

I find the steering goes too vague in fwd when you put you foot down. Of course you do have the (fun) twitchy rear end on the rwd but its never the vague feeling of fwd under acceleration.

Sent from my SM-A720F using Tapatalk
 

With respect,  for your fun l disagree with you,  with that kind of power good-luck l'd want AWD  take care. 

[transam]

12 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

With respect,  for your fun l disagree with you,  with that kind of power good-luck l'd want AWD  take care. 

In my rear wheel drive fun ride, the front wheels came of the ground, yep, vague steering.....

[Gary A]

34 minutes ago, transam said:

In my rear wheel drive fun ride, the front wheels came of the ground, yep, vague steering.....

 

I'd bet those slicks that have enough traction to pull the front end off the ground would not be very good in the mud. 

[transam]

1 minute ago, Gary A said:

 

I'd bet those slicks that have enough traction to pull the front end off the ground would not be very good in the mud. 

I never run that ride on slicks, would like to have though....

[Dagnabbit]

In my rear wheel drive fun ride, the front wheels came of the ground, yep, vague steering.....

Lol - no car yet has air wheel drive

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[transam]

1 hour ago, Dagnabbit said:

 

Lol - no car yet has air wheel drive

Sent from my SM-A720F using Tapatalk
 

 

Yes, but a good LSD does provide a straight line of motion.....

[Nowisee]

Good timing for this thread as I'm kicking the idea around to buy a vehicle.  As I have almost no use for a car the question is 2x4 or 4x4.
I've owned both and the last was 4x4 for about 25 years.  I lived in the SW desert.  In the beginning I used it a lot because I had it and it is invaluable when in sand or steep gravely roads and of course snow.  

After several years it was used maybe a handful of times... maybe the novelty wore some and I could actually manage most of the time just by picking a good line or using momentum... but some situations you just plain need it.

Keeping in mind, at the right angle in 4wd I could still sit and spin, had to work the angle right and sometimes just turning the front wheels helped.  So, unless you have a locker in most cases you are not getting true 4wd are you?

That all said.

 

Here in my life LOS it is a different story.  Do I need it or just want it.  Is it worth the extra cost.  Is it even necessary under most driving conditions.

Cost won't factor in, because if I'm going to pay a lot for a truck, then pay a bit more for what I want/need.

 

I like the higher site line/ride, but with that comes higher COG and these trucks do not handle turns all that well at highway speeds.  Unless you have weights in the back, skid breaking and rear spinout is common and rolling comes on much quicker than a 2wd truck.

Ground clearance.  This is or can be a factor in angle of approach issues.  But with it comes the above.

 

Ride quality.  IMO 2wd rides much better... so, if I'm going to use 4wd as little as I think I will, I want a better riding and handling truck the other 95% of the time.

 

Fuel economy.  It's a factor, but it's not going to be a deal breaker.

 

Maintenance.  An additional oil change and cv joint replacement... I only had to replace the rubber boots in my truck and the transfer oil depends on how much time its spinning...so, not really a factor...unless you have to pull the engine/trans/transfer case...then break out the CC.

 

 Plenty of mountain farmers hauling ass (and produce) up and down the mountain roads around the north.. many using 2wd.  

 

Honestly I'm tossed up on this.  The pragmatic side of me says 2wd automatic is all I really need... the impractical "adventurist" says go with 4wd.  555

 

Anyway, good thread its helping me run through my wants vs needs.

 

 

 

 

[Kwasaki]

On 6/25/2017 at 5:09 PM, transam said:

Yes, but a good LSD does provide a straight line of motion.....

LSD and driving is illegal. 

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, Nowisee said:

Honestly I'm tossed up on this.  The pragmatic side of me says 2wd automatic is all I really need... the impractical "adventurist" says go with 4wd.  555

Ask the wife.  

[Nowisee]

5 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Ask the wife.  

That would never work, anyway not married.

 

[pgrahmm]

11 hours ago, Nowisee said:

Good timing for this thread as I'm kicking the idea around to buy a vehicle.  As I have almost no use for a car the question is 2x4 or 4x4.
I've owned both and the last was 4x4 for about 25 years.  I lived in the SW desert.  In the beginning I used it a lot because I had it and it is invaluable when in sand or steep gravely roads and of course snow.  

After several years it was used maybe a handful of times... maybe the novelty wore some and I could actually manage most of the time just by picking a good line or using momentum... but some situations you just plain need it.

Keeping in mind, at the right angle in 4wd I could still sit and spin, had to work the angle right and sometimes just turning the front wheels helped.  So, unless you have a locker in most cases you are not getting true 4wd are you?

That all said.

 

Here in my life LOS it is a different story.  Do I need it or just want it.  Is it worth the extra cost.  Is it even necessary under most driving conditions.

Cost won't factor in, because if I'm going to pay a lot for a truck, then pay a bit more for what I want/need.

 

I like the higher site line/ride, but with that comes higher COG and these trucks do not handle turns all that well at highway speeds.  Unless you have weights in the back, skid breaking and rear spinout is common and rolling comes on much quicker than a 2wd truck.

Ground clearance.  This is or can be a factor in angle of approach issues.  But with it comes the above.

 

Ride quality.  IMO 2wd rides much better... so, if I'm going to use 4wd as little as I think I will, I want a better riding and handling truck the other 95% of the time.

 

Fuel economy.  It's a factor, but it's not going to be a deal breaker.

 

Maintenance.  An additional oil change and cv joint replacement... I only had to replace the rubber boots in my truck and the transfer oil depends on how much time its spinning...so, not really a factor...unless you have to pull the engine/trans/transfer case...then break out the CC.

 

 Plenty of mountain farmers hauling ass (and produce) up and down the mountain roads around the north.. many using 2wd.  

 

Honestly I'm tossed up on this.  The pragmatic side of me says 2wd automatic is all I really need... the impractical "adventurist" says go with 4wd.  555

 

Anyway, good thread its helping me run through my wants vs needs.

 

 

 

 

I actually prefer the feel of a solid 4x4 over a 2wd....Possibly because that's what I've constantly had over the last 40+ years....Usually had a 2wd also but would drive the 4x4 most of the time....Like the high line of vision along with the front diff.....