4x4 required?

CasterTroy

CasterTroy

Faster'N You
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Wallburg
SO many tow rigs here, as well as on other sites, and 95% of them are 4x4's

How many of you with tow rigs that are 4x4's use them as daily drivers? Is that the reason for getting a 4wd over a 2wd?

Do you have another 4wd in the driveway thats street legal OTHR than your trail rig?


Reason I ask....is my wife has a 4wd durango (OK, so it's no REAL 4x4, but it gets her to the office in bad weather :flipoff2: ) and I have the CJ.....which WON'T be off road only. Would it be stupid to invest into yet ANOTHER 4x4 for a truck/tow rig? On trips we'll be taking the tow rig/truck with the jeep on a trailer and possibly we could get into some snow where we would go, but it's also only going to see the hiway and main roads.

I just can't seem to get past the idea of owning 3 vehicles, and all 3 being 4x4's when we live in NC and 2 won't be seeing anything radical at all
 
My tow rig is 4x4 for a couple reasons,

1, I wanted it
2, A couple of events I've attended, we parked in a field, load and unload. With the Expedition, I've had to spin the tires, sending mud and grass all over to get my loaded trailer out if it was wet. With the dually, never had an issue.
 
I have been using a 2 wheel drive tow rig for the last 3 years with really no problems.. i only had one once at tellico where i started to spin a tire but with a little driving i got out of it..

I just got a 4x4 tow rig so I will let ya know how it works out..

but in bad weather i would just drive the Jeep :)
 
Rob said:
1, I wanted it
Click to expand...

I WANT one too....I just am battling logic and my excessive right brain mentality trying to rationalize owning so many 4x4's when 95% of the time it will be utilized as a 2wd

Plus..my personal opinion mind you......unless it's DRW it kinda looks goofy to have a 3/4 or 1 ton truck/suburban in 2wd form :(
 
I think another thing to consider is the resale value. A 4x4 truck is definetly going to be easier to sell, and probably hold its value better. If you are considering a diesel, which i think you are, the low end torque provides pretty much immediate wheel spin in two wheel drive. I have only managed to stick my cummins once. It hasn't been wheeling, but has seen countless muddy fields and construction sites, and 4x4 is almost a neccesity if you see anything rougher than a graded dirt road, wet grass, forget it. The combination of low end torque, stiff sidewalls and 1200lbs of engine over the front tires make the average buick more offrodable than a 2wd diesel. just my two cents.


And besides, you know you want a 4x4:flipoff2:

Oh and low range sure does make backing into tight spots nice, especially with a manual.
 
Kyle nailed it.. the lack of traction in the back of my truck is worse than the s-runner. Of course, me using milage-biased tires doesn't help...

I really had to think about this when I was looking for my CTD, since the 4x4's front axle on a Dodge has so many known issues.

I can't get my trailer out of the backyard without it...

I don't have another DD, and when the weather turns even remotely foul, a 2wd truck was NOT cutting it.. (insert the picture of the FJ winching my s-runner into the driveway)

I'd go for it, if ya can swing it.
 
oohhhh yeah... those too.. (I see a new output shaft in my dumb future)
 
Ever hear a 4wd tow rig owner say "Damn I wish I had got that 2wd tow rig"? There may be one or two around but they are few and far between.
<><Fish
 
I have a 2wd tow rig and 90% of the time it does all I ask of it.

But that 10% can suck!

And empty Doolie can get stuck on wet grass in a level field.
And too many times you have to load/unload somewhere sloppy.

SIDE BAR:
Troy, if you remember my driveway at the Mill. I stuck the Rig with the Jeep on the trailer once in a bad way trying to turn around. You know that drop-off to the river. It was hairy for a little bit. Sat there trying to figure out what I would tear up running the winch cable through the gooseneck and over the bed of the truck to use the Jeep winch to pull the whole mess. Decided against that trick and I got it out finally, but it killed an hour of my day and about 10k miles on the Doolie tires.
:mad:

With a 4x4 it would have walked right out.

Next tow rig WILL be 4wd.
 
Well I have had my 4x4 tow rig stuck 2 times while towing.

2wd duallys get stuck very easy on wet grass when empty. The dodge my father-in-law had was very bad so when he sold it he got a 4x4.
My next tow rig will also be 4wd.

Sam(slim)
 
i got a 2wd tow rig, i wouldn't change it. less weight, less money, less shit to brake/wear out. It has not snowed here all year. And if it does snow i don't see me taking out the truck anyway its light in the rear and is going to slide in 4 wheel or not. Getting around in DPG field w/ 4 wheel drive 4 times a year pretty cool. but i just unloaded in the gravel and parked. small price to pay for the added benefits i feel i get.
 
I use four wheel all the time when Im towing. I tow in construction areas with less than perfect driveways a lot though. My aunt got her 2wd dually stuck at a horse show once. It was really embarrising getting her truck pulled out by a toyota, then having to ask somebody else with a 4x4 to pull her trailer out onto that ashpalt so she could hook back up and go.
 
If you are going to keep it on the pavement or a graded gravel road, 2WD is fine.

But if you *ever* plan to drive through fields, yard, grass, etc, get 4WD.

If you get a 2WD, just be prepared not to take it off the pavement or gravel.
 
Not to completely sidebar this topic, but of those times that you have actually NEEDED the 4WD on your tow rig, how many times did you need Low Range 4WD?

The reason I ask is that I've been contemplating a 2WD tow rig and installing an ARB, or OX Locker in the rear of it. You can pick up a 2WD 3/4 ton for REAL cheap compared to a comparable 4WD and for the additional traction a selectable locker can provide it may take 4WD out of the equation. And even unloaded, the majority of the weight (unless you buy a CTD) will be over the rear axle anyway - thus the locker.

Does anyone have a comment on that?
 
4x4

When you need it, you need it. Harlan, Ky is a good example, had the slide-in camper on, rig in tow. At that time the road up to the uper camp ground was steep enough to require 4x4 (loose rock) and the low range allowed me to go slow enough to prevent shaking the whole combo to pieces.
Try towing trail #1 from State line to Murphy.

Resale alone is a great reason to buy the 4x4.
 
ManglerYJ said:
And even unloaded, the majority of the weight (unless you buy a CTD) will be over the rear axle anyway - thus the locker.
Does anyone have a comment on that?
Click to expand...


I can't see where the majority of the weight will ever be over the rear axle, especially unloaded. You'll have to explain that logic to me
 
Buy the truck that meets your needs.

If you have land and need 4x4 fine, if you need to backup a hill around your back yard cool. My plans call for puting a hitch on my jeep to move the trailer where the truck might not be suited.. While I had a few minor stucks in the time I had my ford 250 it wasnt enough to make me rethink my 2wd purchase. The limited slip along with the BFG-ATs worked fine on the slipery stuff.

2wd will get better mpg, probably sit a little lower, and definitly cost less. Resale ??? You pay less for it upfront, so its safe to assume the same truck will sell for less when used? Maybe I don't understand the resale argument?

And if the weather is bad I stay home. To many idiots in SUVs driving around.
 
4x4

A 2wd truck will continue to decline in value much further than a 4x4 in same condition as they age. Fairly new vehicles will hold their individuals vlaues, buying and selling.
 
My Truck is 2wd and if I had the money a 4x4 would be my choice. How ever i do not plan on needing it to be 4wd but it would be nice. I figure if i get stuck with the Heep in tow the it will just drag it out with the heep.
 
ShyHiK5 said:
I can't see where the majority of the weight will ever be over the rear axle, especially unloaded. You'll have to explain that logic to me
Click to expand...


I mean with the trailer unloaded. My trailer still has a couple hundred lb tongue weight, so that adds weight to the rear. It would be better with a gooseneck, though.
 
ManglerYJ said:
Not to completely sidebar this topic, but of those times that you have actually NEEDED the 4WD on your tow rig, how many times did you need Low Range 4WD?
Click to expand...

I have used it to keep the tranny cool when driving slowly, and also for backing stuff around the yard. Reverse heats up a tranny VERY quickly.

A locker wouldn't have helped much a few times when I needed 4wd. I have spun all 4 duals at times when the conditions were right (as evidenced by the mud flinging from the truck). Having that one front tire pulling made all the difference.
 
ManglerYJ said:
Not to completely sidebar this topic, but of those times that you have actually NEEDED the 4WD on your tow rig, how many times did you need Low Range 4WD?
Click to expand...

I use low range a lot at home when the trailer is attached, even when 4WD is not needed (I don't lock the hubs). If you have an auto, I think your trans would really like the low range when backing around in tight situations, and if you have a manual, I think your clutch would like it. A friend with a 2WD 92 CTD was maneuvering a 10k gooseneck at my place, and I was really feeling for his trans - I would have liked to see a trans temp gauge reading. I know when I pulled the clutch out of my 2WD rollback, you can definitely see the heat marks on the flywheel from me feathering the clutch in tight situations. In my 4WD CTD, I don't have to feather the clutch when I use low range.

But I could *get by* without low range, it is just a lot nicer to have it.
 
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