Those with tow rigs...

spykosshow

spykosshow

New Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2005
Location
Raleigh, NC
I'm looking to pick a 3/4 ton tow rig up in the next two weeks and have a question for those around here that have them. If it's 2wd, do you wish it was 4wd? I'm having trouble finding a good dodge 2500 set up the way I want in 4wd. I've found a couple 2wd's that are perfect for what I want - extended cab, CTD, etc.

I'm thinking it makes more sense to get a good 2wd truck rather than a high mileage/crappy 4wd.
 
Mine is 2wd..4wd would be nice on occasion, but I've yet to be somewhere and had to have it. 4wd CTDs eat steering, front end parts and are pricey to repair. Not so much with the 2wd and to me the 2wd ride much better.
 
My 3/4 ton was 2wd. purpsoely got it jsut because of all teh palces i went with the truck and trailer i didnt need 4x4. I got it for the price since it is cheaper thana 4x4 usually and less complicated.
 
BIGWOODY said:
Mine is 2wd..4wd would be nice on occasion, but I've yet to be somewhere and had to have it. 4wd CTDs eat steering, front end parts and are pricey to repair. Not so much with the 2wd and to me the 2wd ride much better.
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Ditto...

The funny part for me is the CTD doesn't exhibit any of "stuck in wet grass" junk the F-250 did. Both had LS in the rear, the 250 was SRW w/ some decent A/Ts & the CTD DRW has highway ribs... all it took was some dampness and the Ford had to be locked in 4wd. So far, the Dodge has done MUCH better, but I was sweating it the other weekend at Dylans (got off in his garden spot turning around and had to spin it a bit) :driver:
 
Sorry, I'm in need of an extended cab. I really would be very interested otherwise.

I think it makes more sense for me to find a 2wd where I'm at now. I've got the heep if I need 4wd for something.
 
my 02 sierria i have will tow whatever you strap to it jeep/buggy wise and i have yet to have any trouble PM me if interested....excab 4x4 5.3 fullyloaded
 
My 2500HD 2wd with all-terrains on it does better than my dually with Michelin LTX M/S (in 2wd) on it when trying to get my trailer out of its parking spot... I prefer the 2wd ride comfort and simplicity as well.
 
Its hard to find a good price on a decent Dodge 4x4 extended cab, 2wd are def. much cheaper. If you're willing to so std. cab, that opens your options up a lot.

I've used 4x4 twice I think, never towing. Most likely I didnt need to use it, but since I had it, I pulled the lever. The first time we were out scouting land on a dirt road, I was mostly checking 4wd out. The second time was at BigDaddy's Offroad event. I was in the low spot of the field, "loaded" with 500lbs of TSL. The wheels spun, so I hit 4x4. Better to have than have not is my theory.
Greg has a good point about the front end though. I never considered a 2wd, I don't even know what type of suspension they have. The 2nd Gen. track bars are notorious for loosening up.
Lastly, you might hate those 4.10s on the highway. Dana 70s and 80s are std equipment on the CTD rears.
 
My tow rig is 4WD as well, and I think I have used it 3 times, only once when towing. Rear tires got a little clogged up with some mud, flipped the switch (damn electronic t-case) and pulled right out.

I use a 03 F150 to tow, so I cant say much about CTDs. We dont see that many in the shop at work either. Ball joints and track bars do go bad on them, but the 2WDs dont seem to have many issues on the ones we have seen.
 
If I can afford it I will never go back to 2wd..

My old chevy 2wd and my old ford 2wd just sucked on dirt or wet grass..shoot I have even gotten my current dodge CTD stuck in my backyard and had to get out and use the 4wd..( locking hubs ).

I am amazed at how many times I have used 4wd in mine.. most times I had to use it was because the person in front of me slammed on there brakes and I lost momentum..if not for that I think it would have made the gravel parking lots, or ice covered lots.

but I really do like having the option to put it into 4wd and get myself out.
 
I use the 4wd in my truck a decent bit. Its definatly not a cheap option but imo its worth it. But on the flip side i live on a farm and am out in the feild alot. Getting stuck in wet grass brings the suck when you are on a deadline.
 
My '02 CTD is a 4wd, @127k I've been lucky not to have any front end problems. I wouldn't have it any other way, then again my application is different than most peoples. My truck gets worked and I couldn't do without 4wd, sometimes I need it just to get out of my driveway with the big trailer on it. I moved a car out of a pasture to a friends house today and used 4wd 3x, go figure. On that note, you might have more luck with a 2wd and not get asked favors from your friends:lol:
 
1) Buy what ever you want.
2) Tell everyone that it's the best thing ever and you'd never get by without it.
3) Offer this advice to everyone...
 
GubNi said:
I get stuck way too often in my own yard in 2wd. I lock the hubs and pull on out. I could never use a 2wd to rig.
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I can only attribute it being "a Ford thing" since the 2wd Dodge D350 does MUCH better than the 4wd F-250 did in my backyard :D



The funny part for me is the CTD doesn't exhibit any of "stuck in wet grass" junk the F-250 did. Both had LS in the rear, the 250 was SRW w/ some decent A/Ts & the CTD DRW has highway ribs... all it took was some dampness and the Ford had to be locked in 4wd. So far, the Dodge has done MUCH better, but I was sweating it the other weekend at Dylans (got off in his garden spot turning around and had to spin it a bit)
Click to expand...
 
yager said:
1) Buy what ever you want.
2) Tell everyone that it's the best thing ever and you'd never get by without it.
3) Offer this advice to everyone...
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Ahh, the voice of internet experience.

FWIW, I have 4wd but a tacoma is far from the ultimate tow rig. I use 4wd on wheeling trips all the time. Sometimes it's to recover my buggy, sometimes I'm pulling through mud or ice, and sometimes I just parked in a spot I know I'd need 4wd to get out of (for example going backwards uphill with a trailer next to the harlan cabins).

Having said that, if I didn't have it I think I could get by with a little planning, alternate routes, or in the case of recovery help from my friends.
 
Caver Dave said:
I can only attribute it being "a Ford thing" since the 2wd Dodge D350 does MUCH better than the 4wd F-250 did in my backyard :D
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Which proves my theory of GM dominance, since my 2wd Chevy does better than the 4wd Dodge! GM > Dodge > Ford.. :flipoff2:
 
I appreciate all the opinions. I'm going to take a look at another 2wd CTD this saturday that looks REALLY good, so we'll see. If this one doesn't pan out then I'll broaden my search back out to 4wd's too. As much as I want 4wd and prefer the look of them, I just can't afford the extra several thousand.


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yager said:
1) Buy what ever you want.
2) Tell everyone that it's the best thing ever and you'd never get by without it.
3) Offer this advice to everyone...
Click to expand...
:lol:

I used to think there was no need for a 4wd tow rig, especially because of the huge increase in costs. And I used to dd a 2wd as well. My tow rig is my DD and it's almost 7k lbs. Having 4wd has saved my ass (and others) many many times now.

That being said, an ARB can do wonders.
 
Mine is a 2wd and I like the simplicity/lack of extra crap. But I have had to spin the rears a few times to get moving. I haven't been stuck yet, but I am sure it is just a matter of time. In my case, I just couldn't justify the price difference (about 4x what I paid for the 2wd) for something I would only need occasionally. I guess, if all else fails, i can unload the Jeep to get the tow rig out...:rolleyes:
 
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