2WD or 4x4??

[Koolhandlinc]

I was at the feed store and the guy just got a big 6wd truck. the newer military kind. He had removed the auto inflation system. Tells me he went playing and it had some of the 48 inch truck tires. (guessing at size.) buried it to top of the tires and took at semi sized wrecker to pull it out. always think before you drive into something as to what you will do if you don't make it.

 

[Ace_on_the_Turn]

A 2wd with a skilled driver is almost capable of doing anything a 4wd will with a knucklehead behind the wheel. And remember, 80% of people think they're an above average driver.

 

[aviator41]

4X4 is great when used properly. I failed to do that this weekend and got my F250 stuck up to the frame in glorious, thick, mucky red clay mud.

It's more important to know when to STOP and how to get OUT than to know when to kick it into 4X4.

I've had 4X4 keep me out of snow drifts and pull others out of sticky spots so it has it's uses, but it's not much better that 2WD on ice. People seem to forget that is 4 wheel go, not 4 wheel stop. Oh, and 4x4 trucks with street tires just don't seem to cut it. You've gotta have the grip with the go.

best combo I've ever had on crappy roads were AT tires, studded, in 4X4. studded tires are awesome!

 

[easy]

If you have to ask, stay on flat dry pavement. The rest of us will be safer.

 

[Old Timer]

I grew up in Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. I learned to drive on Ice when we did not see the pavement for 3-4 months out of the year. I absolutely love pulling up on a 4x4 with my 2wd pickup and pull them out. I have done it several times, and I just don't tell them that it is more where you are and how you drive then the equipment you have.

Good tires, weight in proper place, and a head on your shoulders when you step on your gas pedal. Keeping your gas tank full will add some weight. Keep up a little momentum before going up a hill. If you need to cheat, you can drop the pressure in your driven tires to help grab the ice, also a tire rotate before the storm will help. I always have a can of kitty litter or sand in the trunk. You can use a piece of nylon rope wrapped around the tire, through the rim and tied off to add a bit of "tire chain" in am emergency. I have used 550 cord. Take your time, and leave early to get ahead of the idiots!

I have a AWD for the wife, but normally drive a RWD with limited slip. I have added about 600 to 800 lbs of weight in the bed. It makes it ride nicer (3/4 ton).

We also have a couple Honda FWD, and I have no problems getting around in them. I do put 50 to 100 lbs in the back of the FWD for stopping.

 

[Shootin 4 Fun]

Man, that seems like a lot of work. I'll just rotate the dial to 4 high.

 

[nofearfactor]

When we moved to Des Moines from north central CA I thought it was going to be a living hell when winter came from what I had read online but when winter came the worst part was just the cold, we got as much snow up on the mountain in CA as in Iowa it just wasnt as cold and we had ice there, in Iowa it snowed a couple of feet and then it just never melted it stayed packed on the ground mostly from November to almost April. And 30 below and 30 above doesnt really seem much different without wind, its still cold as F.

In CA we couldnt go anywhere without 4x4 and chains where we lived- CHP had road blocks at the bottom of the foothills, no chains no go past the block, put em on or go back down the mountain. There would be guys out there making side cash by putting chains on peoples cars for crazy amounts of money, F that, I always carried mine in the back of my K5 because even with 4x4 they made you put em on. I would get stuck sometimes even with chains and 4x4 in my drive and would winch it out.

In Iowa their road crews are pro's at keeping all of the roads driveable so most of the time I just parked my 4x4 and drove around in a RWD twin turbo sports car with no heater (didnt need one back in CA- in IA I just plugged in a little 12v portable heater and got by just fine). Once you got the ft or so of snow that had fallen while you were inside working cleared off your vehicle when you came out at 2am after work, getting around there was pretty easy.

When I got moved out here I thought it was going to be a piece of cake in the winter with the mild climate here. Then I got a taste of OK's version of ice and driving around on it. I didnt like it at all and still dont. We have 4x4, AWD, 2WD-RWD, and 2WD-FWD vehicles and none seem like theyre better on the ice than the other. My RWD SUV is my go-to here usually, its all in the rubber like someone else said.

 

[zghorner]

All you guys thinking a 2wd will take you nearly everywhere a 4x4 will need to test that theory on a front heavy diesel truck. My 2wd 12v cummins was horrible...HORRIBLE.

Now my 98 gmc vortec v6 2wd with all terrains on the back was a down right beast and really was about as good as a 4wd truck.

 

[nofearfactor]

Now my 98 gmc vortec v6 2wd with all terrains on the back was a down right beast and really was about as good as a 4wd truck.

Thats what Im saying about my GMC 2WD. My cars, all RWD, arent worth a ***** in the winter. I was out really late last night (early morning for some) and it was already getting slick, went by a guy on the BA who was in a brand new Mustang GT and looked like he had spun it out and smacked right into the concrete backwards smashing it all up, a wrecker was just showing up. I was just thinking too as I went by him that I was glad I hadnt taken a car out in this *****. My Envoy has approx 300hp (290 stock w/CAI, custom exhaust) in a Vortec 4.2l inline-6, with my all terrains on it gets around great as long as I stay chilled out and dont do anything stoopid. My all terrains Im running 275-45s on 20s, my summer/performance tires (275-40s) I keep on up to about November then swap em out for my all terrains same size to about mid March. Last winter I got around in it all winter just about, think I only got the Blazer out a few times. Those all terrains are awesome too in rain driving- Saturday we came back from my moms in Osage county going up and back on 412 and it was raining like a muther and I was the doing the speed limit plus (my version) in hard driving non stop rain and it was trucking along easy, didnt even scare the ol lady.

 

[Riley]

Watching people in cars, vans, trucks and semi's slide off 35 and 412 this morning, I vote for 4WD....

oh yes, and some common sense.