I noticed that most F350s seems to have 4x4 standard. I plan to custom order mine and wonder if I should add it. Is there any benefit to having 4x4 when towing? One sales person mentioned it would help me get the trailer into position easier. I plan to pull a 27' Airstream.

 

Only if you pull the trailer out of the water on slippery ramp.
I have 2WD and pulling 30+k sets with it. Never had a problem with traction on paved roads and even while pulling 10k dead tractor from a hole in the woods.

 

Its nice to have a low range when backing a heavy trailer, or pulling out of a boat ramp. Sometimes I wish I had it, one the other hand, Its less parts to wear out.

 

For the reasons stated above, there are a few circumstances where it can help. However, since most towing applications signficantly increase the load on the rear axle, traction is also correspondingly increased anyway. Also, given the well known conventional wisdom of not driving around in 4wd on typical dry-pavement conditions, the increased wieght of towing only increases the need to heed this advice.

But the biggest question is why would you order a truck without 4WD in the first place (towing aside)? It's always better to have it and not need it than...

 

Unless you're towing off-road you shouldn't need it. You'd save money on the purchase price, your truck will weigh less, and you won't have the extra repair/upkeep costs.

 

Per my experience AWD or 4WD adds like 5% to fuel consumption. Meaning you will pay a lot over the years for just few uses. If that is the case obviously.

 

I prefer to have it. to me it is more stable. But that is just me.

I also have had to move trailers in some pretty nasty places so I really need it there.

 

4wd should not be used on dry pavement, especially under a heavy load. If your only going to be towing in paved areas, don't bother.

 

Well, if you don't plan on towing/traveling to snow country than you can do without the 4x4. but a must if you do.

 

It will be worth it the one time you need it.

 

Personally I've always felt the Twin-I beam is a disaster of an IFS, the steering setup on it is basically the same y tie rods on the TTB axles. The crossover steering on the the 4wd is a better system, and like senix said, there's nothing more stable than a solid axle with two massive radius arms, with springs you can upgrade/downgrade based on what you actually tow. Brake jobs are easier on the 4wd trucks, not that breaking a castle nut is hard, you just have to tear out the bearings, white the top hat rotor on the 4wd is a lot simpler to fix.

Plus resale is probably better on a 4wd. I'm not that much farther north in Texas (Lubbock area), and you'd never catch me or most of the guys I work with with a 2wd truck, unless it's a second or even a third vehicle. The "it's better to have it an not need it" mantra carries a lot of weight the first time you a trailer get stuck.

 

Twin I-Beam is a great front suspension setup. It is by far the toughest with regards to non-4wd setups. That is why Ford chose it so long ago. It is the way the heavy duty trucks were built, so Ford copied it into their pickup designs and it has carried for well over 50 years. If you don't need 4x4, don't get it.

 

I agree with most people here. I can't imagine owning a truck that wasn't 4WD. But I use my truck for a lot of stuff besides towing on the highway.

If all you will EVER do is tow on the highway in decent weather (no snow, etc), then 2WD is probably OK. If you're going to encounter snow, or ever go off the pavement, then the one time you need 4WD will pay for it.

Using low range (disconnect the auto-locking vacuum solenoid so the front hubs don't lock) can really help with trying to back into difficult places.

Having 4WD will have no effect on your fuel economy, as long as you're in 2WD with your hubs unlocked.

Also, if you have 4WD, it's good to use it occasionally. Manually lock and unlock the hubs every now and then. It keep's stuff from freezing up and failing when you need it.

 

The straight I-beam is the most prevalent front suspension on medium and heavy duty trucks, not the twin. Go crawl under a UPS truck and tell me what you see. Ford is pretty much the only company to ever use the twin setup... and in it was introduced in 1965, only 45 years ago. It wasn't ever an industry standard for heavy trucks.

"Used almost exclusively by Ford F-series trucks, twin I-beam suspension was introduced in 1965. This little oddity is a combination of trailing arm suspension and solid beam axle suspension. Only in this case the beam is split in two and mounted offset from the centre of the chassis, one section for each side of the suspension. The trailing arms are actually (technically) leading arms and the steering gear is mounted in front of the suspension setup. Ford claims this makes for a heavy-duty independent front suspension setup capable of handling the loads associated with their trucks. In an empty truck, however, going over a bump with twin I-beam suspension is like falling down stairs in leg irons."

Car Bibles : The Car Suspension Bible page 1 of 4
Suspension and Steering, Page 1 of 4


But hey, accurate tech is overrated anyways.

 

I have heard on this forum and read in other places that the 4WD set up gives you a smaller turning radius than the 2WD.
You have the option to use the low 4WD gear to back up and pull out.
If you need it you have it.
Personally I like having a solid front axle and coil springs up front.