EZ Trac steerable hydraulic drive axle | OEM Off-Highway

I know it's a semi axle, but I'm assuming maybe one day it would be a pickup truck sized unit.
Would you ever consider a f150, or 250 -450 with a hydraulic powered front axle instead of the drive axles we have now?

I thought about it a few times.
The hydraulic front axle certainly isn't the same thing as say a dana 60, hydraulic front is only good at low speed.

But, I'm thinking I use my truck for work, and offroad frequently, and I think I use my 4x4 about 5 times a year tops. You could say that I am offroad more than average, and I almost don't even need 4x4.
Of course playing in the mud you would, but at work, you generally try to not play in mud, you try to not get stuck.
So as a work vehicle, I think I would be just fine without a 4x4 system like what it has today. Hydraulic low speed hubs on the front, would be more than enough for the few times I need extra traction.

I'm not trying to bash the solid front axle assemblies we have, they are great. But, I do wonder what a hydraulic hub front would be like.
Not only do the 2wd trucks drive a little nicer, but most of the time when I get stuck, it's from the axle bottoming out, so maybe a little extra clearance would actually out perform the solid front axle.

I know the solid front axle is unbeatable when racing through mud, and being able to rip through mud, but that is more of a playtime thing, you can't be flinging mud around and tearing up ruts at work, (for most people).

So in closing with my opinion, I think a low speed hydraulic front wheel drive system might actually be better for work trucks, especially if the truck would cost less.

 

seems like a bigger headache than a regular mechanical axle.
i like my 4 wheel drive simple and reliable, like a full mechanical system is.
an electric over hydraulic system like this scream headaches on the same lines or worse than ESOF has.

 

I think they are mechanically driven variable volume hydraulic pumps.
I get what your saying about simplicity.....
But if you honestly compare a hydraulic drive system to what we have, I don't know if it is really more complex... different, but I doubt the part count would be much worse.