100% true. This is why I put my ABS fuse on an upfitter switch. I can disable everything with the flip of a switch.

 

Hopefully we helped the OP figure out the twin i beam is a good setup.

IMO, the only real reason for someone like me to buy a 4wd is if I'm thinking resale. Most folks either need it or want it and a 4wd is likely easier to sell.

 

Thanks to everyone that posted. It sounds like a 2wd Super Duty Gasser would meet my needs. I generally go for the stripped down versions, so I will consider ordering an XL, 2wd, with the 6.8 gas engine.

 

Sorry, no. While the Twin-I-Beam suspension with ball joints is far easier to adjust than the older king-pin type where the beams need to be bent (and I been there, done that!), the problem is that camber is correct only when the truck is static. Drive it and camber constantly changes. The front wheels move on an arc, with the pivot being the I beam bushing. Actually to make matters worse, not only does the camber change but the front track does too. The resultant lateral scrub is what wears the tires, and that's inherent to the design. And wear on the right side is worse as the right I beam is substantially shorter than the left! I work for a 4000+ vehicle utility fleet and 2WD Super Duties go through front tires around 40% faster than similar GM and Ram trucks. Over the years we have come up with a few tricks to help with tire wear like aligning the truck only when loaded, setting the toe at '0' or just a taste toe-out, and keep good shocks on them. Funny thing was back in the day (before 2011) we would see faster tire wear but fewer front suspension repairs on Ford Super Duty trucks compared to GM HD's. However starting in 2011 the GM HD's have very few front suspension issues and the 2WD Super Duty's go through tires like they always have.

For the guy who is interested in buying one, have the alignment checked after a few thousand miles and adjust it with the truck loaded as you normally drive it. Rotate the tires every 4-6,000 miles and don't let the front shocks wear out. It will work O.K..

 

On my dually you need to dismount and flip, and side to side, the fronts every 10-15k miles. After another 10-15k its rears to the front.

 

A set of chains or mud chains for the rear wheels go along way for that just incase situation and take up very little room behind a seat. When I owned 2wd trucks always had them and they did get me out of a few tough spots.

 

2WD is perfect for some people, others not so much. The number of 2WD trucks I've pulled out of snowbanks and ditches over the years during winter up here is actually kinda ridiculous. Of course, every one of them was bald tires, no weight in the bed, and people I wouldn't trust to drive my lawn mower. Still, I wouldn't personally own one - I do too much in places where having to remember weight or chains would just be a pain in my @$$.

That's not to say some 4WD systems aren't without drawbacks. My old '95 GMC 2500 got stuck in my back yard because I pulled a trailer out there to unload branches, the ground wasn't as solid as I thought, and it sunk in to the rear rims...of course it wouldn't move forward or back, so the actuator in the front diff couldn't engage, so it was stuck. Had to have my wife pull me out with her little Jimmy.

But again, this is a manufacturer responding to market trends. Small cars disappeared (for the most part) because people were buying trucks and SUVs. CD players disappeared because no one uses them anymore. 2wd is going away because a LOT of people order their trucks with 4WD, and dealers know more people will buy a 4WD truck than a 2WD. The fact that they can mark the price up quite a bit and make quite a bit of money on it helps the manufacturer out.

 

That sounds a bit pessimistic...considering i-beams were used on millions of trucks...F100/150's for 30 years, compact rangers for nearly 30 years, econolines for at least a couple decades, F250's over 50 years and counting.

If 40% is a real number for you, it might be worth getting a fresh set of eyes to see what is happening. The '96 ranger that I ran to 216k before selling was getting 60 to 70k on four tires. The wear was nearly perfect and they'd still pass safety check. I tend to think +/- 40% of 60,000 would be noticeable to a lot of people. And that ranger needed alignment once...when I got new tie rod ends.

 

I've not ridden in a 2wd SD truck but I'll give you that it may be a better ride, air down the tires in a 4x4 though and that helps a lot. The other two points are hard sells though, the insurance difference is minimal, if any, your insurance went up because you bought a new truck..... Modern 4x4 vehicles don't need any more or less maintenance than 2wd.

 

....and a few errors in your "non-truth" statement;

- "plenty heavy" isn't a thing; the 4wd is heavier on the front which is an advantage in some circumstances, like towing without a WD hitch (boat, equipment trailer, etc.)
- I know what "wagging the dog is". The extra weight of a 4wd due to the front axle, driveshaft, transfer case, etc. add mass which adds stability. Not saying it's a game changer but it's real....just physics.
- There are all kinds of conditions various types, density, temperatures, ect for snow and ice. A blanket statement that a 2wd can handle snow up to it's axles is more than a bit optimistic......10 years up at the ski hill, I've pulled dozens of 2wd trucks out. .....and yes, I've seen 2wd trucks get stuck on wet grass before - again, not all grass and soil is the same and if you add in a bit of a slope or a trailer, etc. and you can have issues - didn't say it would happen every time. I've been stuck in my 4wd truck on wet grass towing a trailer on a slope before....




Cheers,
Dave

 

Of course 4x4 trucks require more maintenance, they have to, they have a transfer case and front drive axle, both requiring some maintenance that a 2WD does not have.
As to ride and tire wear, I haven't ridden in a late 4x4 super duty, but my 2WD rides pretty well, and I get great tire wear, and I don't even do any periodic tire rotations.

 

Well... facts are facts. I've had 3/4ton 2WD trucks for 25 years, all at the same basic trim level, and the insurance was usually about the same, and that's going 96-97-99-09-17-23... the '23 being 4WD. My insurance went up 40% Is it because it's 'new' and full of aluminum and electronic crap... possibly, but very likely it's because it's 4WD, or at least a significant portion.

I was driving my 2WD '09 home from bowling last night, and it hit me how easy it was to drive, and how well it handled... and that's a truck with 208K on it... compared to the '23. That solid front axle takes a lot away from the ride quality when compared to a 2WD. It is what it is. That's one of the reasons the big SUV's went to independent rear suspensions some years ago... GM being the hold out, they simply ride better. All that 'ride' stuff goes out the window, of course, when you are pulling or hauling... then stability takes the lead.

As far as maintenance... they certainly do need more maintenance... there are more parts, 2 additional boxes, more steering components. Nothing is free.

 

You are 110% correct here, however these aren't done frequent enough to use that as an excuse to go 2wd vs 4x4. Per the maintenance schedule you're supposed to service your transfer case at 150k miles, sure that is maintenance, but to use that as an excuse to go 2wd vs 4x4 is a stretch. Heck the a good amount of people (I didn't say all) don't keep their vehicles that long anyway so using that is a nonfactor IMO. It does say for off road use change it every 50k, but I don't think there are too many guys who use their SD trucks to off road (sure some do but we're talking majority of people), and obviously the ones wanting a 2wd truck won't be off roading so the transfer case example isn't really worthy of a factor in a 2wd vs 4x4 when it comes to maintenance.

 

4wd costs you minimal in insurance, sure it is maybe a few dollars more per month but that's not where the majority of your increase went. You went from an 09 to 23, that's 14 years and your new truck is a $60-100k in value truck, do you really think your insurance isn't going to take a hit there?

Serious question, why did you buy a 23 if all you are going to do is complain about how much better your 09 is? I'd be more concerned about all the electronics and the computer that is on 4 wheels other than your concern for the small amount of extra moving parts on a 4x4.

 

As far as tire wear, my past 3 2WD trucks, 2 SD's and a 2500HD, burns their tires up in 20-22K... because of how I use them. Even the tire dealer scratches his head. The tires I buy have a 60K treadwear warranty, so they have to adjust them out. They are rotated on schedule, I'm a fanatic about tire pressure, and I'm not hard on the furniture... but I use my trucks. They all wear very evenly, with no cupping or choppy tread... even on the '09 with 208K.

Best thing I can come up with is I drive the 2WD trucks faster... around corners, in town, through the neighborhoods. I do NOT drive my '23 as fast because it does not handle as well as my 2WD trucks did/do. I AM on the brakes more, however, because that 7.3L certainly moves it down the road... so I'll be curious to see what kind of treadlife I get out of my tires when compared to the 2WD trucks.