A picture is worth a thousand words. My house is just to the right of the rooftop of the house in the foreground, at the top of the hill. that's our old truck parked at the bottom- when it gets slippery, the other non- 4X4 nitwits block the road.

 

I have one word to describe why I love my 4x4. Winter

 

Summer ain't that bad either. The kid and a buddy found some mud about three weeks ago. The Ranger had to pull the F150 off of a stump at one point.

 

I've done a couple tests with my truck to see if the 4x4 helps. I got to work early (actually my boss was 2 hours late) so I took my truck for alittle spin on pretty much solid ice roads. I have 35" BFgoodrich radial T/A's. Basically in 2wd I could go ok but I could fishtale easily if I gave it too much gas. In 4hi it was like driving on dry roads. I think the tires help alot though as far as traction. I don't know how much a standard cruiser tire would effect things.
I went out wheeling one day at our farm. There was a small hill with a primitive road that was all mudded up. I'll tell you right now that that is a bad time to find out your hubs are going out. I'd start going up the hill fine in 4hi, but when I got too much pressure on my hubs, they'd pop out and i'd be stuck. No way it would make it in 2wd.

 

*cough* resale *cough*

 

4X really helps to smooth out the ride on rough gravel and 4 low is handy to have. I drove a two wheel drive truck once and it felt like I was wearing a dress or something, (jk). The front end felt really light. Around here, I just don't see too many non-4x4 trucks. If I do, it's usually some company's delivery vehicle they use for short hauls.

Even back in the sixties when most of the pickups out there were used on the farm, a truck without, at least, a posi rear end was basically worthless and hard to sell.

(Hey PB, nice to see the kid finally got his ranger dirty...)

 

Here's the main reason why we have 4x4 on 3 of the trucks at work:



-Matt

 

There is only one justifiable reason to get a 4X4. BECAUSE YOU WANT IT! The reasons that have been given are really excuses. I grew up on a farm and drove for over 35 years without a 4X4 and never really had any problems and got stuck very infrequently. If you don't have four wheel drive, you are careful as to where you try to go and pay more attention to the road conditions. I long ago quit making excuses to justify buying what I want and freely admit I get almost everything simply because I want it.

 

one time I need 4x4...is on boat ramps. My boat is pretty heavy, add a bit of algea and muck on the boat ramp, and you go nowhere in 2wd. Some boat launches aren't even a ramp, just a gravel area going into the water, gotta have it there too.

 

Needing 4x4 once and having it is worth 2x the price. Not to mention that I need it for the "farm" (More like a huge playpen).

In the snow my truck is worthless in 2wd. In 4wd everything is fine.

Mike

 

My family lived in Denver for years before we owned a 4x - snow and fun. When we moved to the mountains west of town my parents bought a Bronco and realized just what they were missing. I realized this as well... When I moved out to the Northwest and bought my first truck it was a 4x4. Between my folks, sister, and myself every truck since that Bronco has been a 4x4.

I use the 4hi when I'm parking on grass. In fact the last time I used it was at one of our chapter G2G's so I wouldn't tear up a member's lawn & driveway. I use it in the ice storms and slushy snow we see... I also use it to pull out the idiot with the 4X suv that thinks they're invincible during these conditions.

People learn their driving habits and stick with them, but I've never been able to justify owning a 4x2, with or without trac-loc or a full blown locker, just to save a few bills when I by the truck. I know there are many people that have no issues with that set-up in winter conditions... I just don't see it, safetywise, though - I've experienced both sides. Even with a 4x4 with both diffs open... there is something about the 2 wheels driving, 1 in each diff, that works for me.

When the weather turns bad or my driveway becomes a mudpit... I'll go with my 4x4 truck.

-Kerry

 

Why do these threads even get started, why God why!? 4x2s can't compare to 4x4s. End of story.

 

Oh brother, well the truth is if you want a car then buy a car. Otherwise if you want or need a truck then buy a 4x4. I own 4 vehicles, 3 of which are street legal and they are all 4x4s, my wife used to have a car but I am a truck driver and I am gone alot well the last year she had the car she had to stay home from work once because it wouldn't move out of the driveway, and my pickup was down at the truck stop where I park the semi. One time it snowed while she was at work and coming home she tried to pull into the driveway and got stuck half in the road, it was only 2inches of snow but the city had plowed and left enough of a bank the car wouldn't go over it ended up calling a tow truck, now normally that would have cost what? $50 maybe $75 (luckily small town and the tow truck operator is really nice just dug it out and didn't charge her). Also she was coming home this year on a winter night and everything seems fine until halfway home ooops snow storm (coming home from granddaughters) once again good thing for 4x4. Ok so if you live down south and don't actually have a need for a truck then yeah buy a 4x2 but otherwise, the one time you need it, well it's gonna be worth each and every penny. Oh and big had it right "resale"

 

I use 4x4 only on the snow. So few months each year.

 

hey monster, living in the south don't mean much. my uncle moved to naples florida in 69, and took his brand new F250 4X4 with him. plow and all. everybody laughed at him. till that winter, when it snowed. he had the only snow plow in town., and made a fortune.
as his business grew, he bought more 4X4 pickups with snow plows.
for 30 years he owned the snow plowing contract in 3 towns, and had over 50 trucks when he sold out and retired. he still owns a 4X4 though.