2wd verses 4wd.

[drno]

was at my dealers friday for the door seal tsb and noticed a 05 2wd drw red laramie sport ,auto , sunroof that has been on the lot since the 05's came out. i told the sales manager (whom i know very well ) that i thought it had not sold is because it was not a 4x4. (in this area or northern az 4x4 is king ). he said that he thought the reason was that is was heavily optioned. price was and has always been invoice minus rebates. any thoughts out there

 

[klenger]

It sure would sell in southern AZ.

 

[Bertram65]

I would only ever consider a 2WD truck if I lived in a area where it never snowed and I was never going to leave the pavement or try and pull a boat out on a slippery ramp. You can get stuck on a flat in wet grass in a 2WD truck. To me if it's a truck it has to have 4WD.

 

[drno]

klenger,

noticed in your sig you drive a 4x4 in tucson . obviously it would not have sold to you. i have a 4x4 and probably don't "need " it but it would take forever to sell a 2wd and 4wd is always good to have just in case. now if they only made a 4x4 that drove like a 2wd

 

[DPKetchum]

Turned my horse trailer around in my pasture the other day. Heavy rain soaked,no mud just grass. I barely got moving after my turn in 4x4! Then it would not steer just pushed. Finall got a straight shot and eased out through the gate. Had me worried! Trailer is a 7000 lb gooseneck.

 

[Tony T.]

I have owned one truck that was 2wd since 1985, and I had it only two-weeks. Local guy here in town seen it parked in my driveway, stopped ask if I would sell it to him, I quoted him a price and he bought it. That was around 1994. The rest have been 4x4. I don't know now if I could be satisfied driving a 2wd or not.



Tony

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

4x4 sure is a nice feature - unfortunately, the VAST majority of vibration, poor steering, death wobble, lousy MPG, and assorted similar ills are directly related to 4x4's...



But I guess if ya gotta have it, ya gotta have it!

 

[Bill Stockard]

I would only ever consider a 2WD truck if I lived in a area where it never snowed and I was never going to leave the pavement or try and pull a boat out on a slippery ramp.

Yep, my situation exactly! I does snow here about once a winter and we have a few ice storms, but I stay home when it happens.



I owned a 4-wheel drive vehicle (because I thought I wanted one) that I drove 200K miles. Of that 200K miles, it was probably driven less than 300 miles in 4-wheel drive.



Bill

 

[klenger]

When I bought my 04. 5, I agonized over 2WD vs 4WD. Main reason I got the 4WD was on the remote chance that I might relocate back to Colorado. Then I would want it. The only time I have used 4WD on the new truck is twice, driving from Colorado back to Tucson. I've never engaged the 4WD in Arizona. If I had to do it over again, I think I'd get the 2WD. More usefull load capacity, better handling, lower bed height, better milage, lower fluid change costs, and $3000 cheaper to buy.

 

[MFalkinham]

I just sold my '92 CC 4wd and bought an '03 QC 2wd. Here was the reasoning I used for giving up 4wd.....



1. '92 4wd auto 4. 10 got 14-15mpg hwy, '03 2wd auto 3. 73 is getting 23-24mpg hwy

2. Even in Wisconsin I only engaged 4wd three times per year for maybe 300 miles

3. The 3rd Gen 4wd trucks seem to have more ball joint, u-joint and vibration issues

4. 4wd trucks ride higher and are harder to climb in and out of (both cab and bed)

5. 4wd trucks cost more to buy, drive and maintain (but do have higher resale)

6. The 3rd Gen 4wd Rams don't have the manual locking hubs that I'd prefer



Used 4wd 3rd Gens are for sale all over Wisconsin, but I could not find a used 2wd anywhere nearby. I ended up buying from a Missouri Dodge dealer sight unseen. So far my '03 2wd has been fantastic, and I have no regrets about my decision. In fact, tonight we are getting 1-3" of snow, but that just means I now have to allow more time for my commute to work.



- Mike

 

[GFritsch]

When I think about the number of times that I have been on back country roads and had to engage the 4X4 because the rears were spinning. Don't think I will ever go 2WD. If you know that you will always be on pavement though I could see it.

My experience is that duallys get stuck easier-FWIW

 

[Kennywould]

Four on the fly, that's what I like!!!

 

[MMeier]

In my book, best to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it !! Plus 4WD duallys are just *****in' lookin' !! Needed 4WD this past weekend in New Mexico, lots of snow on hiway going east Thursday, ice and snow Friday night going through Gallup headed back here!

 

[KHollister]

I recently purchased a 2WD dually to tow with based on ride height and handling (2WD front eend felt much better to me). As I read many 2 vs 4 threads here and on rv.net, I began to wonder if I had made a mistake (live in FL, but have no paved driveway). This weekend I was at the FL state Airstream rally and it rained cats & dogs Sun when we were getting ready to leave. I was parked on grass, much of which was beginning to be covered by water. I had zero traction problems turning around and pulling out, and zero problems when I got home to my squishy rain soaked back yard (had to stop & wait on wife to move other car before I could pull trailer in). I have about 800# of tongue weight on the hitch. I would expect that pulling a 5ver with 2-3K of pin weight would only increase traction, not make it worse. I also believe that a dually would have better traction in soft surfaces - issue would be in wet, paved ones where the lower surface pressure might not result in as good contact with the road.



Not saying the other folks don't have the problems they report, but reports of total loss of traction on wet grass or even wet pavement don't match my experiences. The only time I have lost traction is jumping on the throttle from a dead stop in an empty truck on wet pavement - it wanted to fishtail. My old 2wd gasser 1500 was worse in this condition if anything.

 

[SBall]

went from 4wd to 2wd

Having had a 92 4x4 Cummins and now driving an 01 4x2 Cummins, I would have to agree with Mike's comments. I really appreciated the 4-wheel drive system on my old 92. I could leave the hubs unlocked, and use it as a 2wd low range, and realize the benefits of better fuel economy with the hubs unlocked. I also have nothing but praise for the gear-driven NP205 transfer case in the older trucks. I don't think I would have a newer 4-wheel drive Cummins with all the issues I have been reading about vibration, the fact that the front driveline can't be totally disconnected, and the penalties with respect to fuel economy. Despite the fact that we live in hilly Pennsylvania with marginal snow removal services, I find the 2wd dually much more enjoyable overall, especially when hauling a slide-in camper. It sits lower to the ground, handles better, it's more thrifty on fuel, doesn't exhibit the vibrations and hassles of the front drive mechanism, it's lighter in weight and enables me to slip just under the class II toll classifications on the turnpike!

Oh yes, and you could say I enjoy a "challenge", as this dually is horrible in the snow when empty. However through the folks on the TDR I've learned some tricks such as Cooper Discoverer M&S tires on the rear, proper loading, and of course tire chains.

Steve

 

[DPKetchum]

Your lucky for now. Maybe Florida soil. Duallys have less traction on most surfaces as the weight is spread out over four instead of two. I've been not able to move in tall grass almost level ground in wet conditions. I've been 30 feet from pavement toataly flat,loaded trailer(about 10k total gooseneck weight)and in 2wd with posi(both slighly spinning)not been able to move 3 feet. As long as I have trailers and the hint of anything off road its a 4x4 for me. I've paid $80. 00 tow bills with a posi truck to get 60 feet to asphalt on a very SLIGHT incline of hard packed wet georgia red clay on a Sunday afternoon. Waited 4 hours for a tow truck with a cable. I could BACK some but not pull 12 inches forward.

 

[RustyJC]

I've pulled 5th wheels with 2WD Dodge duallies since 1996 and never once have been stuck, needed a tow, couldn't get into or out of a campsite, etc. And, yes, part of that time was spent living in central Ohio, so the 1996 saw snow and ice.



For an RV puller, there are many advantages to a 2WD truck, and a check of the campgrounds here in Texas as well as our Texas Boomers RVing group will verify the popularity of 2WD for this application.



Rusty

 

[Tim]

I would never again own a 2wd pickup.



I've been nearly stuck in campgrounds numerous times. Despite having a 4x4 on a trailer with a winch, swampers, lockers, etc. , I don't want to have to unload my trail rig to pull out my tow rig.

 

[IC Smoke]

Ive got my 01 4x4 and my 83 2wd 1-ton dually dump truck that I use during the summer to haul tractors & dirt with...

I will NEVER EVER buy another 2wd!!! yeah the 83 chev isnt the same as a cummins but WOW I dont think Ive had anything stuck as much has this crap 2wd. Even with good D range all terrains on it and loaded with 3 tons of gravel it SINKS!! Ive had plenty of times where Ive been stuck in customers yards and building job sites!!! and If im pulling a trailer and loaded not only is it gutless but I HAVE to avoid the roads when the frost is comming outa the roads (dirt roads) because any slight incline its going nowhere!

But I must say a 2wd manual unloaded with slight snow covered roads is pertty funn to downshift and get the rear to slide out a bit :-laf but again tring to get back up that road... . I just go around the block!!





Ian

 

[Tony T.]

Alot of times I don't need it, but was glad I had it that day.

When my truck in sig was two-weeks old, I went to a retired co-workers funeral (graveside service). It had rained day before and there was so many people there we had to park along side the ditch next to cemetery. Well lucky me my front end found a sink hole hidden in the grass. You know how heavy that Cummins is. As we where leaving after the service I had about twenty guys standing there watching me about to pull out. I was praying the 4wd would work, because I had not even tried it out yet. Went ahead and slipped it in lo-loc and it backed right out. Friend of mine that was parked behind me was telling everyone before I pulled out "looks like I have to pull that junkie ole' Dodge out with my Ford". I'm just glad I had 4x4 that day. If it would have been 2wd they would still be talking about that day. :-laf



Tony