4x4 vs. 2x4

[Archive]

Ben, good neighbor, I only have one question, why in the world do they even build two wheel drive truciks? 4X4's are rougher riding, harder to get in and out of,slightly less fuel efficent,more back breaking having to pick the wife up and put her in the truck,and harder to reach that last bag of groceries in the back of these heavy haulers. Regards, your Carolina neighbor, Pete

------------------
99'3500,quad cab,4X4,a/t
3:54

 

[Archive]

After driving a 2000 3500 Diesel with six speeds I came upon the perfect answer. What I need is TWO Rams.
Now, How can I broach the subject with the wife???????

Ben

------------------
2000 BLACK 3500, CTD, 4x2, Quad, SLT+, Tow Package, Camper Package, Sports Package, Sure Grip, Sliding Rear Window, 3. 55, Auto

 

[Archive]

Just another 4x4 advantage story - I took my truck on a 950 mile tour around the lakes of the lower peninsula of Michigan this weekend. Actually we were planning on doing the whole lower peninsula but believe it or not we only made it about 1/2 way in 3 days (my wife is 5 months pregnant so it slowed us down a bit)!! (Man do we have A LOT of lakeshore in this state) Up near the top of the state I was on a seasonal road that was dirt/sand/gravel and VERY steep & twisty & narrow. You couldn't do over 5-10 mph on several sections. In 2wd I couldn't quite get enough traction to keep moving forward and the truck was bucking really hard. If I had the traction bars on that I plan to add it may not have been a problem. However given the situation I simply put her in 4wd and cruised right on up (in 1st and idling btw!! Gawd this truck is AWESOME!!) I tried putting it back in 2wd a couple of times and back to the bucking we went. I wouldn't trade 4wd for the world in my parts!

------------------
-Steve St. Laurent
'98 Quad Cab Long Bed, 4x4, ISB, 5sp, 4. 10 LSD, Prime-loc remote fuel filter,
boost & pyro gauges, Permatech spray in liner, Grizzly stainless nerf bars,
BFG 285/75R16 AT KO's http://my. voyager.net/stevest


[This message has been edited by Steve St. Laurent (edited 09-26-1999). ]

 

[Archive]

I decided on two wheel drive mainly due to the area I live in. It's flat in my part of the country (south Georgia - the only hills that exist are bridges and landfills) so I don't have much of a need for 4wd. I don't feel like going swamp crawling so the choice was easy for me. Now if I lived in Virginia where my uncle lives or out West... . most definitely 4wd.

John

------------------
1999 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab 5 spd, 4:10 LSD rear, Mag-Hytec diff. cover, Speedliner spray in bed-liner, Smittybuilt step rails.
Rammin' and Runnin' the roads

 

[Archive]

Just had to reply to revive an old topic.

I am in the Roofing Business, and pull a 10000 GVW hydrolic dump trailer for tear off scrap. Have to take it to the land fill to dump trash. With my old 4 x 2's I would be lucky sometimes to get back within 20 yards of where they wanted me to dump. (not to mention the strain on the whole drive train). My last truck a 4 x 4 FORD I had to get out and lock in the hubs (What a drag). With my RAM I just select 4 wheel drive on the fly and go anywhere I want to go (at idle if I want). The only problem I have found is keeping from backing over all the 4 x 2's that can't get back to the dump site..... hehehehehe.

4 x 4 TURBO RAMMIN for ME


------------------
Diver Dave Driving a:
2000, 2500 Quad Cab, 4 x 4, SLT, 5 Spd, 3. 54, Camper Package, Trailor Package, Snowplow Prep, Born on 10-20-1999

 

[Archive]

Dave... I'm one of the people you're backing over. Yesterday after hooking up my enclosed Pace American, I took off out of my bottom land and headed for the state maintained road. While working my way up a gradual incline, I started spinning in loose gravel. I'm sure you can guess the rest from here. About 10 minutes of backing up the trailer and digging trenches in the road i finally got out. Could be time to trade. 4X2 SUCKS!!!

 

[Archive]

I thought about it when I ordered mine, but I'd had 4WD before. In the first place it was an expensive option. It would have caused a little more in sales tax, & higher personal property taxs, insurance was higher, and fuel mileage suffered. My last 4WD was heavier, & caused more wear on the front tires than I liked, had a bunch of extra, spinning moving parts I didn't hardly ever use, but had to maintain. So far in my 2WD truck, I've only had about 1 or 2 days in the last 3 years, where I could have used 4WD anyway, and always seemed to get where I was going with out it. The worst I ever got stuck was in the 4WD in places I should never have been anyway, and each time it was so bad it took a big tractor to get me out. I haven't had that problem with my present truck, because I stay on the highway with it. I don't hunt or fish anymore, and really have no reason to go to the extra expense of having 4WD, just for highway travel. I figure it's an expensive option if it's only actually used in my part of the world about . 001% of the time. You can call a lot of tow trucks for what it cost to have it & not need it. (However, as I write this, I'm looking out the window at a howling blizzard with an inch on the ground & more coming, wishing I had got the 4WD!!)... ..... DDG

 

[Archive]

Dave as I said on 9-26, Why do they even build 2 wheel drive trucks?? #ad
#ad
Regards Pete

------------------
99'3500,quad cab,4X4,a/t
3:54,all the right packages!

 

[Archive]

These guys who justify their 2WD's because of cost are nuts, how can you justify the cost of the Cummins, the V10 will pull more weight and the V8 will pull the same also. 99% of us never keep a truck for 300,000 miles either so the V8 or V10 would work just as well and as for gas mileage $4000 will by you a lot of gas. I bought this truck because I like the noise and smell also because it's a truck that can do just about anything I need it to do anytime I might need to do it, mud, snow or sunshine

------------------
2000, 2500, 24V, 5spd, 4X4, SWB, Driftwood, Leather, Fog Lights, Rear Anti Spin, Camp Spl, Trailer Tow, HD Transfer, No Res or Muff

 

[Archive]

whenever I think of getting a 4x2 the first thing that pops into my mind was that one winter a few years back when we got a major snow every friday for about five weeks. If I had anything less than a 4x4 I would have been fired for not making it to work, its tough to make pricy truck payments when your unemployed.

 

[Archive]

2 wd allows you to haul and tow more (according to mfr). But with all that weight in front and none in back, even in a heavy RAIN storm, the truck is much safer in 4wd - particularly at highway speeds.

------------------
tedstruck 2500qc, no leather or abs
teds bigfoot 1500 bigfoot, no auto waterheater or microwave.

 

[Archive]

One thing that hasnt been mentioned yet is Limited slip! did you order Limited slip in your 4x2??? My experience has been that a limited slip will go through a lot more than the same 4x2 without limited slip , and almost as much as a 4x4 without limited slip. So if you didnt get it you can still install it later and recieve that benifit,
However i went with the 4x4 because of living in KY in the hills that become nasty at times.




------------------
95-2500-ExtCab-LB-4x4-Auto-AMSoil Air Filter, Bypass Oil Filter by others, AMSOIL and Mobil Synthetics, TST 255HP and TransGO Shift kit .

 

[Archive]

I do have LS 3:54's on my 4X2, that helps, plus if it's slick, I'll throw a few hundred lbs. of something in the back to hold it down. In Kansas, it just doesn't snow that much anymore, and when it does, it gets plowed off about as fast as if comes down. Nothing against 4WD, I've had it before, & fact is, I just didn't use enough to justify having it. However, If I lived 500 miles further north, I would probably have ordered it, for the resale value if nothing else... ... DDG.

 

[Archive]

I don't use the 4WD real often, but we do get a bit of snow here in the Northwest. I also frequently visit the mountains and beaches. Besides all the benefits of 4WD, I like all the buttons, knobs, lights, levers, guages, etc. that I can't get

------------------
1997, 2500 Emerald Green, Club Cab, SLT Laramie, Tan Leather, X-Cab, Auto, 3. 54LSD, Tow Package, Camper Package, Banks Stinger Plus, 2" Rancho Suspension Lift, Rancho RS 9000's Shocks, Bushwhacker Fender Flares, 35" BFG Mudders, 16. 5 x 9. 75 Outlaw II Alloys, Jacobs Exhaust Brake, BD Torque-Lock, BD Valve Body, BD Medium Stall Torque Converter, Rhino Liner, Smittybuilt Nerf Bars, K&N Air Filter, Rancho RS 5000 Steering Stabilizer, Air Lift 5000lb. Air Bags, Aero Under Seat Tool Box, Mopar Bug Deflector, Emerald Green Century Fiberglas Cap.

 

[Archive]

2 Trucks that's what we all need. In answer to "Bmann", tell the wife you need 2 and buy her something else.

Really I'm getting ready to order a 2001 2500 and it will be 4x4, mainly because I live in NC mountains, back up a dirt road almost 2 miles from nearest State Maintained road. I also need in fields on wet days. Guess it just depends on Driving habits. I was going to get a 3500 and almost think I need a dually to pull around the Antique Dodge Trucks I have. But thought I'd wait until next new body style change in 2002 and get maybe something bigger if Dodge will build it. (4500 or 5500) This truck would probably not be 4x4, since I'd only use it to haul 5th wheel on the roads to shows etc. Then again I'd still have my 2001 2500 for those 4x4 needs.

Stopping by dealer again this week to see when 2001 orders can be placed!!

Nollie
North Carolina

future 2001 4x4 2500 6spd SWB-QC, loaded!!

 

[Archive]

I have over 3600 miles on the new 3500 4x2. Mileage has been as high as 18. 3 mpg. The new Mag-Hytec cover and Leer Signature Camper Shell look NICE.
The truck is all I exspected.
My friend Jerry is still waiting on his 4x4. It's due this week.
I just changed the engine oil to Mobil Delvac 1 this weekend. I'm looking at the Lubracation Engineers 8800 engine oil as the specs are better than the Mobil Delvac One and Amsoil.
The only thing I don't like is the performance of the Goodyear 235x85R16 AP Wrangler tires. LOTS of side wall flex.
I might have too take a close look at Rickson 19. 5" rims and tires.

For me the 4x2 still seems to be the best choice.

3900 miles.

------------------
2000 3500 Quad Cab, SLT+, LSD, 4x2 Auto, 3. 54, Camper Option, Trailer Option, Sports Option, Sliding Rear Window, BLACK. With Power Bolt Tailgate Lock, Dodge Sill Guards, Mag-Hytec Rear End Cover, Leer Camper Shell.

 

[Archive]

I waiting several years to be able to afford this RAM. Moving from an anemic Suburban, that even in 4x4 could not save a tidal stranded friends vehicle, to this has been night and day for power and traction.

This has posi which without 4x4 is a problem since the rear end goes wacko on a regular basis (on lawns, dirt roads, wet roads, etc).

I live on a dirt road and without 4x4 I'd have to go back to the wife's suburban due to the weight of the Cummins and the effect of the posi.

I'd tell you my mileage but the damn fuel gauge is still skitso. . I know it is far better than that #%#@!!350 in the chevy.

Either way you will love the Ram...

------------------
99QC 2500 SB 4x4 5spd most options except seat upgrades, thermostat controlled AC cab&engine heaters

 

[Archive]

Another "Why I like 4 X 4" story

I live on the Oregon coast. This is NOT snow country. A rare real cold morning in Jan may see a light frost on the windshield. But last fall enroute to Eugene crossing the coast range through an about 1000' pass it suddenly started to snow and trafic came to a stop. When they finally got traffic moving, with the 11,000 pound fiver on and in two wheel drive, it just sat and spun. Slipped it into 4wheel and drove on watching the rig behind going sideways in the highway.
I typically get 21. 5 mpg running empty.

This was not a situation where you would at all expect snow, but its nice to have the insurance.

I don't use the 4 X 4 to go wild places back country but I travel there a lot and again the insurance of the 4wheel is nice when you need it to get back to the road.


Vaughn

 

[Archive]

Hey Nollie!!! Instead of two trucks, why not two wives??? #1 could be the cute homebody (stay home with the kids n cook n clean), #2 could be like "Stands with a Fist" from Dances with Wolves... . change the oil in the Cummins, help you pack out the deer, etc etc etc... .

4x4 is the only way to go if you do anything outdoors... . I would NEVER own another 2x4 truck, EVER. This Ram went places this last hunting season I never dreamed of (limited slip rear). When the ice and snow fly here in Oregon, you gotta have it.

4x4 4 EVER

------------------
Dave B.

 

[Archive]

Hey yo, guys please... stop talking about all these wonderful 4x4 benefits. I'm still stuck with my damn 4x2. Give a member a break!