LSD or 4WD or both?

[MojaveJoe]

OK... my first brother-in-law with his 2000 CTD LSD dually is telling me I should reconsider buying a CTD 4WD SRW. His position is that the 4WD front end is maintenance intensive. Steering linkage wears out, extra moving parts, lower mileage etc etc. My second brother-in-law has already replaced some steering linkage in his 4WD front end on his 2000 CTD short bed. :--)



Wondering if you guys with LSD or 4WD or both would share you're experiences with 4WD problems needing attention down the road. Mileage drawbacks etc.



If Im going to tow a 12,000 5er (seldom in snow) with a SRW HO 48RE with LSD, will I wish down the road that I had got the 4WD also?



All input appreciated and considered. Almost time to order, so this is a biggie to resolve now.



Thanx, Joe

 

[WadePatton]

Well, I really had to search to find my 4X2 LSD. It's 500# lighter than a 4x4 and yes has much less stuff to maintain/wear out. I'm real happy about that.



That being said, I've gotten it stuck four times already (just less than a year with it). It just doesn't go as good in the fields as my old 1/2-ton. Main reason is that heavy CTD up front. Secondary reasons are the highway treads and stiffer suspension.



Snow and ice -no problem- just load that bed with ballast. Off road -better be dry.



So now I'd like to have a 2nd CTD in 4x4 version--you know a farm truck with big hairy tires and stacks and p7100-all that neat stuff--well, one of these days! BUT for 99% of my gettin around the 2WD LSD is jest fine.

 

[klenger]

Having owned a bunch of 4WD vehicles over the years, the only thing more maintenance intensive is fluid changes on the front axle and transfer case. They seldom break.



I would recomend the LSD reragdless.





The advantages of the a 2WD are apealing to me, especially now that I live in Tucson.

 

[livetodrive]

Dear Joe,



Sounds like you've decided on limited slip. Wise choice, IMHO.



4x4 does add cost and complexity. Whether or not it's worth it depends upon your needs. With the fifth wheel lashed up, you probably have plenty of weight on the drive axle, so I'd expect 2WD to be adequate in most conditions. In slippery conditions without the trailer, you may wish for 4WD.



My 2003 QC 4x4 Dually, about empty with driver on, puts almost 5,000 lbs on the steer axle and barely 3,300 lbs on the drive axle. Wouldn't want to get that caught in the mud or snow without 4WD. (Even with limited slip and 4WD, I was unable to climb a muddy ~50% grade, but had no problem with it dry. ) Of course, the 2WD truck would have a bit less weight up front, thus a better balance between front and rear.



My $. 02



You'll love the 3rd gen truck!



Alan.



P. S. You might also want to check clearance between the front of your fiver and the bed rails on a 4x4. 2WD truck seems much lower at the rear.

 

[slo-ryde]

Yep, it all boils down to where your truck is going to be spending most of it's time.



On my first camping trip to northeast Nevada I came real close to getting stuck big time on a road way out in the middle of nowhere. I'm tooling along (too fast) and hit some deep sand with the consistency of talcum powder. Before I knew it the front wheels were sinking into this stuff. With no weight in the rear of the truck it looked like I was going to be hiking more miles than I've hiked since being in the military. When I tried backing up the rear axle would start hopping and making all kinds of racket, but mostly it was sinking into the sand too. I finally dropped the tire pressure down to 20 psi and moved all my gear to the rear of the bed. I was able to slowly rock the truck and back out to firm ground. I was never so happy in my life to get the truck out of there.



That being said, I bought my truck to pull a travel trailer. I've owned 4x4 trucks before and they spent 99. 99% of the time on solid ground. It's a lot of hardware to be dragging around 100% of the time. I test drove a 4x4 HO LWB, the weight difference was very noticeable. I'm very happy with my 2WD truck, with the LSD it goes off-road okay. I just have to think things through more, and that's a good thing.

 

[RustyJC]

I've been towing 5th wheels with 2WD Ram 3500 duallies since 1996. Our 1996 3500 was a "peg-leg" (no LSD). Our current 2002 has the LSD. In 7 years, I've never stuck either - that includes 2 years living in Ohio (96-97) where I drove the peg-leg dually back and forth to work during the winter - just gotta know where and how much ballast to put in the back!



Rusty

 

[me4osu]

Like Slo-Ride says, it all depends on where you will be driving. If you are always on the pavement pulling your portable house, you probably don't need 4WD.



Most of my trailer pulling starts and ends without pavement. I drag livestock trailers and hay vans for personal use. Also, I'll pull flatbeds with compressor parts weighing usually 11,000 - 12,000 lbs at work. Can't be done, where I live and work, without 4WD.

 

[dresslered]

I rarely use the 4WD in Kalifornia but I am glad that it is there when I do need it. I have found that my slide-in has to be on its tip toes to load it because of the added height. Just being able to add the 2LO kit for moving around any camper or trailer justifies having it IMHO.

 

[Dean Upson]

Both



Dean

 

[Sregorb]

Had to help someone from work move one Sat. It was raining enough to make the grass/weeds/dirt/clay soaked in the backyard. I drove back to hook up the trailer and would've been stuck completely on the ice-rink-like wet clay IN MY OWN BACKYARD if it hadn't been for the 4WD option. Worse thing is I stuck it in 2WD twice (leaving and returning) on that snot surface. Just a move of the lever and no worries at all, pulling with all the Cummins weight on the front is reassuring. I'll ALWAYS have the 4WD option with LSD or lockers. I'm convinced because of that time if no others.....



Brian

 

[JWhitcomb]

I have never owned 4WD before this one and after thirty years of chaining up in the Sierras I wanted it. Within three months I encountered my first need. We were fishing and went to bed with no snow and woke up to two feet. Our 5,000 # camper and 4WD allowed us to drive sixteen miles in un tracked snow over a pass to plowed roads. Without it we would have been stuck for two or three days and very unhappy campers. Since then I have made good use of it on roads and ice covered boat ramps and while I don't have 2LO, granny 4WD sure makes backing into twisty places nice. If you think you will encounter the need, get it.

 

[MojaveJoe]

Almost sold on both...

OK Iam almost sold on both LSD and 4WD, like I originally planned.



But what is this "2LO" you are talking about?



I always considered the low range of the transfer case to be low enough for any job. But if I can't unlock my hubs, and get only low range on rear tires, what do I do on pavement? Like very heavy load up a steep drivway? Will the drivetrain lockup if I turn on pavement in 4WD?

Has this problem been engineered away yet?



Thanks for all you input guys, and keep it coming.

Almost convinced to go both ways. Oo.

 

[Dean Upson]

what is this "2LO" you are talking about?

There are four positions in the transfer case 4wd high, 4wd low, 2wd high and neutral. There is no 2 wd low (lo) range position.



Dean

 

[MojaveJoe]

That's true... but David Dressler above said:



"Just being able to add the 2LO kit for moving around any camper or trailer justifies having it IMHO. "



Is he talking about an aftermarket kit that allows for 2LO range operation?

 

[Dean Upson]

I have a 4. 10 LS axle and a 6 speed, when I'm in 1st gear I creep pretty slow. If I ever had a dire need to use low range, I would use 4wd.



Dean

 

[JWhitcomb]

2LO is a system that allows you to get all the creep benefits of 4LO without the hassle of the front wheels binding up. Not for any kind of off road traction or such but if you need to jockey a big load around real slow it sure helps. I just do that now and then and not for any distance so I just use 4LO but things do bind up. Around $100.

 

[RBSOB]

2LO

2WD Lo is a simple aftermarket addition or DIY project which allows shifting the transfer case into LO Range without activating the front axel {a vacuum disconnect}. Very handy for heavy haulers jockeying around on pavement. You do not want to be in 4WD on dry pavement and acute steering angles, like trailer backing! Jim G.

 

[dresslered]

Thanks guys for answering. Joe, I had sent you a PM with the explanation.





Re: 2LO Kit

Joe-

The kit I have is made by BD. However, there are other kits also available (if you do a search you should find lots of info). The 2LO kit allows the front axle to be disconnected when shifting into 4WD LO (thus resulting in a 2WD LO setting). This allows you to take advantage of the low gears without being in 4WD. As you probably know, it is not good to drive on hard surfaces with the 4WD engaged (otherwise the tires will bind and it will be extremely hard on the drivetrain--forgive me if you already know this!), however, for moving a camper around, the extra low gears are a must. I have to back up my 5000-lb slide-in backwards up a very steep driveway dodging very large trees and it is nice being able to creep upward at a very low speed. Others with large 5th wheels or Travel Trailers also claim the convenience of the low gears for driving around campgrounds.



The reason that the factory doesn't give you this option is that you now have a tremendous amount of torque going to a single axle (rather than devided between the front and the back). Just be careful with it and you'll be just fine (i. e. don't pop the clutch). The kit sells for around $70 depending on which brand you go with and is merely a vacuum disconnect. Good luck with your purchase,



David



P. S. I also have the LSD

 

[Thomas]

Will these 2-LO options work with the model year 2004 Ram that Joe is considering?

 

[WadePatton]

Remember the good ol' days?

Two-Low is very easy on the good ole manual hubs-- Don't get out and lock the hubs.



The problem came about when auto locking hubs became the standard.



If I had 4x4, you'd better believe I'd have a "2-low" kit.