I have owned my last 2 wheel drive pickup

[RSKY]

Got stuck in the yard of the 100+ year old house my youngest is redoing. Wife and I were supposed to load aluminum siding that had come off the house to take to a recycling place. Truck is a 2014 Ford F150 with the towing package. I love it for driving, towing, and hauling stuff. But it can get stuck on wet grass. Tires have street tread and 43,000 miles on them and that didn't help. My Kioti was ten miles away. Nobody nearby was at home. Finally got hold of a friend who is a retired college professor/preacher/business owner. He has some heart issues and it scared me to call him. He pulled me out with a RAM 4wd. Never spun a tire.

I will be hearing about this for years.

RSKY

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Probably the worst vehicle for traction in slick conditions is a unloaded or lightly loaded long box two wheel drive pickup.

 

[arizona98tj]

I have an '02 Ford Ranger that can get stuck way too easily. It and snow do not get along very well to say the least. Since it only has 95K miles on it, I'm not sure how much longer I'll have to keep it before I get rid of it.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

You just need a couple of CO-OP Grip Spurs or some Gateway Gumbo Monster Mud tires on the back. Do you have a posi unit in rear? Those really help. Some are pretty easy to install without adjusting ring and pinion. I have seen lockers put in the rear and they didn't need 4x4 anymore.

 

[DK35vince]

I've owned pickup trucks the past 40+ years.
Never owned a 2 wd truck and never will.

 

[jyoutz]

I recall having 2wd trucks for years and installing tire chains every winter storm. After getting my first 4wd truck, I vowed to never own another 2wd. Never have since.

 

[jaxs]

If the truck is low milage,you like it and are on a budget I suggest installing a locker to see how you like it. I've driven out countless times when a couple of guys stood on rear bumper.

 

[dirttoys]

I hear ya, nothing more frustrating, yup you can add weight, yup lockers help, real mud tires will make a difference......... or you could turn a switch and drive out.

Both my half tons are 4wd.
I have a ton and a quarter dually, 2wd. literally you can get stuck going down hill on a grassy spot where a cow peed. If the darn things weren't 100k I would have a 4wd, for now if I take it off pavement I have an x or a tractor that I can move it with, with no help. It may get more low level linguistics than any other piece of gear on the place.

Best,

ed

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

literally you can get stuck going down hill on a grassy spot where a cow peed.

LOL. Driving a dump truck with a 4 axle trailer, dumped off spoils from a job moving out toward the access road at about 5 mph and just stopped on level or slight downhill, wheels spinning like I was on wet ice. Lifted the truck box all the way up, unlocked the reach so the trailer didn't drag on me and still couldn't move. I had to call the pit operator on the CB to bring a loader up and pull me out. Greasiest stuff I ever saw.

 

[Wagtail]

I've owned a '07 2wd Toyota HILUX 6cyl and it's done everything I've asked of it. The only time I've been stuck is in extremely slippery mud that I knew I was taking a chance in. I carry a tow rope that, up 'til then, had only been used to help other vehicles out of 'situations'.

There are plus and minus needs to have a 4wd and 4wd is really only needed in certain situations. Tractors, of course, are different as you're usually (could be) going onto situations where 4wd is needed.

Fuel economy-wise, 2wd is the better bet. Mind you, I don't have to deal with Winter/icy conditions, nor do I need to go 'off road'.

 

[Jstpssng]

I said the same thing about 30 years ago, when I lost the drive shaft in my 4WD Ranger and was going W/O. I walked 5 miles that night to find somebody who could pull me out.

 

[RjCorazza]

My Dad had a 2wd C30 years ago, and it was terrible on anything but dry pavement.
I've owned 4wd trucks my whole life, currently a F250 4wd with a factory rear locker. Locking the rear is a huge plus in the rare situation I've used it.
I keep a set of temporary traction blocks in my truck, wife, and daughter's cars.

 

[Thomas]

Had number 2wd pickup ran winter tires except for the summer months,just in case toolbox had come along with chains.

 

[oosik]

We came down from Alaska with a brand new '82 2WD Chevy - 3/4 ton. I fought the mud/snow for two years here. Traded it off for a Ford 4WD. Should have gone with a 4WD when I bought the Chevy. Have never owned another 2WD.

 

[Sigarms]

I've got a '98 4x4 toyota. Keep it for around the house as lucky enough I don't have anything to heavy as when I got to cart the F mower without the deck, is taxing the 6 cylinder. My next truck will be 4x4 as well.

Now I'm going to throw something out there, so flame away LOL

I remember in Idaho paddling with a "local" who had a two wheel drive pick up. I asked him if he used the same pick up in winter. He said yes. I asked him how he did it with some of the harsh winters they get. He told me he always had chains and weight, and used his brain. I had a chevy S10 2 wheel drive truck when living in Syracuse, and I never got stuck (ended up cracking the frame on the Mattydale (sp?) bridge over black ice, but that got 13 other vehicles that day including a large 4x4.

Over the last 20 years in "dry" NC, I probably see more 4X4 trucks stuck in a ditch during the wintertime (when we actually get it LOL) than anything else. I still remember driving my Toyota in a snow storm using all 4 wheels driving about 50MPH "taking my time" and another newer toyota passing me out doing about 65 MPH. I thought to myself I must be getting old driving slower. Sure enough, up around the corner, there was that same Toyota stuck one the side of the road in the snow. Go figure.

When I lived in WV and had another Toyota, on 68 right around cooper's rock, there always seemed to be a 4x4 stuck at the bottom of the hill because they were driving too fast for the weather conditions.

Guess my point is what is more important than 4X4 is using your brain

My boss is allowing me to buy a new pick up truck for work instead having to keep using my company car. No qualms with it being 2 wheel drive. That said, whenever my current toyota dies, next truck will be 4X4. Where it's parked at know under the shed, with the slight incline leaving the shed, early in the morning with wet grass, sometimes I can't get out without using 4X4

 

[Hay Dude]

Lockers help, but no way will equal 4WD. When you lock your rear differential, have you ever noticed the tendency for it to “screw” sideways? On ice or packed snow, it multiplies the effect. The rear end of your truck can sling sideways pretty suddenly.
4WD pulls much more predictably in a straight line and offers a set of wheels 15’ ahead of the other pair which gives them the chance to be on a better traction surface than just one axle.
I never bought the line from some who say a posi rear can go just as far as 4wd.
Now if you put chains and weight on back, that narrows the gap between 2wd & 4wd, especially on ice. But who wants to deal with chains on & off every year?

More people get stuck in 4wd trucks from overconfidence.

 

[Buppies]

No flame here agree totally. Current truck is ram 2500 4wd with diesel. Slow and easy goes anywhere I want to go

 

[Thomas]

More people get stuck in 4wd trucks from overconfidence.

 

[oosik]

I belonged to a 4WD club when we lived in Alaska. We had a saying - " a 4WD vehicle can get you to places where NOBODY will come to help. Be wise - use your brain".

 

[square1]

2 WD F250 8' bed with Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S tires & LSD.
The 7.3 turbo makes the front end heavy & back end light. I haven't had to use

^^^ this ^^^ yet to unstick the truck, but good to have the option.