2008 F250 4x4 Diesel or V10?

[Heywood Jannockitov]

Gas vs Diesel, and 4wd has been hotly debated at the house. Do we need 4wd?????????

Does anyone not need 4wd? Has anyone ever regretted getting a 4wd pickup instead of 2wd? Also ask yourself, "Do I need Lo-Range?" Comes free with 4wd! Great for getting heavy loads like haywagon, horse trailer out of a field or a heavy boat off of a launch ramp, or pulling your neighbor out of the ditch. Diesel vs V10 gas is less of an issue to me.

 

[Builder]

I have been watching this thread intently, we have been looking for the past year + on the next step up for our landscaping lawncare business. Currently working a F250 with 460 with 2wd AT to death (needs a new rear end as I type, and by goodness it will get Posi this go round, the kids call it the "gettin Stuck" truck............)

Anyway, we have been pretty intently looking, and the last month it has been a daily exercise, the past week has been running all over everywhere looking at "clean" (sometimes I just had to shake my head) trucks.

Gas vs Diesel, and 4wd has been hotly debated at the house. Do we need 4wd?????????

Anyway, found a 99 F350 Lariat 4X4 PS, auto last night for $13800 191000 miles.

Also found the same truck in 2wd chipped aftermarket parts etc with 151000 for $12000

Man, it is a flip a coin, and it comes down to we are going 4wd because the DW wants it, and I must admit, if it shaves a couple big wrecker bills (as it is hard to go get the tractor when you are stuck with the tractor pulling truck in someone's back yard)

About to call the dealer and let him know.

Man I hope I am making the "right" decision, but it is really only in hindsight that we will know.

If you have a truck nicknamed the "gettin stuck" truck, then you definately need 4x4.

 

[Builder]

Does anyone not need 4wd? Has anyone ever regretted getting a 4wd pickup instead of 2wd? Also ask yourself, "Do I need Lo-Range?" Comes free with 4wd! Great for getting heavy loads like haywagon, horse trailer out of a field or a heavy boat off of a launch ramp, or pulling your neighbor out of the ditch. Diesel vs V10 gas is less of an issue to me.

Can't see why you'd need it if you're a hotshotter, OTR hauler, etc.

Remember, there's no snow in the lower half of the USA.

It would be a waste of $3000-$5,000 to someone who would never use it. Then there's the issue of lower fuel economy-at $4.00/gallon, it's a big expense. Then there's also the extra cost of faster tire wear & more front end issues.

It also takes away from load & towing capacity.

Me? I couldn't survive without it. heck even my big dumptruck is 4WD, but I do think there's times when 4WD is just a waste.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

Remember, there's no snow in the lower half of the USA.

Hey, I saw "My Cousin Vinny" They got some real slippery mud down there!

I always wondered why you couldn't get a 2-speed transaxle in a 2wd heavy duty pickup. Surely the lo-range would be handy even if you didn't want/need 4wd and its associated extra weight and driveline components.

At horse shows where the trailers have to park in a lumpy pasture or hayfield, I feel sorry for the guys/girls with the 2wd duallies towing tag-a-long stock trailers. If it rains at all during the show, they aren't going anywhere.

 

[Builder]

Hey, I saw "My Cousin Vinny" They got some real slippery mud down there!

I always wondered why you couldn't get a 2-speed transaxle in a 2wd heavy duty pickup. Surely the lo-range would be handy even if you didn't want/need 4wd and its associated extra weight and driveline components.

At horse shows where the trailers have to park in a lumpy pasture or hayfield, I feel sorry for the guys/girls with the 2wd duallies towing tag-a-long stock trailers. If it rains at all during the show, they aren't going anywhere.

That's what a tow strap is for

The reason the manufacturer won't give you a 2 speed is probably a warranty issue. When you put a truck in 4x2 low range without transferring any power to the front driveshaft & axle, it puts a tremendous torque load on the rear driveshaft & axle since there's so "splitting" of the torque load to the front & rear. I think it might result in a lot of blown rear driveshafts or axles claimed under warranty. Some 4x4 trucks even have a warning on the dash not to engage in lo range unless 4x4 is also engaged.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

The reason the manufacturer won't give you a 2 speed is probably a warranty issue. When you put a truck in 4x2 low range without transferring any power to the front driveshaft & axle,...

I didn't know it was possible to engage low range 2wd on a 4wd pickup. I can't on my Dodge, but what you say makes sense.

 

[Builder]

I didn't know it was possible to engage low range 2wd on a 4wd pickup. I can't on my Dodge, but what you say makes sense.

You can't, unless you install a switch to keep the electronic 4x4 switches from engaging. I've seen a few guys do it on ESOF 4x4's, not the manual shift types.

I'm saying they wouldn't make a 4x2 with a low range because that would put too much torque stress on a 4x2 pickup to back up with a manufacturers warranty, IMO.

 

[chh]

Yes, we don't get much snow here in the lower half of the US, but most of the spring and winter I've got mud. I can't live without 4WD on a p/u. Heck I have MFWD on my cab tractor. A feed truck is next to useless without it. Back when I had manual hubs we used to joke about locking them in in November and unlocking them in April. It is actually very rare for me to use low range though.

 

[Dargo]

Back when I had manual hubs...

Exactly. For basically 50 years most manufacturers did make 4X2 pickups with low range. All you had to do was not get out and twist the manual front locks in. For nearly 20 years of boating, I guarantee you that I put far less stress on transmissions and clutches by using low range when pulling my boats out of the water. Unless the ramp was wet I didn't need four wheel drive, but I sure needed low range!

To agree with another poster, I've absolutely never said "gee, I wish I didn't have four wheel drive", but I've certainly said "I wish this **** truck was 4X4" before!

 

[JiminGa]

To agree with another poster, I've absolutely never said "gee, I wish I didn't have four wheel drive", but I've certainly said "I wish this **** truck was 4X4" before!

this is why I only buy 4x4, I don't need it probably 95% or the time, but that other 5% will really p!55 you off if you don't have it.