Stupid reasons you had to use 4WD?

[Z71]

I was goofing around today and had to use 4WD to get myself out of something stupid that I did. and I know that there are others like me out there.

 

>>> Was pulling into a parking space and decided to jump the wheel block. So I eased the front tires over the block and parked the truck while I went inside. When I went to leave, my back tires couldn't get enough traction to pull the front tires back over the wheel block again. And since there was a concrete wall right in front of me, no chance of just going forward and over. So popped the truck into 4wd real quick and got it over no problems.

 

>>> Another time I was leaving a gravel parking lot and was attempting to pull out into the street. The pavement was a bit taller and there was a rut between the gravel parking lot and the street. I put the front tire in the rut and waited for a clear opening in traffic and gave it some gas. The back tires just spun and dug into the gravel, now I couldn't reverse out either. Another quick pop into 4wd and I was gone.

[Truckman031]

My dad got caught in a flower bed in front of our house (next to the driveway) in his old truck and he had to put it in 4WD.

[MCourson]

I wish I had 4WD. I guess I cant do anything stupid or Im SOL.

[Torque Junkie]

We got 3 feet of snow over night one night in March 2002 and my wife (girlfriend at the time) insisted I come pick her up to go play. Everything in town was closed, emergency travel only was issued. So I go out, unbury my truck and bog my way 7 miles to her house, pick her up, bog my way 7 miles back to my house, and by then my dad had got the tractor w/ the snow blower attachment out and cleared most of the 1/4 mile long driveway so I was able to get back up to the house. In hindsight that was really stupid - but it was worth it - :-D

[pacodiablo]

No 4WD here, but I have done some stupid stuff in 2WD where I could have used 4WD.

 

We have a really steep driveway that has a kind of s shape. The driveway was wet and the truck slid off into some plants killing them. When it hit pavement again it just smoked its tires until it got traction again.

[bowtiebob]

Me and my girlfriend at that time were pulling down into a roadside orchard ( to do what teenagers do in orchards at 11PM). I nosed it into an orchard row, decided it was too close to the highway, and went to back up. The combination of light rear end and no traction on the grass made it just spin the tires. Embarrassed, I reach down and pull her into 4 wheel. Now, it always took my truck about 15-20 sec to lock into 4WD, but this time I swear it took a good 10 minutes.....

 

 

 

 

bob

[BDBWTE]

Okay.. Here it goes

 

I go down to my buddies to haul his tractor up to where he bought it to have warranty work done a New Holland TS-90 which is pretty big. He has a 1500 Dodge Pickup with a 318 but really don't like to pull it because it's too hard on his truck...Anyways.

 

So I drag down our CornPro 20'+4' pintle trailer. Becuase of course every goose had to be on a job or borrowed. Anyways back it in off the road down his gravel driveway to his barn. Load it up chain her down and off we go. Well off to the street I go. Go to pull wide so as not to drop the tandems in a ditch. In the process the truck got it's a$$ well into the road until the lowered trailer caught the edge of the road and rendered me stuck. Tried to back up... No go. Had to lock her in 4 lo to get the trailer unstuck. Took every ounce of my truck to get it unstuck. All 4 tires were ripping at the asphalt road.

 

Of course during the time it took to get unstuck there was like 3 cars that had to stop while my truck decided to get unstuck. Pretty embarrassing....

[KS1911]

Just bought a new-to-me '02 Ext-cab z-71 about 2 weeks ago (traded off a 96 2w Ford). Was out for a "hows my new truck ride" with my step son who is 14. He didn't know what 4 wheel drive was and asked me about it. So I explained how it works to him and also how on the "old" 4x4's you had to lock the hubs/shift it in etc. I knew I was losing him on the significance of 4x4, so I said "here, I'll show ya what I mean". So off of the gravel road we go and take to the dirt roads/pastures. After about 45 min and $30 in car wash money, I think he got the idea. (maybe he didn't but the smile on his face was worth it)

 

Now for the stupid'er part, did I mention that this area had just got about 6" of rain a day or two before? And "we were just going out to grab some takeout an we'll be right back"

[elboberino]

This past winter the road by my old apartment was all iced over. At about 2 a.m. or so I hear a bunch of people sledding down the hill so I go out and join them. I then get the idea to pull them behind myy truck with my tow cable. To get up the hill required 4wd. Eventually I got about 10 people to grab onto the cable and slide on their butts or stand up and sllide. It was fun. Went for about a 1/4 mile before everyone fell off. Fun times.

[SilveradoWV]

I have to put it in 4x4 alot in the rain or I cant get going, it will just set there and spin (open diff). There is a couple steep hills at school that I have to stop right at the top on to get on the main road, I have a hard enough time gettin out in the dry but I could set there forever and spin in th rain. It so crowded you just have to dart out in traffic when there is a little opening so if I set there and spin for a bit before I go, it could cause me to get hit which would be bad!

[chevy38fan]

hmm can't think of any stupid times that I HAD to use 4WD, cause I did something STUPID or embarassing. BUT one time I locked it into 4wd (needed it to get out of the sand pit, pulling 2 ATV's) and away we went.. WELL for somereason, some how, the wires to the electronic t-case got ripped. and it was STUCK in 4WD. I had to drive all the way home like that, a good 50 miles.. pulling 2 ATV's. that was fun! not. didn't have any problems with it afterwards though.

[General Lee 01]

Do you have your liscense yet paco or is this stuf you do while supervised. (like me!)

[BIGMoe]

I was playing with a snow windrow along the edge of the street with my 98 Dodge CTD. It was kind of embarrassing I got the 2 right side wheels on the snow and the and couldn't go anymore, when I went to back up I just spun the right reat tire. Needless to say I pulled it into 4X4 and still couldn't move, both right hand wheels just spun. I had to have a pull out with 2 wheels on dry pavement. Sire wish I had a Limited Slip in that Dodge!!!

I made sure my Duramax had one before I got it.

[bigdogs]

My stupid reason was back when I had my Blazer and it still had the 1/2 ton axles, I grenaded the rear pinion gear and used the front wheels to get me home. It even managed to punch a whole through the cover plate. A few weeks later it was upgraded from the DOA 12bolt/Dana 44 combo to a 14bolt 10.5" full floater rear (with a locker)/ Dana 60 with PowerLok front...

[robsawatsky]

Somewhat off-topic, but this is the off-topic forum after all:

 

Way back when in about 1984 or 1985 I had a 75 Honda Civic. This was when all the supposed advantages of FWD traction were being professed. Travelling in winter to my in-laws cabin in the Cariboo region in the interior of BC just after Christmas. Lots and lots of snow. Totally wrong vehicle for this trip. Anyway, while on the last few miles of snow covered gravel road, I slowed down for a corner, down-shifted and promptly spun. Too much engine braking on the front wheels and no traction at the back. Yup, FWD gives good traction on the front all right. Ended up with the rear planted in a snow bank. But of course the FWD pulled us right out with a little push.

 

As an aside. This turned out to be the coldest winter in what I believe was recorded history for the area. At least -45 F. Every vehicle was frozen solid. My battery was ruined. Tried to tow it to start - the tires didn't even turn, they just dragged along the lightly (now plowed) snow covered gravel road. When they did turn a bit, the oil was so thick it forced itself past the oil filter gasket and formed a nice little pyramid on the ground (how's that for viscosity). Took every heating device we could find (tiger torch propane flame heater, dip stick oil heater) to finally get it tow started. Then the throttle was sticking from icing in the carb, fuel filter plugged with ice crystals. Basically destroyed this vehicle.