10 years of 2WD

[Hoginedgewood]

My last 2 trucks I couldn't justify 4wd, finally got tired of putting weight in the bed for snow, last weeks snow and ice sure made me appreciate 4wd. 

[Diamond817]

Living in the North East, I couldn't imagine owning a Pickup or SUV that was 2wd. I could get away with a FWD SUV, but it would make no sense to do so. I had plenty of 2wd cars though.

[77xbody]

My last tow vehicle was a 2001 suburban 2wd 2500 that I used for 14 years but when it snowed it stayed in the driveway.I did have an AWD that my wife drove but I would never go without 4wd again living in the Northeast. 

[nards444]

On 12/30/2022 at 7:29 AM, Diamond817 said:

Living in the North East, I couldn't imagine owning a Pickup or SUV that was 2wd. I could get away with a FWD SUV, but it would make no sense to do so. I had plenty of 2wd cars though.

 

living in a state with snow me neither.  My grandfather for years was a 2wd drive guy.  But he spent 1000 bucks for snow tires and year in year out took the truck in to swap out snow to summer tires and put weight in the back.  Always made us laugh

[Tom Witnauer]

On 1/4/2023 at 6:50 AM, nards444 said:

 

living in a state with snow me neither.  My grandfather for years was a 2wd drive guy.  But he spent 1000 bucks for snow tires and year in year out took the truck in to swap out snow to summer tires and put weight in the back.  Always made us laugh

I run snow tires on our 4WD and AWD vehicles.  It isn't to go better, it is to stop and corner better.  Plus, you can only wear out one set of tires at a time.  I just replaced the snow tires on our one vehicle after 11 winters and about 90,000 over that time period; not sure how many of those were on the snow tires.  Point being, if you keep the vehicle for more than a few years, the tires can last a long time, plus it keeps your summer tires around longer as well.  

 

That said, I have quite successfully driven 2WD trucks in the winter.  With studs and weight in the bed, they are quite capable.  However, I much prefer 4WD as it is that much better, though without the studs and weight in the bed, they are not as good in 2WD as the ones that were set up that way.

[Grumpy Bear]

My last 2RWD was an 89 Mustang 5.0. On factory rubber it was a shuffleboard puck. With a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks' on it, a Sherman Tank. No weight required. Northern Illinois. 

 

Dad had one of these equipped with a Detroit Locker. A few pig iron ingots in the trunk and chains and/or studded snows and he was pulling 4WD Power Wagons out of ditches. 

 

 

Three of our rides are FWD. One RWD and an AWD. All of them have All Season tires. I don't really have a preference. I have a plan for each of them. 

[KARNUT]

My father worked in the forest all his life. Had a large site prep business in New Jersey later a clearing business in Texas. He hated 4WDs. Later his second to last truck was a 4x4. A 97 Ford lariat diesel. After 3 days he came to the shop and said to me trade me your 95 V-10 Ram or I’ll burn the Ford. He always said you have tractors if you got stuck. A 4wd just makes you take chances you shouldn’t take. That was my last new 4x4.

[customboss]

On our 210 acre farm in Indiana we didn't have the resources to buy a 4WD. We had a 53'DC case tractor that made up for mistakes as your Pop mentioned. We chained everything up, even the tractor, if it wasn't cheapo retread studded snow tires. 68 Ford Country Squire wagon with chains or studded retread snow tires.  End of season I picked the studs out for summer quiet driving. We didn't have AC in a car or in the house until 1973.  All our trucks burned oil and were old. Only V8 was a 239 Flathead Ford rest 6 poppers. We didn't get stuck much and our driveway was 9/10 of a mile long and not very well maintained because ( lack of resources).  We did fine. 

[nards444]

21 hours ago, Tom Witnauer said:

I run snow tires on our 4WD and AWD vehicles.  It isn't to go better, it is to stop and corner better.  Plus, you can only wear out one set of tires at a time.  I just replaced the snow tires on our one vehicle after 11 winters and about 90,000 over that time period; not sure how many of those were on the snow tires.  Point being, if you keep the vehicle for more than a few years, the tires can last a long time, plus it keeps your summer tires around longer as well.  

 

That said, I have quite successfully driven 2WD trucks in the winter.  With studs and weight in the bed, they are quite capable.  However, I much prefer 4WD as it is that much better, though without the studs and weight in the bed, they are not as good in 2WD as the ones that were set up that way.

 

My point was he spent more money and effort on snow tires then just getting the 4wd.  A 4wd with average truck tires is always better then a 2wd with snow tires.  And I wouldnt be playing around with tired past 5-6 years either.  rubber rots regardless if you use it or not

[diyer2]

The road to our house can be a challenge in winter for 2WD or FWD. 4X4 truck and AWD SUV, our daily driver is my way to fly. Until we leave the mountains,this will be the norm.

[Grumpy Bear]

25 minutes ago, nards444 said:

A 4wd with average truck tires is always better than a 2wd with snow tires.

 

21 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

Dad had one of these equipped with a Detroit Locker. A few pig iron ingots in the trunk and chains and/or studded snows and he was pulling 4WD Power Wagons out of ditches. 

 

 

21 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

My last 2RWD was an 89 Mustang 5.0. On factory rubber it was a shuffleboard puck. With a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks' on it, a Sherman Tank. No weight required. Northern Illinois. 

 

Think I'll disagree. 

 

22 hours ago, Tom Witnauer said:

I run snow tires on our 4WD and AWD vehicles.  It isn't to go better; it is to stop and corner better.

 

 

^^^^^

This

 

To go better is the reason dad was pulling power wagons out of the ditches.

 

Once your foot is off the gas those tires don't know anything but the contact patch they sit on. 

Edited January 24, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[SILVER SLED]

I'm on the outer edge of this, but when I was a kid in the 70's (graduated in 85) 99% of the people drove rear drive cars, and people still got around.   There were not many if any front drive cars, in the American made car area and not many 4wd vehicles either. 

[Grumpy Bear]

12 hours ago, SILVER SLED said:

I'm on the outer edge of this, but when I was a kid in the 70's (graduated in 85) 99% of the people drove rear drive cars, and people still got around.   There were not many if any front drive cars, in the American made car area and not many 4wd vehicles either. 

 

Lee Iaccoca made FWD popular in the 80's with the resurrection of Chrysler. He spun a story of half-truth about traction of FWD in snow. Like mice to the Pied Piper, they all followed. 

 

[customboss]

2 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

 

Lee Iaccoca made FWD popular in the 80's with the resurrection of Chrysler. He spun a story of half-truth about traction of FWD in snow. Like mice to the Pied Piper, they all followed. 

 

$$$$$$$$ where corporatocracy wins because ill informed citizens  vote for politicians that side with monopoly or corporate power.  FWD  cheaper and is easier to build to maximize profit. If the US was a more perfect capitalist society balanced against unfair leverage to corporations vs the citizen and society as a whole the best would be built, not the most profitable. 

 

 

[KARNUT]

Whenever I make a purchase I always have the option of the best or an alternative. Sometimes it’s not a matter of price. Sometimes it style. That is the definition of capitalism. You’re suggesting is socialism. There are protections within our government to protect the citizens. With the internet all it takes is research. Morality is disappearing in our society. There’s only one way to get it back. It ain’t the government.