2wd in the snow - does the traction control help?
10-27-2010, 07:58 AM
#41
Senior Member
Thread Starter
4WD is not just about traction, it is also about steering and control. In 4WD you have more control as the front will be pulling for you and assist in helping you steer the truck. In 2WD especially with limited slip the front will tend to push through corners rather than track.
Sure you can get around in good amount of snow in a 2WD but you will be able to get around more safely and efficiently in a 4WD.
Sure you can get around in good amount of snow in a 2WD but you will be able to get around more safely and efficiently in a 4WD.
I own a 2010 4x4 with 3.73 LSD. Im a firm believer that its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I live in NC so only a few inches in a year but when my wife drives the truck in the snow I wanna feel a little safer knowing she has 4 tires working for her as apposed to 2. Just my .2 cents.
10-27-2010, 10:14 AM
#42
Senior Member
Lots of good points being made in these posts. There are both +'s and -'s to either 4x2 or 4x4. I've owned both, so I'll comment here:
4x4 is most useful for off-roading, either working or playing. You need all four wheels driving in mud/wet grass/sandy conditions. That being said, I've stuck a 4x4 with mudder tires while hauling firewood--once the tire tread fills up with muck, yer pretty much done going anywhere. One of the best things you get with 4x4 is the low range transfer case--very useful when ramping a big boat. That's what I primarily used my F250 for, and once I sold the boat, I had no use for 4x4. For the posters in CO and other mountain areas, you might need your 4x4 a few times a year in the REALLY deep snow, but I'm betting if there's 30" of the white stuff on the road, you ain't going anywhere except back to the liquor cabinet for another glass of Johhny Walker Black in front of the fire...
4x2 with LS rear and good tires will get you most places you need to go, as long as the ground isn't total muck. For most of the country, a snow fall less than 8-10" isn't going to hang up a high clearance vehicle like a truck, especially since the plows will have it down to a slushy layer within an hour or so after snowfall. This is where an investment in winter tires really pays off. Around my area of the midwest (southwest OH) the worst thing we face is the slush and ice, which is downright unpleasant and dangerous even with 4WD.
When I bought my '09 SCab XLT 4x2, I traded my '00 F250 4x4 in because I was tired of the weight, reduced performance/gas mileage, increased maintenance costs, and ride penalty I paid year round for what little benefit I got out of the option once or twice year. I bought a set of 4 studded winter snows and mounted them on OEM steel wheels. The extra traction on all 4 wheels lets me maintain steering and ABS function even in the worst black ice conditions. Definitely the way to go if your state allows them (studs).
There's always gonna be an argument for and against either option. Look carefully at what you plan on using the truck for--towing, commuting, vacations, working--and buy accordingly. My bet is that for most truck buyers, 4x2 with a set of good studded or studless winter tires is the best all-round option.
4x4 is most useful for off-roading, either working or playing. You need all four wheels driving in mud/wet grass/sandy conditions. That being said, I've stuck a 4x4 with mudder tires while hauling firewood--once the tire tread fills up with muck, yer pretty much done going anywhere. One of the best things you get with 4x4 is the low range transfer case--very useful when ramping a big boat. That's what I primarily used my F250 for, and once I sold the boat, I had no use for 4x4. For the posters in CO and other mountain areas, you might need your 4x4 a few times a year in the REALLY deep snow, but I'm betting if there's 30" of the white stuff on the road, you ain't going anywhere except back to the liquor cabinet for another glass of Johhny Walker Black in front of the fire...
4x2 with LS rear and good tires will get you most places you need to go, as long as the ground isn't total muck. For most of the country, a snow fall less than 8-10" isn't going to hang up a high clearance vehicle like a truck, especially since the plows will have it down to a slushy layer within an hour or so after snowfall. This is where an investment in winter tires really pays off. Around my area of the midwest (southwest OH) the worst thing we face is the slush and ice, which is downright unpleasant and dangerous even with 4WD.
When I bought my '09 SCab XLT 4x2, I traded my '00 F250 4x4 in because I was tired of the weight, reduced performance/gas mileage, increased maintenance costs, and ride penalty I paid year round for what little benefit I got out of the option once or twice year. I bought a set of 4 studded winter snows and mounted them on OEM steel wheels. The extra traction on all 4 wheels lets me maintain steering and ABS function even in the worst black ice conditions. Definitely the way to go if your state allows them (studs).
There's always gonna be an argument for and against either option. Look carefully at what you plan on using the truck for--towing, commuting, vacations, working--and buy accordingly. My bet is that for most truck buyers, 4x2 with a set of good studded or studless winter tires is the best all-round option.
10-28-2010, 09:20 PM
#43
Senior Member
4x2 with LS rear and good tires will get you most places you need to go, as long as the ground isn't total muck. For most of the country, a snow fall less than 8-10" isn't going to hang up a high clearance vehicle like a truck, especially since the plows will have it down to a slushy layer within an hour or so after snowfall. This is where an investment in winter tires really pays off. Around my area of the midwest (southwest OH) the worst thing we face is the slush and ice, which is downright unpleasant and dangerous even with 4WD.
I was tired of the weight, reduced performance/gas mileage, increased maintenance costs, and ride penalty I paid year round for what little benefit I got out of the option once or twice year. I bought a set of 4 studded winter snows and mounted them on OEM steel wheels. The extra traction on all 4 wheels lets me maintain steering and ABS function even in the worst black ice conditions. Definitely the way to go if your state allows them (studs).
There's always gonna be an argument for and against either option. Look carefully at what you plan on using the truck for--towing, commuting, vacations, working--and buy accordingly. My bet is that for most truck buyers, 4x2 with a set of good studded or studless winter tires is the best all-round option.
10-28-2010, 10:15 PM
#44
Senior Member
That's why they are called 4WD not 4wheel stop!!
I also run a crazy amount of A/A in inclimate weather due to the security factor that 4WD people think they have in a 4WD!
Tires are key but so are driver skill.
I also run a crazy amount of A/A in inclimate weather due to the security factor that 4WD people think they have in a 4WD!
Tires are key but so are driver skill.
10-29-2010, 12:17 PM
#46
Ford/Mazda Parts guy
I look at it this way.......Learn how to drive and you won't have issues with 2wd.
After owning a 450whp Camaro with no electronic nannies and driving it in KS winters. Tires make all the difference in the world, and if you have issues steering, you can aim the front end with the throttle.
After owning a 450whp Camaro with no electronic nannies and driving it in KS winters. Tires make all the difference in the world, and if you have issues steering, you can aim the front end with the throttle.
10-29-2010, 02:31 PM
#47
Senior Member
Thanks for pointing out the obvious manic, I guess sarcasm doesnt translate well though typing.
What I mean is that 4wd will get you moving and going but when you stop if you lose traction it doesnt matter if you have 4wd or not as you will slide out of control hence the reason us in the Fire service see so many SUV/trucks in ditches or wrecked during bad weather. It is a term used around my Fire deparment.
Also all 4 wheels will pull as long as all have equal traction so it is 4wd, when adding a locker or LS or spool or welding up the spider gears then you get TRUE 4wd so all tires will pull regardless of the traction each one has.
What I mean is that 4wd will get you moving and going but when you stop if you lose traction it doesnt matter if you have 4wd or not as you will slide out of control hence the reason us in the Fire service see so many SUV/trucks in ditches or wrecked during bad weather. It is a term used around my Fire deparment.
Also all 4 wheels will pull as long as all have equal traction so it is 4wd, when adding a locker or LS or spool or welding up the spider gears then you get TRUE 4wd so all tires will pull regardless of the traction each one has.
10-29-2010, 05:38 PM
#48
Senior Member
1. Everybody in Colorado drives a 4WD
2. Colorado 2WD stay at home when it snows
3. Drivers of 4WD's get overconfident.
My personal favorite explanation is #3; that 4WD drivers think their vehicle is glued to the road, even in the worst weather and road conditions.
One word. OVERCONFIDENCE!
4WD does not make up for lack of driving skills. The reason for 4WD is mostly for off-road. Unless you are pushing a snow plow, 4WD isn't going to help much on the paved roads.
Maybe I'm wrong. I'm just a "flatlander". What do I know?
10-30-2010, 09:53 PM
#49
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I've got a 2010 F-150 Lariat 2wd with 20s. Last Christmas Eve we got socked with a freak blizzard that dropped 8-10 of snow in North TX. I took the truck out for a test on the snow and it did supremely. Granted, I stopped playing around once the snow got about 6 inches deep and took it back home to garage it before we got in over our heads. But the traction control worked wonders. I tried breaking it loose and couldn't.
My father-in-law put snow chains on his 2wd Tacoma (not advised on the F-150 per the owner's manual) and was able to go everywhere. 4x4s littered the highway because it gave them a false sense of confidence. The traction control helps -- but the driving keeps you safe.
My father-in-law put snow chains on his 2wd Tacoma (not advised on the F-150 per the owner's manual) and was able to go everywhere. 4x4s littered the highway because it gave them a false sense of confidence. The traction control helps -- but the driving keeps you safe.
11-24-2010, 10:07 PM
#50
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I have a nice old 92 F150, 2 wheel drive. I vowed last year I was going to get a 4 wheel. Well, I still have the 2 and decided I would put some weight in it and buy some new studded snow tires. I just did that today so have no report on the difference yet but do know, last year, it was totally helpless. I put in 420 pounds of sand bags and have a fiberglass topper. My question is relative to the sand bags. I see lots of people say to put them directly over the rear axles but wouldn't it be just as good laying in the back of the bed??