EBinMT

I didn't want to hijack a thread about garage space by commenting on the a poster's claim that apparently we need AWD trucks to live up north.

WHAT A CROCK! I live in MT, drive in MT, and hunt in MT. Growing up hunting we never had 4wd. proper weight in the back and snow tires. Never even had to chain up. In 17 years I have needed 4x4 once, but not really because I should have never been there in those conditions and nearly walked home. My father has owned exactly 2 4WD trucks in 67years of Montana winters, only because you cannot find a 2wd full size up here anymore!

AWD is great to help you get going on slick roads but does nothing to help stop. I have seen more near accidents from people with 4WD or AWD being overconfident and sliding through intersections than I have people with just RWD or FWD. I have 4wd not only because there are no 2wd trucks on any lot around but also for the odd occurance my family might need it. better to have it than wish we did. Most people who use their 4WD out here do it only for play and just tear up the roads and prairie and **** off the farmers/ ranchers who then close down their land to hunters.

To say you need AWD over 4WD because of the winters in the north is ridiculous. change "need" with "want" and I would agree with that statement. Slow down, plan ahead, and use your head. those three things are all you really need to handle the roads up here in the winter. People seem to forget that it was not too long ago that 4x4 trucks were a luxury, not the norm.

PS: I worked in MO for a short time laying conduit and had to laugh at the workers there who put the company trucks in 4WD when it rained.

BlueOval5.0

Been debated here more than a few times...

I completely agree with you. Have owned 5 trucks here in NY, all 4x2. It snowed 4-5 inches today, drove my truck conservatively and nobody got hurt.

Local dealers don't stock 4x2's unless they are regular cab XL's and hesitate to even accept an order for them unless they get a hefty deposit up front since they claim they won't be able to sell if you bail.

All that said, I do WANT a 4x4 but don't NEED it. Maybe next truck.

bluefor3

Born and raised in Minnesota---when you have snow drifts as high as your truck--thats on a normal day in the winter--2wd doesn't cut it. You can have all the weight and the best snow tire made and you will get hung up just having 2wd. Yes you can get hung up having 4wd but it is a lot less likely. 4wd saved by behind more times than I can count. 4wd really helps in deep snow--especially when it comes to snow drifts. When you have 2wd you push through the drift but you slow down and eventually lose traction, you got your two front tires touching dry ground but you are stuck. You are stuck because the snow is so deep you have your rear end hung up. Pop it into 4wd and you can pull yourself out. I have done this a lot. I keep my truck in 2wd until I need 4wd. One other note-when you have 4wd or AWD you are putting equal power to the entire vehicle. Your front end has a lot of weight too and when you add those wheels as drive wheels you can go through a hell of a lot more stuff than you ever could in 2wd. Not saying what you did in MT is false, I believe you, just saying for different people 4wd can be a necessity, not just a want. I am defending the necessity portion of your comment.

ftrucktough

I agree with most of your comments. I normally drive around in 2wd in the snow... I only put in 4wd when i need to, like if i need to drive through big drifts in the driveway or back road, or get going on a hill, etc... Otherwise, 2wd.

That said, I'm probably driving faster than most in a lot of cases. I often laugh when i think people in other cars are thinking "look at that crazy guy with his 4wd, doesn't he know he can't stop any faster?!" when they don't realize that I am just in 2wd!

cdnfireman

The difference lies in whether you need to drive in poor weather on poor roads or not.
I worked for a pipeline company here in alberta for several years, in weather that was downright ugly and on roads that were rarely maintained, always on my own and sometimes a hundred miles from help. Based on that experience, I say this:

Anyone that says 2wd is as good as 4wd either is inexperienced or a moron.

Even with chains on, all that weight ahead of the rear axle in a truck that's 2wd is dead weight. In deep snow or mud, the rear axle won't move it. It will either dig a deeper hole, or start to hop and either throw the chain, wreck the tire or bust the differential. Ask me how I know. The first trucks I had were 2wd and the repairs on both of them were several times the cost of adding 4wd to the truck. Even if you get lucky and get some traction, you usually can't steer your way out of trouble.

With a 2wd truck you often have to take a run at things to get through. In a 4wd truck, you can often motor through safely at a much lower speed. And Don't even get me started on sllippery hills!!!

So take it from someone who's been there and done it, not some doofus hick or asphalt cowboy......there's a reason the military, oilfield, seismic, etc all use multi-axle drive.....because 2wd don't cut it!!

EricTheOracle

As a fellow Minnesotan, last year when we had that December storm, in my area we received 21" of snow. Not only did I grill for a dinner party outside (thus my MN cred ) I also drove my 2WD F150 over to pick up my sister and drop her off.

Momentum an good tires and everything is fine.

medicff0879

With the recent 6-8" we had yesterday here in Central PA (the most my Texas born self has ever seen LOL) I was more than happy that I traded for my FX4. I left it in 2wd some of the time just to see how it would do, and I found that it generally did fine. Growing up in Northeast Texas, to have a 4x4 was more of a wanted luxury, and we generally got around with 2wd and weight in the bed just fine during those limited ice/snow/sleeet "events."

I did find that on a decent slop, the 2wd in 8" of unplowed snow just didn't seem to want to keep movin. Spun the tires a bit, backed off, gave up and put it in 4h. I was amazed at how much better 4h did in the snow, as if there was never a traction problem to begin with LOL!!

EBinMT

Let me elaborate. I am not saying that for some of us 4x4 or AWD could not be handy or considered necessary. I have worked in the Bakken oilfield, worked laying fiber optic conduit through the back woods of MO, and helped moved cows in the dead of winter, etc... so I know that 4x4 can come in very handy for some occupations but, lets face it, that is a minority of the residents of the north. this is coming from a guy who lives in the heart of the bakken and rural America. the original statement was that if you live in the north we have to have AWD to get anywhere in the winter.

montanaman

2WD is workable, you just need dedicated snow tires, and a bag of tube sand on each wheel well.

That being said, 4WD is appreciated once in a while, mainly to get going across the intersections, since in Billings they only plow the main streets.

I just got a 2012 Toyota Sienna AWD to replace the wifes car, and I put Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 tires on it, and that thing will practically plow snow - very awesome on snow and ice.

rm -rf

As a fellow Minnesotan, during that same storm my 4wd pickup didn't make it more than 100ft down the street before I got tired of rocking & shoveling, and headed back to the driveway.

Couldn't get momentum, had worn tires.