2wd Offroad Package

[sgtsandman]

If they don’t off road, they could get away with a regular 4X4 and unlimited slip differentials. Assuming they have decent tires. I’ve done it for years. They gotta be tires that are good in the snow though. Just any old all season or all terrain tire is going to cut it.

 

[sgtsandman]

Well no, you need the stickers. People don't see shocks and skid plates but they see stickers.

Stickers add prestige, looks, and horsepower. Gotta have the stickers! Ask a ricer, they will tell you!

 

[racsan]

good tires, proper weight ballasting and driving skills. Yes 4wd is awesome in the snow, but youre still not stopping any better. even a open differential 2wd with winter tires and the proper weight in the back can get through a lot of snow.

 

[19Walt93]

We used to sell so few 2wd trucks that we didn't stock any, other than companies looking for low buck delivery trucks nobody wanted them. It's possible to drive a 2wd in the snow if you really want to but you'll lose more money at trade in than upgrading to 4x4 would have cost you. I would assume an "offroad" 2wd package would be cheaper than a 4x4, what's in it- a cell phone, a chain and a come along?

 

[Dsetz]

I'm remembering babying my 2wd shortbox through the snow at 17, taking my girlfriend home.
Super slow, as high a gear as I can sustain, no brakes, trying to cross the flat Madison River bridge. Not my first rodeo. Decent tires, weight in the back.
Boom the butt end of the truck is now passing us.
I do nothing to correct it(too late) as its headed to the side of the road that isn't river(no guard rails on the river side....way to go MT...), which I'm quite happy about.

Manage to shoot through a 10 foot gap of no guard rail, slip on down a 30 ft. hill, over a ditch, through a fence and come to a stop between two sloughs.
I maintained a maniac laugh the whole ride while GF screamed her head off.
If we had gone in the river we would prob both be dead.

Long story short, believing a 2wd is as capable as a 4wd can quickly become a fatal error no matter your driving skill.

And I call BS on a 2wd stopping as fast as a 4wd. 4wd have bigger brakes, can downshift power through the front diff without squirting off the road, and maintain more traction while trying to come to a halt. Which means the truck goes where you want it to better.
Its apples and oranges.

 

[fastpakr]

And I call BS on a 2wd stopping as fast as a 4wd. 4wd have bigger brakes, can downshift power through the front diff without squirting off the road, and maintain more traction while trying to come to a halt. Which means the truck goes where you want it to better.
Its apples and oranges.

Bigger brakes and front differentials have no meaning when your tires are the limiting factor as they slide over the snow.

 

[racsan]

same truck setup (such as reg cab shortbed) the 4wd will weigh more, 4300 pounds will take more to get stopped than 4000 pounds.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have heard it said that rwd's can be funnier to stop in slick conditions because the rear brakes have to overcome the rotating mass of the powertrain, so the fronts come on harder. FWD is ideally better because the rear brakes will come on harder at first and helps keep the car from spinning. 4wd is kind of meh because the front brakes being more biased are trying to stop both ends at the same speed.

In today's world with ABS it is all arbitrary anyway from a braking standpoint.

Weight is a double edge sword, it causes more momentum (harder to stop) but also increases traction which helps with stopping. It is going to help/hurt in various conditions. Stopsign 1 in snow is going to help, stopsign 2 on ice it is going to hurt, it isn't cut and dry that way.

 

[Dsetz]

Here a 2wd just doesn't cut it year round unless you have a suburban job. Minimum elevation 4k. Lots of folks go up 8-10k elevation daily to work. Last snow was July 1 and its getting ready to snow again fml haha.

I can't disagree that tires can be a limiting factor, but if your driving so fast in snow that your tires and brakes can't overcome inertia then you are already asking for it regardless of the platform.
Typically you CAN downshift and gain a bite here and there if your driving a safe speed.

And yes a 4wd weighs more, but in identical setups it has a lower center of gravity and I can't hardly believe that larger brakes and the ability to distribute 50% of your engine torque to the front differential won't easily overcome that weight difference.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

And yes a 4wd weighs more, but in identical setups it has a lower center of gravity and I can't hardly believe that larger brakes and the ability to distribute 50% of your engine torque to the front differential won't easily overcome that weight difference.

Usually brakes are pretty similar in size.

 

[Dsetz]

Regardless of physics, to me its kind of like buying the non-turbo option. It only costs a tiny bit more, but if you don't get it, you'll never achieve the performance at a comparable price point.
I understand not everyone needs it, good on them. Posers. Sorry lmao I spend enough time on dirt roads that I can see the value of the off road package for that.
Same as a heater. Why buy that option if you live in Florida?

Sorry, story time
Had my Prius at 11k elevation in Wyoming last summer. Thought that pass looks cool. Lets take it. Get to the top, think that 20 mile long 10% grade descent looks cool, lets take it. As the descent begins so does an ungodly thunderstorm and suddenly there is 4" of snow hail and its not slowing down.
No turning around, must continue down.
Fwd brakes were beyond useless. Even the slightest touch started a slide, even tho it has amazing incremental pedal control. Just kept speeding up, white chuckling near 40 mph on a 10%.
Got it stopped on the entry to a run away ramp.
For the 1st time ever I find use in the engine braking mode. Carries us down through 2 miles of snow under 30 mph.
Should have seen the looks on the owners of the big Ford and snow plow as they pass us heading uphill.

Actually can't wait to go back! Wyoming has the craziest passes.

 

[fastpakr]

Sorry, story time
Had my Prius at 11k elevation in Wyoming last summer. Thought that pass looks cool. Lets take it. Get to the top, think that 20 mile long 10% grade descent looks cool, lets take it. As the descent begins so does an ungodly thunderstorm and suddenly there is 4" of snow hail and its not slowing down.
No turning around, must continue down.
Fwd brakes were beyond useless. Even the slightest touch started a slide, even tho it has amazing incremental pedal control. Just kept speeding up, white chuckling near 40 mph on a 10%.
Got it stopped on the entry to a run away ramp.
For the 1st time ever I find use in the engine braking mode. Carries us down through 2 miles of snow under 30 mph.

Are you trying to say that engine braking from two wheels was more effective at controlling the car's speed than direct braking from four?

 

[Dsetz]

Ha I wasn't trying to say anything other than we had a lot of fun
Unexpected situations happen.

But yes, it was effective where braking was not. And that's on a Prius, where you already have electric motor "engine" braking that engages long before the physical brakes and is fully controllable via pedal control, and does not cause tire slippage.
Took all 3 levels of braking, firm wits, nerves of steel and a bit of skill to get out of there alive. Made our summer adventure a hoot!
Can't praise that car enough. Haven't caught 1 bit of flak from forum members either. What's wrong with y'all?
Just kidding ur all great.

 

[Dsetz]

But that's like apples and donkeys. Engine braking on a non cvt transmission obviously has more slippage issues.

Just like an 88 shortbed to a 2019 2wd off road package is not a good comparison.

 

[sgtsandman]

good tires, proper weight ballasting and driving skills. Yes 4wd is awesome in the snow, but youre still not stopping any better. even a open differential 2wd with winter tires and the proper weight in the back can get through a lot of snow.

As a general rule, they don’t turn better either. The system can just get you into trouble faster if you don’t know what you are doing.