2wd vs 4wd

[rangerbum]

I think 2wd's are alot of fun if you have the time/recources to play with them. 4wd's are great in their respective places such as rock crawling, mud slinging and about any other applications, but sometimes have a tendency to go a little ways further, and get twice as stuck.

When I was wheeling my 2wd(stupidly) i beat it up pretty good suspensionwise. But I suppose a 4wd doesnt have alot more protecting it.

 

[oldjohnny]

hay ive had my 2wd het through sutff that i had to pull a 4wd ranger out of

Your Ranger gives the rest of our 2WD Rangers a good name
I've always wanted to go baptize my truck in a mild mud trail, you know, something that even a lowrider can pass through, but I'm afraid to get it stuck! Like most Rangers, no weight in the back, 14 inch stock rims with some street tires, and to top it off, it is still the same height since new. (Although I've been interested in lifting my truck, but never have the time, nor tools to do it. Aside from money of course.)

 

[edgeaholic (tm)]

you guys talking smack about how good your 2WD rangers are, is like a person with a $29,000 new mercedes thinking that they are wealthy.

 

[91rangerxlt]

you guys talking smack about how good your 2WD rangers are, is like a person with a $29,000 new mercedes thinking that they are wealthy.

lmfao

 

[cappin90]

even if my 4wd worked still i wouldnt need it too often, i can go most places in 2wd just have to plan my paths better then my friends

 

[91rangerxlt]

bit mouthy are ya. You are welcome to bring your glorified 2wd (2 open diffs=2wd) out wheeling with me anytime and show me how sweet your 2wd is.

86

haha if yer smart you would realize that my 96 has traction lok not open diff.

 

[GreatWhite]

Your Ranger gives the rest of our 2WD Rangers a good name
I've always wanted to go baptize my truck in a mild mud trail, you know, something that even a lowrider can pass through, but I'm afraid to get it stuck! Like most Rangers, no weight in the back, 14 inch stock rims with some street tires, and to top it off, it is still the same height since new. (Although I've been interested in lifting my truck, but never have the time, nor tools to do it. Aside from money of course.)

I'am not going to lie last time I went mud boggin in the ranger it wouldn't had made it unless it had that extra clearance from the lift. Well it might have, but I wouldve been scrubbing mud out of the engine compartment for months.

All the 2wd haters

2wd still mob, there are prerunners and buggies that DONT have 4X4 that do Baja 1000.

 

[LittleHorse]

2WD's are easy to get a whole lot of front suspension travel without having to worry about axle shafts binding and that sort of thing and without having to do a SAS. It can be a blast in open, high speed Baja style terrain and independent front suspension can handle that sort of thing really well. My dream garage would contain a short wheelbase 4x4 like my Bronco II and a pre-runner style 2WD truck with insane suspension travel. However, I don't make the money to support my dream garage so I only have room for the 4x4.

 

[MikeInIdaho]

I've taken my un-lifted, all-terrain shod 2wd wheeling a couple times, and it's been a blast. Never even came close to getting stuck, and even lost an inner fender apron in the process. There's still mud caked on the control arms, too. Some of the things I've learned are 1) put some weight in the back. Even with an open diff, it'll help tremendously, 2) pick your lines carefully. Don't try to go through a hole you could get stuck in if you could just as easily drive around it, 3) watch your speed, especially over super rough/uneven terrain. Thats how you break front suspension components.

I'll probably never lift a vehicle (much), 4wd or otherwise. I like having a low center of gravity and retaining sane fuel economy. for what my needs are (putting around back-country trails, getting into good fishing holes, exploring mountain fire roads) my little 2wd truck is just fine. If you have a 2wd and want to go explore the outdoors, do it. Trucks are made to do that kind of stuff.

I want to wish everyone safe and happy wheeling adventures to come, 2 and 4wd!

 

[Ric]

2wd "prerunner type" trucks are quite popular out here in the desert. Stereotypically, these are dunes runner people with motorcycles in the back. They seem to use these for jumping sand dunes and what not. I had a 2001 prerunner on a real lift years ago. With the 32" AT's and a Limited slip, it went to a lot of places, but I never really trusted that I was going to be able to go where I wanted. Sometimes even the lesser of the evil lines is still abusive to the truck and bouncing through with momentum isnt good for a wallet.
Sonja (the infamous BII) went everywhere. Personally, I dont trust wheeling in anything but a 4wd, even if it's open on both ends.

I have an 08 Nissan Titan that is awesome in anything smooth and dry. However, the open rearend powered by 385lb of torque is just garbage if traction isnt consistant. I'm sure a good set of AT's or aggressive cleated tires would make things easier, but I need it to tow the race car and tires like that would wear out too quickly. To do it all again, I would have bought a 4x4 Titan but I didnt know I was going to live here. You know what they say about hind site.

I have a 4x4 Ranger out of necessity because of where I live. In the rains I either have a wash to drive through with running water in it, or I have to drive through sand/clay/caleachy which is like cake frosting when wet.

There is no sense bashing each other in wether 2wd >/< 4wd. It's a matter of what you ultimately need and use the truck for.

 

[4x4fun]

haha if yer smart you would realize that my 96 has traction lok not open diff.

o the irony of that statement

 

[Speedwagon]

2wd "prerunner type" trucks are quite popular out here in the desert. Stereotypically, these are dunes runner people with motorcycles in the back. They seem to use these for jumping sand dunes and what not. I had a 2001 prerunner on a real lift years ago. With the 32" AT's and a Limited slip, it went to a lot of places, but I never really trusted that I was going to be able to go where I wanted. Sometimes even the lesser of the evil lines is still abusive to the truck and bouncing through with momentum isnt good for a wallet.
Sonja (the infamous BII) went everywhere. Personally, I dont trust wheeling in anything but a 4wd, even if it's open on both ends.

I have an 08 Nissan Titan that is awesome in anything smooth and dry. However, the open rearend powered by 385lb of torque is just garbage if traction isnt consistant. I'm sure a good set of AT's or aggressive cleated tires would make things easier, but I need it to tow the race car and tires like that would wear out too quickly. To do it all again, I would have bought a 4x4 Titan but I didnt know I was going to live here. You know what they say about hind site.

I have a 4x4 Ranger out of necessity because of where I live. In the rains I either have a wash to drive through with running water in it, or I have to drive through sand/clay/caleachy which is like cake frosting when wet.

There is no sense bashing each other in wether 2wd >/< 4wd. It's a matter of what you ultimately need and use the truck for.

Wow, 3 pages before someone said that well.

I have both, and both are good. When you have to plant the nose of the truck up against a rock, you kinda need the 4x4 going. But that's not to say I haven't pushed the 2wd to it's limits on some of the trails out here. With an open rear though, you can only get so far before even gravel will stop you. When the going gets steep on a gravel trail, your only go backwards at a certain point.

And there IS a reason prerunners are 2wd. The less they weigh, the better they do out there. So it is very circumstance dependent, along with driver ability and tires. A well tired 2wd locked can often go alot further than a poorly tired 4wd open with the same driver.

 

[OilPatch197]

I think you will find that those who mud with 2wd's are better drivers. It takes *skillz* to mud with 2wd, any bloke redneck can go mudding with 4wd.

Jeep owners for example.

 

[84projectFORD]

Wow, 3 pages before someone said that well.

I have both, and both are good. When you have to plant the nose of the truck up against a rock, you kinda need the 4x4 going. But that's not to say I haven't pushed the 2wd to it's limits on some of the trails out here. With an open rear though, you can only get so far before even gravel will stop you. When the going gets steep on a gravel trail, your only go backwards at a certain point.

And there IS a reason prerunners are 2wd. The less they weigh, the better they do out there. So it is very circumstance dependent, along with driver ability and tires. A well tired 2wd locked can often go alot further than a poorly tired 4wd open with the same driver.

haha no kiddin. for out here in the SW a 2wd is perfect for prerunnin or racing in the desert. it cost way less to build and can be less expensive to maintain for racing. My 2wd will be ready to race hopfully this august or sooner and ill have no more than 10k into it for a full race vehicle (if not less). To acheive 18+ inches of wheel travel in a 4wd is very expensive but ill contradict my self here because wheel travel in the desert isnt the only thing to look at. a truck pullin 20" of fornt wheel travel can lose to a truck pullin 15"s of travel with perfectly valved shocks. by the way ill have 22"s of wheel travel up front and 21" of wheel travel out back w/ dialed in valving

It really depends on the use. id take a 2wd over a 4wd due to what i do and how cheap i can build them.

Lifting a TIB works good out here too as most lifts add wheel travel to them and with a good shock you can go pretty fast through foot to two foot whoops.

 

[rangerbum]

Hey, I wheel Both 4wds and 2wds. Love em both. 2wd is a bigger challenge, but if the trails are a lot more extreme, the 4wd is an equal challenge.