THIS is why I need a 4x4!

[Canuck4x4]

...After 24 hours of snow...i had to put the ranger's 4x4 to the test. I had to make my own road with the ranger. Had to put it in 4x4 low and go back and forth plowing the snow up over the hood.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Ramming speed!

 

[Mark_88]

That justifies having those extra two drive wheels...

I have owned two 4x4 vehicles...a Dodge Ramcharger 1980, and a Suzuki Sidekick 1995...used 4wd maybe ten times between both vehicles over the course of 6 years.

It was a cold and dark winter night in 1980 and I was itching to test out my new beast...so I found a farmers field with about 18" of snow and put the 4wd in service...drove about 100 yards into the field before I bogged down...

Fortunately, I was able to back my way out and not have the embarrassment of calling a tow truck to haul my silly butt out...

 

[adsm08]

Yes, for the record that is 4x4-worthy road conditions.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That justifies having those extra two drive wheels...

I have owned two 4x4 vehicles...a Dodge Ramcharger 1980, and a Suzuki Sidekick 1995...used 4wd maybe ten times between both vehicles over the course of 6 years.

It was a cold and dark winter night in 1980 and I was itching to test out my new beast...so I found a farmers field with about 18" of snow and put the 4wd in service...drove about 100 yards into the field before I bogged down...

Fortunately, I was able to back my way out and not have the embarrassment of calling a tow truck to haul my silly butt out...

I have probably had mine in 4wd 10 times this year between ice and mud.

 

[Canuck4x4]

I measured the snow in that area yesterday at around 3:30 pm, at it was at 15". It snowed for another 8 hrs after that...so I'm guessing there was 18-20" if not more when I went through. That road was untouched when I decided to go for it. I should have got the girlfriend to stand in front and make a video of me plowing through. It was cool from the driver's seat so I can imagine what that would have looked like.
...My last vehicle was a second generation rav4 (2001), awd,and that was a little tank off road and in deep snow. However, I don't think the rav would have had a chance going through that snow today. This ranger proved something to me today. Its worth holding on to for a long time..lol

 

[Mark_88]

I have probably had mine in 4wd 10 times this year between ice and mud.

You live on back roads, don't you?

Those were the times when I needed mine most. My Suzuki Sidekick went through a similar amount of snow but it was tough going due to it being so light. Otherwise it was a very traction able little truck.

I measured the snow in that area yesterday at around 3:30 pm, at it was at 15". It snowed for another 8 hrs after that...so I'm guessing there was 18-20" if not more when I went through. That road was untouched when I decided to go for it. I should have got the girlfriend to stand in front and make a video of me plowing through. It was cool from the driver's seat so I can imagine what that would have looked like.
...My last vehicle was a second generation rav4 (2001), awd,and that was a little tank off road and in deep snow. However, I don't think the rav would have had a chance going through that snow today. This ranger proved something to me today. Its worth holding on to for a long time..lol

No doubt...put a bit of snow in the bed and you can probably go anywhere in that. My 2WD Ranger never actually got stuck with a load of snow in the bed...but it would have been much better with 4WD in a few cases.

You will find many more reasons to make you happy you scored that Ranger...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You live on back roads, don't you?

Those were the times when I needed mine most. My Suzuki Sidekick went through a similar amount of snow but it was tough going due to it being so light. Otherwise it was a very traction able little truck.

Kinda, half mile of gravel off of a two lane state highway.

The frost has gone out so there for awhile I was using it daily so I didn't tear up my driveway as much (I need to get a load of gravel)

My barn lot is weirdly angled on both sides of the barn, it is hard to get around even on a dry summer day in 2wd. Spin on the grass on one side, steep concrete on the other (Ranger has a collage of twin black marks on the concrete from trying to back up it)

 

[Mark_88]

Makes a difference for sure. I lived on a small farm for a few years but the main road was paved. The driveway was gravel but the original owner was in the construction business and had spent quite a bit of time and money packing it down so it never really got sloppy.

It was in the "snow belt" in Ontario so even with the roads fairly well maintained and plowed there were many nights when the accumulation was enough to slow things down. most I ever drove through in my 2wd Ranger was about 18" so my bumper never really bottomed out like it was plowing...but that did happen a few times in the Suzuki.

It's nice to have the 4wd either way but I never really got into using it every time...mostly because I commuted and leaving it in 4x4 mode sucked way more gas than I wanted to use up...

Not being a willing supporter of the oil cartel I skimped whenever I could...

 

[Jim Oaks]

Holy crap. I would have liked to have seen photos or video of your Ranger doing that!

 

[Canuck4x4]

Holy crap. I would have liked to have seen photos or video of your Ranger doing that!

...Yeah me too. The girlfriend who has a 2015 Toyota tacoma 4x4 thought I was nuts for trying it. She stood on the doorstep watching me and she later told me all she could see was snow flying everywhere..lol. she was shocked that I didn't get stuck. She left 3 hours later and had to go in 4x4 low as well. She barely made it through. I don't know if it would have been harder for her to follow in my tracks....or if she would have had fresh untouched powder as I had??

 

[Canuck4x4]

...trying to post a few more pics

 

[wildbill23c]

This year we had about 2 feet of snow which stuck around for pretty much all winter until about 2 weeks ago. The Bronco 2 was down most of the winter due to terrible noises coming from the hubs, got them replaced recently though...so the Bronco 2 sat at home all that time since there was no way it was gonna move without 4WD. In the 9 years I've had my 2008 Toyota Tundra this was the first year the 4WD got a serious workout. Years past I'd throw it in to get out of the driveway and out onto the highway then back to 2WD. This year it was bad enough the truck was in 4WD for a month...talk about shitty gas mileage...yep 9mpg really hit the pocketbook fast.

Still had about 6" of snow by the time I got the new hubs installed...had the hubs for a couple weeks but being below zero I didn't feel like messing with them...so by then the snow had settled, and in most of my driveway was packed sown into a sheet of ice. Took the bronco 2 out and about after the hub replacement and the 4WD works great, took it up into the hills where the snow is deeper and it does just fine with regular all season tires.

These little trucks tend to do pretty well in snow for some reason, maybe because they don't have a heavy ass V8 engine in them or a diesel...my Tundra is pretty useless in snow/ice unless I have a lot of weight in the back and use the 4WD. Smaller trucks seem to have a bit better weight distribution I guess. Even my 84 2WD ranger handled 18" of snow until the hill into my cousin's driveway...made it almost all the way up but lacked about 3'...had to chain up...I should also mention I had a 13' travel trailer that I was pulling...I have to say for being a 2WD it did pretty dang good...4WD would have been nice but that was the only time I ever had to use the chains and only for 3 feet LOL.

 

[robertc1024]

Another reason I'm glad I live in TX.

 

[Andy D]

I hammered my first 528e through 16" of slush. Broke a motor mount in the process