4x4 vs. 4x2

cryesis · #1 06-21-2009, 12:27 AM

Ok, so I just passed my road test which means I can start driving to work and in september I can drive freely anywhere. I have been looking at a few trucks and was originally looking for a 4x4 small truck. I was looking at nissan frontier for awhile and havent really found anything I liked. My uncle is a general manager at a chevy dealer in Texas and just got a 2005 Dodge Dakota Laramie 4x2 V8 truck in on a trade. He can get me a good deal on it which has me thinking if I really need the capability of 4wd or if a 2wd would suit me fine. I will be using the truck for everyday driving and maybe minimal off roading on my property upstate but Ive seen cars handle that with minimal trouble so Im thinking the 4x2 would work fine. I live on Long Island, New York so during the winter we can get some decent snows. I know my dad likes to use 4wd on his nissan pathfinder all the time in the winter. If I added decent tires and chains during the winter months, would the 4x2 be fine? Thanks for all the help!

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MTDakota008 · #2 06-21-2009, 01:03 AM

IMO, driving in the snow/ice has a lot to do with 2 major components: The driver and the tires. I live in North Dakota and we have some pretty nasty winters, and I have gone an entire winter without ever using 4x4.

Blown287 · #3 06-21-2009, 01:26 AM

The wife's 2007 Durango is a 4x4 and my truck is a 4x2. Since we have had the Durango I think we've used 4x4 maybe twice?

Hahns5.2 · #4 06-21-2009, 01:40 AM

Everyone has their preference. I prefer 4x4s because I actually use it.

SilverGhost1 · #5 06-21-2009, 01:42 AM

I have a 4x4. The truck spend one winter in NJ and I used the 4x4 three times. Now we are in Southern California and it is not used at all.

mprohr · #6 06-21-2009, 01:46 AM

Is the rear-end an LSD, or open-differential? That would make a big difference. 4x4 is really nice to have when you actually need to be somewhere and snow is thick. It is also nice to have when doing 4-wheel power-drifts under WOT with the 4.7. But if it's got an LSD, your probably fine. I would never get a 2WD with an open-differential.

Blown287 · #7 06-21-2009, 01:55 AM

I just put 4.10s in my truck about two weeks ago. If I had a 4x4 I would have had to do both front and back.

Instead of 300clams, it would have been 600 lol. If I didin't have guys that could do it for me, it would have cost like 1200 or so for a 4x4.

cryesis · #8 06-21-2009, 01:58 AM

My uncle is going to check the sticker on the glove box to see if it has a LSD tommorow. If it is Im going to take it and add a warn winch for $750 and then a set of tires for the winter.....does that sounds like a good idea?

Blown287 · #9 06-21-2009, 02:04 AM

Oh yeah.........

...............Wel come to the site.

JAB02LHS · #10 06-21-2009, 06:56 AM

I had a '94 cc w/cap 2wd open diff than ran fine in Cleveland winters avg 55" of snow a year.

My '06 cc hard tonneua 2 wd lsd diff with factory Goodyear's was a POS in the snow. The rear of the truck sits higher than the front so weight transfer leaves the ass end loose as a goose. I had to put Goodyear Fortera Triple Tread tires on it and 300# of sand in the back to level it to get it to do anything in the snow.

[QUOTEGoodyear Fortera TripleTred is one of the first all-season tires to be branded with the mountain/snowflake symbol, indicating this tire meets severe snow service requirements established by the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC). ][/quote]