Hi,

I am looking to buy a 2004 Dakota Sport Quad Cab, 4.7L V8 with 80,000 miles on it. During the test drive I put it in 4WD since we just had snow. As I went to pull into a park space, I had the steering wheel pinned as it was a sharp turn to get in to the spot. As I was barely idling into the spot with the wheel pinned the truck start to slightly "buck" or "stutter" ... this concerned me when it happened, but as soon as I pulled out and got back on the road it didn't happen again.

Did I experience something normal for a truck that has 4WD active, or should I be concerned? Carfax looked immaculate, and I plan to have a local Dodge dealer fully inspect the truck before purchasing it, but figured I would get some opinions from people who are familiar with these trucks.

Any response is appreciated!

Thanks

 

There is a difference between full time and part time 4wd. In full time, there is a differential in the transfer case so that the front/rear wheels can rotate at different speeds.

In a part time 4wd, there is no such differential. The front/rear driveshafts are locked and the truck will buck when turning. Part time 4wd should not be used on dry pavement. It is intended for slippery conditions only.

What you experienced would be normal for part time 4wd when making a tight turn.

 

Thank you so much for the reply. Helps out a lot!