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4 x 4 comparison question

NickSantagataa

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Joined
January 11, 2015
Messages
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City, State
Mount dora , Florida
Year, Model & Trim Level
2008 explorer xlt 4x4
so I have a 4x4 explorer and I have some decent meaty at tires and my friend has a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4 x 4 we are going to the clay pits which is just puddles about 3 inches deep I was wondering based off of companies which vehicle would have the better 4 x 4 system

2008 Ford Explorer xlt 4 x 4
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4 x 4
 



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im going to say the explorer will once you let the traction control kick in... but if you race head to head the Grand Cherokee might get there first but I dont know what kind of diffs it has but I do know that no stock explorer has even a limited slip so you have to wait for the brakes to simulate one
 






I have found my explorers to do just as well as my friends Cherokees, they are similar size, weight, and 4x4 is 4x4. Jeeps folks always seem to be shocked when my explorer does everything their jeep does.

Tires and skill make a massive difference.
 






I'm going to be splitting every tire mark I can we are both stock not real aggressive All terrain tires I defiantly have been in mud more than him but what concerns me is he's a v8 im a v 6
 






Not to write an essay or anything, but I have nothing else to do.

My truck has embarrassed my buddies WJ multiple times. And I literally mean multiple times. My truck has also embarrassed my other buddies XJ's (he has had about 8 and build's them for a living.)



Jeep cons

Solid axles make a much rougher ride. The unibody construction is horrible on these things. When off roading you can hear and feel the body twisting, not that it's going to fail, but its still super annoying! Whenever I drive their's I feel as if something is going to break (and they often do break stuff) which to me at least, a serious confidence killer. No wonder Jeep drivers drive so slow. Really. The lighter weight of the Jeep will make it harder to get traction on harder dirt, or even light mud.




Jeep Pros

The Jeeps system will allow the wheels to spin more freely. This advantage would be better for deep mudding, or going in the clay pits as you guys plan to do. Again the Jeep is lighter, so in heavy mud/clay/whatever, it wont sink into the ground surface as easily. The 4.0 engine is bullet proof, though you're buddie has the V8. My friends have had both. Even though the 8 is up on power a little bit, they both like the 4.0 more. At least compaired to the 4.7.



Explorer cons.

Deep mudding will not be as good do to heavier weight as the truck will sink into the groud more. The all independent will have very poor articulation compaired to any solid axle vehicle. (But thanks to the anti-lock brake control, who cares.)



Explorer pros

First thing is that the Explorer is a much better overall built truck then the Jeep. I said the all independent suspension will hurt it in the articulation department, and it will, so what. It doesnt need great articulation. As I hope most of you know by now, the anti-lock brake control system is great on these trucks. Especially when you upgraded the diffs with Torsens. At this point the Explorers system is equal to Jeeps quadra drive. Whenever a wheel becomes airborn and starts spinning, the system stops that wheel and the power has no where to go but to the grounded wheel. The wheel with traction. The all independent suspension makes a much smoother ride then the Jeeps. The frame on these trucks have zero flex in them. Even when on the most extreme articulation situations. It just feels so much more solid, because it is. That and the suspension makes you feel as if you aren't even off roading. All my friends comment on this! Because of this you really have to start driving fast to push the truck. When the whole gang goes off roading, or if we go out on meets, my Explorer and my buddies Explorer always check out. We literally have to stop every 5 minutes and wait for everyone else to catch up! On tight curvy dirt roads the independent suspenion takes the corners much better. As far as weight goes, the Explorer will have more traction on hard dirt roads, or light mud.


All and all, the trucks have their pros and cons. Sure, his truck may be just slighty better in the mud and clay. Who cares.

You have a truck that is so much stronger (which I have never broken a single part on my truck BTW, whereas my buddies do break stuff on their Jeeps left and right, and I drive twice as fast!) handles so much better, your truck is so much smoother, has a smarter computer system, and much more controlled driving dynamics over all. The Explorer is built and engineered to a leauge that is so far out of the Jeeps.


P.S. My buddy wants to trade his truck for a 4th Gen.
 






I showed the jeep up to be honest it got stuck trying to climb a washed out hill I came ripping him and then pulled him all the way up... Like explorer gang is defiantly strong just needs a snorkel kit...
 






I showed the jeep up to be honest it got stuck trying to climb a washed out hill I came ripping him and then pulled him all the way up... Like explorer gang is defiantly strong just needs a snorkel kit...

Did you try turning off the stability control (pressing the button once)?

I believe that allow more power application under wheelspin, while still retaining the brake based traction control to route power to the opposite wheel.

I'm going to try to remove both sway bars and see if the slight gain in articulation, coupled with the above, would get a decent traction improvement.
 






Did you try turning off the stability control (pressing the button once)?

I believe that allow more power application under wheelspin, while still retaining the brake based traction control to route power to the opposite wheel.

I'm going to try to remove both sway bars and see if the slight gain in articulation, coupled with the above, would get a decent traction improvement.

Lol you misread the post. He got stuck trying to climb a washed out hill. I came ripping up the hill and then tied a rope to him to drag him up. The explorers don't get stuck :)
 






Lol you misread the post. He got stuck trying to climb a washed out hill. I came ripping up the hill and then tied a rope to him to drag him up. The explorers don't get stuck :)

No I didn't read it wrong, just worded myself poorly...

I had no doubt that you didn't get stuck, and was just wondering if you used the turning off RSC trick. I find that in mud, it kills the power too quickly unless I turn it off.

I too have surprised many in the "lowly" Explorer! I've climbed things my old Xterra couldn't, despite its better reputation as an off roader, thanks to our traction control. I just wanted a bit more wheel travel after seeing some LR3s.
 






Did you try turning off the stability control (pressing the button once)?

I believe that allow more power application under wheelspin, while still retaining the brake based traction control to route power to the opposite wheel.

I'm going to try to remove both sway bars and see if the slight gain in articulation, coupled with the above, would get a decent traction improvement.

This is correct.
 






No I didn't read it wrong, just worded myself poorly...

I had no doubt that you didn't get stuck, and was just wondering if you used the turning off RSC trick. I find that in mud, it kills the power too quickly unless I turn it off.

I too have surprised many in the "lowly" Explorer! I've climbed things my old Xterra couldn't, despite its better reputation as an off roader, thanks to our traction control. I just wanted a bit more wheel travel after seeing some LR3s.

Oh okay yeah I get you know and nah I stayed in 4 high and if traction control came on it stayed on till it went off
 






no doubt the 08 would beat the 03. The explores come with advance trac with is pretty cool. Believe it or not but your truck has an open rear diff and a open front diff. The way advance trac works is it detects high wheel spin and applies the brake to that wheel so the wheel with traction can spin. its a great system however i just got finished putting a limited slip in my rear and am happy how it coexists with the advance trac. i purposely got it stuck in auto 4wd in a half foot deep large mud puddle and then i put it into 4wd hi and i held the traction button down for 5 seconds and this disengages all systems and it just pulled it self out. I'm very pleased with fords system with advance trac its very unique how you don't have a limited slip rear but in reality you do with the computers help.

Tom
 






Honestly explorers are no jokes my buddy fell asleep at the beach today and so we dug his truck with fat all terrain tires on it into the ground about 4-5" and his **** could not get out and so we tried to get a Chevy 1500 4 wheel drive which got stuck trying to get him and so I said let me pull both of you at the same time they both bet me $20 each I couldn't even pull one of them out. I pulled both out in 4 hi like it wasn't **** tbh and walked away $40 richer and a friend who is going to buy an explorer soon simply because it's amazing looks and awesome 4x4
 






I have a 2007 Ford Explorer xlt v6. The wrench light flashes on and off. When the rear wheels spin the anti skid light comes on. Replaced the transfer case motor thinking that may be the problem. 4 wheel drive still don't work.
The problem started last winter when I drove across some ice and snow that the vehicle drug on. Please help.
 






I have a 2007 Ford Explorer xlt v6. The wrench light flashes on and off. When the rear wheels spin the anti skid light comes on. Replaced the transfer case motor thinking that may be the problem. 4 wheel drive still don't work.
The problem started last winter when I drove across some ice and snow that the vehicle drug on. Please help.

Hard to understand your problem your best bet is to create your own post with a detail description of what's wrong cause when your wheels spin free that activates traction control and lights will illuminate.

Tom
 






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