How is the V8's AWD compared to having 4hi/4low?

[gavin]

being in Alaska, we see lots of snow
the AWD has yet to give me issues.

Only once have I been stuck, and that's only because it rained in the middle of December, and there's a nice hill with a ~15% grade, that nobody could make it up (3 other vehicles in the ditch attempting to go up or down the hill).

Well, one other time on my way in to work, again a day somewhere between November and January, it had rained; must have hit some black ice doing ~30mph up a grade on the highway, had a fun 180 and into the median/ditch. Waited on traffic to pass (they were ~100yards behind me at the time of the whoopsie), put 'er in gear and pulled back onto the highway.

I've had the truck for about 5-6 yrs now and it has been great.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Who needs 4 low when you have an engine thats worth a damn you just mash the gas to the boards and motor through ?

I'm getting ready to turn over 200k on my 99 5.0 AWD Eddie Bauer and the truck is damn near as good as new other than the rear wiper every dang thing works like it should.
And when it counts, when the rubber meets the road your gonna appreciate the always on and bulletproof AWD system over some hair brained idea like an electric motor, lights and switches for a 4WD system and lemme tell ya that crap aint worth a damn after half a dozen or so winters and when you need it you dont want some blinking lights or better yet, nothing at all.

And YES! to the 5.0's tough as nails transmission too.
I credit decent tires as the key to success in the snow and have had great service from General Grabber AT2's and have 50k on the current set and will be buying another set before the snow flies.
I love playing in the snow and my Exploder has never let me down, I have abused it in a pinch and it has never missed a beat.

 

[BrianDye]

Once again guys, I appreciate all the helpful answers to my questions, its definitely led me in the direction of the 5.0

 

[jrowe6]

i have an ohv 4x4(just shy of 205,000 miles), its a great little truck. few friends have/have had the awd 5.0s. me and a few others have the v6 4x4's. if you need the best 4x4 possible i would go with a true 4x4, if you prefer power and are just driving on bad roads like winter conditions, wet grass, gravel, that sort of thing the 5.0 awd will be better.

i think the a4wd system is better, but the 5.0 and its trans are better. with the way this 4x4 works if you see road conditions change and you want true 4x4 you can flip the switch at any speed at any time and its there ready to go. like if im driving down the highway in crappy winter conditions and there are piles of snow between lanes, if i want the added control of true 4x4 when switching lanes i just flip the switch, change lanes, then flip it back off and there is no issue. or like if you drivin down a snow covered road and conditions get worse or a turn is coming up flip on 4x4 for the turn or to get through the mess and once youre through flip it back off. its nice because you can certainly feel how much easier the truck rolls without 4x4 engaged so you can have 4x4 when you need it, but keep your gas mileage decent.

choose the package that best suites your needs and wants and i think you will be very happy. both are good setups and both have advantages in certain situations. only thing i would advise against is the soch v6.

 

[alexk]

If you want 4x4 and V8 without all that mechanical crap 3rd gen+ is the way your gonna have to go. But if you want a 2nd gen my friends mom has an 01 5.0Awd and it made it through the 2+ ft of snow we had just as easy as my 4.6L in 4hi.

 

[mileworthwhile]

this thread makes me stoked that I just picked up a 5.0 AWD

I was hoping that the all time, all wheel, awd (do they have a term for REAL awd? haha) would kick ass and it sounds like it does. looking forward to driving it to the mountain this winter.

 

[safn1949]

The only problem I have with mine is the whiny front differential,but a diff is only $150 so who cares.I will change it when and if I get around to putting a 4x4 transfer case in it.

It runs like a rocket and I drive the hell out of it.

 

[BrianDye]

Congrats on the new ride man! I hope ill be in one before we get the first batch of snow

Id like an opinion coming from someone who has had a 4.0 (w/ 4x4), and moved/traded/bought a 5.0..

 

[nssj2]

Id like an opinion coming from someone who has had a 4.0 (w/ 4x4), and moved/traded/bought a 5.0..

Well, I've driven both versions through similar conditions, and in my opinion there is no competition. The SOHC v6, can hold its own (ignoring the timing chain issue). the v6 needed low range to do things the awd just plowed through. The v8 platform is just a more reliable, with much more torque more readily available, and tried and true engineering. I've lost count of how many bilzzards i've commuted through with my 5.0, and its always pulled through like a freight train. when it was stock, my buddies 5.2 durango, and other friends s10 blazer couldn't toutch it. hell, one winter i plucked them out of the ditch, and an rv later in winter. for a stock vehicle, i don't see how you can go wrong.

 

[BrianDye]

Ill be bluntly honest, I beat my explorer in the winter, the snow to me is like mudding for those lifted fella's you know what im sayin? I love climbing snow mounds, sliding around, etc but other than that, I dont take it through mud trails or anything.

 

[duggyd123]

ive got a 95 ohv 4x4 selectable and a 97 5.0 awd ive been mudding with both in corn field out here and the 5.0 is so much better even in 4 low i never felt like i ahve enoguh torque to get unstuck where as the 5.0 just keeps on going through anything i can give it

 

[BrianDye]

Thats just about what I was lookin for man, someone who has had either both, or HAS both and experienced 4lo and AWD.

Thanks again guys, I appreciate all the helpful replies!

 

[safn1949]

I have a 94 and a 2000 AWD,I have done some stuff to the 94 to make it run a lot better but I have to tell you that 5.0 is a running SOB even with the mileage it has.I would love to drop the 5.0 and AODE in the 94 but I don't have that much ambition.Besides I like having 2 of them.

 

[duggyd123]

i am taking the 95 and making an f150 spolder out of it when i am done with it will be powered by a 400 bigblock with solid axles underneith