Anyone go offroading with a 2WD?

[bamacraig]

Just curious I have a 2wd and want to know what are the best ways and mods I can do to do some offroading. I have done a little, but without some lift and good meats I am sure to get stuck.:roll:

 

[haktmal]

Hmm... this is an interesting subject. I'm pretty sure you can go offroad but not on muds/water.

 

[Brian1]

Alec goes wheeling in his 2wd. He has a posi in the rear axle to help. I am amazed at some of the stuff he can do with his 2wd.

 

[Alec]

I do some pretty hardcore stuff in mine. I went to Moab in 2001 with stock suspension and tires and did fairly well. Moab and AZ 2002 with 2" and 31s, and now I have 2.25" and 33s.

2 things that let me offroad well:
1) Eaton positraction differential
2) 350 lb-ft of torque from my supercharger.

I think you definately need a locker to wheel with 2wd. I can get by with the posi cause it's a good unit, and I have the power.
Without gobs of torque like I have, or low range, you probably won't have enough power to get over really large obstacles.

As for what surfaces are not 2wd friendly, definately mud and sand aren't. However, I do fairly well and only have problems with really fine river-bottom type sand. Normal sand isn't a problem at all, it's just the really fine stuff that you can't even walk on.

There's also a guy named Gopher on this site. He got that name after a Truckhaven run where all he did was dig holes

 

[dejello]

I saw the title and thought: Splat!

 

[Muskrat]

I used to run mud with my 95 Ranger XL, 2.3l, 2wd, 5spd. Had a blast, got stuck alot, but those who thought I wouldn't run anything, soon ate their words

 

[Alec]

So does this look capable enough?

 

[jjue]

Yeah, I've done some mud, some fording, and some climbing with mine, but I do have a V8 and the factory LS. I did wish that I had driven to GA with my Mud Terrains instead of the on my Pirelli Scorpion ATs, but the Pirellis pull a trailer and handle Atlanta traffic much better.

Basically, be sure to have traction (I think selectable locker and good ATs or MTs), and study the terrain. Lots of low-end torque is good, too.

 

[GJarrett]

2wd can work in certain situations and especially in areas such as Moab with extreme traction when you take the trouble to install a quality limited slip or locker to take the advantage of the traction in the area.

On all other surfaces it is up to you according to what you are willing to burden the rest of the 4wd group you are with. You can have a blast and get stuck a lot and make me "eat my words" on what you are willing to do. But what I will be thinking about while you are "impressing" me is how much more fun I could have been having in my 4wd that day instead of spending it strapping you all the time while you were "getting stuck a lot".

On surfaces like the rock of Moab a 2wd can make it and present a phenominal performance. On most other surfaces it will slow down every other participant in the run you are on because they have to ignore the fun they were going to have in order to help nursemaid you along while you are impressing them with how well your 2wd performs.

Most major runs I have participated in required me to plan vacation time and/or lost wages plus several hundred or over a thousand dollars in fuel and hotel and etc expenses. If you budgeted and planned several hundred or a thousand or more dollars to enjoy a great scuba trip to the Bahamas it would not occur to me to invite myself along with you without scuba certification and then bring only a snorkel and then expect you to share your tank with me and "help" me to join you. Yet twowheelers who consider themselves fourwheelers seem to expect that exact same treatment.

Why? Because they can do that because we won't say a thing because we are the best extreme sport participants on the earth and we will do it no questions asked. But that doesn't change the fact of the sacrifice we make unsaid in order to nursemaid those who didn't invest what we did and then prevent us from full enjoyment of our sport by forcing us to forego our run to save those who didn't belong with us in the first place.

Short version of my view; I'd love to see you join us and get hooked on the sport, but if you are truly interested in doing it, then do it. That means if you want to 4wd, then 4wd. If not, then don't.

This oughtta get this thread heated up, have at it fellas

 

[Michael]

Krusty strikes again

 

[Soundguy01tx]

Being a 2wd guy, I agree with ya Krusty I would love to go ona run, but rather than boggin someone down helkping nurse me along, Id rather ride shot gun and photo or cideo for them, or whatever they need me to do in return for a fun ride.
You 4x4 guys rock!
--bryan

 

[Alec]

Whenever I go on a run I talk with the group on whether I should take my truck or not. I don't like holding people up, but I do like to see what I can do.

 

[X24]

Krusty... LOL!!!

 

[Stic-o]

Don't dog it!

Before my i owened a '96 ranger s-cab 4 banger
5-speed 2wd. (she's actually still here and for sale if any interest) 4 in. lift, 31" muds and 3.73's. One day i took her up to azusa canyon here in so. cal. and barried her ass to the bottom of talegate, in thick mud. Everyone laughed over the CB and said "we'll come get you". I told them no and that i could get her out. A little bit of rocking and WHALLA! she was out. I screemed over the radio "can you say 2wd". Anyway tires are the trick! You will be supprised what a 2wd can do.

 

[jjue]

Yeah, 2wd done right is cool. When I was in college, I had a couple of friends who drove 4x4s (especially Z-71s) that were peg-legged front and back, and I'd have to drive to wherever he or she got stuck to pull that person out. 302, it'll do--especially 4x2!

Seriously, it depends on the trail and the conditions as to whether or not I'd take my vehicle. If I might be a burden from getting stuck, then I would ride, but no one in MS seems interested in going out to a trail. You might think we're rednecks, but I think that there are more yuppies than anything else, at least amongst the people that I grew up with. My Mountaineer has a couple layers of mud that I still haven't gotton off the chassis since who knows when.

 

[bamacraig]

The reason I ask is I had a 98 4X4 Mazda B4000 ext cab that I put through hell and back. Do to poor craftsmanship(whatever could go wrong went wrong) I traded it in for my Sport Trac(2X4). I love my X, bout don't have enough $$ to trade it in for a 4X4. Right now I stick to Mudd, and small hills, since I don't have limited slip or a locker. I guess my next upgrade for offroad will have to be a 4X4.

 

[Broccoli1]

A locked 2x can out perform a stock 4x in most situations because once you get a wheel off the ground that axle is dead. Look into a locker for your truck. I believe Lockrite has reasonable lockers. As mentioned before a 2x can be alot of fun. Remember; off road doesn't always have to a 4x road...just get off road.

 

[taxx]

As for what surfaces are not 2wd friendly, definately mud and sand aren't.

Actually 2wd can perform well in sand. I just wouldn't sit in one place digging a rut. Get some good torque and wide tires.

 

[james t]

Originally posted by smashboxed
A locked 2x can out perform a stock 4x in most situations because once you get a wheel off the ground that axle is dead.

that may be true in Cali, but here in east texas/S.W. arkansas/north Louisiana we have what is known as "river bottom" mud. and while i do agree, a locked 2wd with the right tires will usually perform WAY better than expected, in mud around here you might just fare better on a riding lawn mower. there are very few, if any, 2wds built for offroad in my area because most stock 4wd's will BARELY get you through (depending on difficulty of trail). as far as real trailriding, i believe Barnwell Mt. has a few trails that could be run with a capable 2wd (like alec's), but anything over a 3 and you just gotta have a 4wd. i have been on several runs there, and on some of the tougher trails we had to nurse along a guy with an open front/locked rear. thats 3 tires turning, not 2, and he was the only one getting winched over the bad stuff...

 

[gururise]

1) Can someone post which Model/Year 4x2 Explorers have a Rear Limited Slip Differential? (if any)

2) Will a Limited Slip Differential perform the same as a Locker? (if not, what are the differences?)


Sorry for the Newbie Questions..... Just got my '02 Explorer XLT and don't know where else to turn!

Thanks,

Gururise