Why trash talk 2WD exp?

[duncanNidaho]

Ive had alot of folks pick on my truck for being 2wd when I go mudding, and ive seen some negative post in reference to 2wd ex's. So im curious what every one else thinks. Are 2wd worthless? I'll tell you my 99 sport with TT, shackles, 32 AT, and Aussie locker runs circles around one of my NCO's 97 4X4 in the mud.

 

[jerry56jr]

Everyone has their opinions!!

My .02 is that living where it snows alot and in the hills, I need a 4X4. The people that have 2wd suv's or trucks can't make it anywhere on a bad snow storm while I'm driving pass them.

If I lived in say Florida, 2wd is not bad.
I've always likes the daytona hemi dodge pick ups or Trailblazer SS, but I would have to get a 4X4 or AWD one, unless I lived in a no snow or ice zone.

 

[Twiztid]

i have my 96 2wd expolorer with the 5.0 and i bought it for a road car and grandkid hauler and i have a yard full of 4x4 rangers and a explorer sport 4x4.
i don't have any problems going any where in the snow, unless it's over a foot deep.

 

[FloridaState]

Everyone has their opinions!!

My .02 is that living where it snows alot and in the hills, I need a 4X4. The people that have 2wd suv's or trucks can't make it anywhere on a bad snow storm while I'm driving pass them.

If I lived in say Florida, 2wd is not bad.
I've always likes the daytona hemi dodge pick ups or Trailblazer SS, but I would have to get a 4X4 or AWD one, unless I lived in a no snow or ice zone.

I live in Florida, and I have a 4x4.

 

[Maniak]

In many situations, 2wd with a locker can out perform a stock open diff 4x4 BUT...

a 2wd vehicle doesn't have low range. Than means no finesse since your gear gear ratio is no where near what a 4x4 in low range will get.

4x4 with open diffs is still a 2wd vehicle (ever get the front left and right rear in the air at the same time?). With 4x4 you might get better traction since your trying to pull and push at the same time..

Now, if you even the playing field and put a rear locker in the 4x4 and compare it to a 2wd with a locker the 4x4 will out perform it since it has one extra wheel pulling (one front wheel) and it has the benefit of the low range over the locked 2wd vehicle.

I have run a 2wd locked vehicle before we got the X. It was a full size ford van. I used to take that thing out all the time and it would go places you would never expect but now that we wheel the X I can say the X does it with much more finesse.

~Mark


EDIT: I found an old poser pic of our old locked 2wd rig and a really old vid of the early days.

 

[mhart]

2wd is great if it's lowered.

 

[94explorerEB]

I gotta get in on this, my explorer was 2wd and I took it places only 4x4 should have gone thru. The only thing I had was some mud tires, not saying that it out performed my buddies 4x4s but I could hang right there with them no exaggeration. I would get stuck from time to time, high centering it on the beams up front or the belly. Over all I give the 2wd's

 

[hoss_hanna]

i started out wheelin in 2wd, taught me a ton about how driving skill is more important than havin a 4x4 on the trails, with a little common sense i passed up and pulled out alot of 4x4's, but that said now that im on my 2nd 4x4 i wouldn't go back lol. i put over 640k very rough miles on that old 2wd nissan got it when i was 14, do u have any idea how a 14yo treats a truck?!

 

[deamon3]

I have no problem with 2wd , just stop trying to off road with it.:

I mean really we all know the 2wd models are the soccer mom/grocery getter version and it works very well for that.

 

[Sparky94]

i do wish mine was a 4x4, but the 2wd will do. it has been in snow and mud. never lost traction in the snow. 2wds can be beasts.

 

[Sparky94]

my grampa says,"when your 2wd is in a bind, gas it!" haha it has proven true with my X.

 

[Sogsnakebite]

I had an old 93 sport 2wd man i loved that truck, 380km all original and it was used hard never got me stuck.
in fact i get stuck more with my 98 sport 4x4 than the 2wd version probaly because im not as careful as i used to be with the 2wd

 

[Bill O'Rights]

I dunno. I just don't see the point of a 2wd Explorer, but I'm not prepared to say that they "suck". Part of the reason that I bought my Explorer was for it's reputation of rugged dependability and the 4wd. I don't use it for wheelin', but it's nice to have when you need that little extra umph. Dad used to say that 4wd is for getting yourself out of a situation that you never should have been in, in the first place.

A quick anecdote...I work with a guy that drives a Kia. He always calls in when it snows, or leaves early at the first drop of a snowflake. He was bragging that his car got 38mpg, and asked me what I got. I replied; "To work on time."

 

[Sogsnakebite]

lol cant beat that

 

[Cozmik]

I made my old 98 2wd (with the brown wire mod ) I wanted the choice of 2wd or 4wd. And I used both modes on road and off. Amazing what a locker and 2wd can do...and then flip the switch and it gets even better.

 

[Carguy3J]

In a state/area that NEVER sees snow or ice, maybe; since it doesn't make sense to drag around all that extra weight for a 4wd system you'll never use. Then again, just get a wagon/minivan, as they do everything better than an SUV, except for the snow/ice/offroad/4x4 stuff. However, in areas where snow/ice do happen, you shouldn't even be able to order them (SUV's) new as 2wd.
I can see the use of a 2wd pickup/van, for hauling,etc.. (especially things like mason dumps,etc..), but an SUV has no business being 2wd. They are an abomination.

As for the guy w/the Kia, that was a funny come-back. However, be thankful he at least has the good sense/courtesy to not be on the road when it gets bad. I HATE getting stuck behind 2wd cars/trucks in bad weather, when I'm driving a 4x4, and could be easily and safely going MUCH faster. (ie, 30mph, instead of ohhh, say 10mph). On top of there ill-equipped vehicles, so many people have no clue how to drive in good weather, let alone snow. They ought to know better and just stay home.

 

[ranger7ltr]

RWD ain't so bad...

Frankly it comes down to driving skill...No matter what you have; if you drive stupid then even 4wd will get stuck...

Here in Texas we have had more than our share of ice and snow...Not like, say D.C. area or the northeast areas, but enough to make driving in ice and snow dangerous...The last 2 weeks we have had the opportunity to hone our collective skills and most have failed miserably.

I have had time in ice and snowy climates so both my rwd Explorer and my Charger have been driven quite effortlessly in the icy conditions... And the Charger is rwd and V8 as well...

The point is that I have no need for the weight of the extra hardware of 4wd/AWD that both the Explorer and the Charger were available with and since neither ever go offroad I am happy with them...And my new Charger will be RWD as well as any other Explorer except the 2011 or newer models... When I am ready for a newer Explorer I will decide if I buy a used RWD model or go to another brand that offers a RWD SUV...When I go offroad I use my dirt bikes or the ATV I have... They are more better equipped for that purpose than my other 2 or 4 wheel vehicles...

The new Ex won't cut it for me...Neither does the Escape that I use as a work car...And that is what it is; a fwd car with a taller body in the shape of a truck-like vehicle...I would rather use my Charger but the company has a contract with Ford for the company vehicles and the Escape is the current favorite or flavor...

Just remember that you can't fix stupid; you can kill it though...And watching out for the idiots that think you can drive 70 mph in ice in complete control usually make me either stay at home or take target practice... j/k...

 

[Slowy]

i'm in FL. got a 2wd Mounty in a trade so i could get out of my deville. i don't mind 2wd. i don't plan on going in 8ft deep mudholes. maybe a little light trail, but nothing extreme.

 

[FLOffroad]

Watch yourself Slowy, it's not just those 8ft deep mud holes that'll get you - it's the really dumb and obvious stuff - I know from experience . Anyway, good luck with your 4x2 and have fun.
I say all sorts of nasty things about my truck and most of them are because it's a 2wd and it has the camel interior which is not holding up at all despite my best efforts. I'll definitely admit that trying to offroad a 2wd has greatly improved my judgment and responsibility as an offroad, but it also makes me sit around a lot for fear of getting stuck (nobody to play with, so basically no tow vehicles - last time getting stuck cost me $250, and I got lucky because I was in a very accessible area that just happened to be 1000+ft from pavement).

 

[Slowy]

Yeah, def not going by myself. I learned that when I was 16 and we went off rising on a double track in a cutlass supreme... Not a good idea btw. We had to flag down someone to pull it out at 11 at night. I'd just like to go on light trails, no climbing, no mud