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2WD Pickup w/chains vs. 4WD Pickup

M

Married2Allis

Well-known Member
I'm in the market for a good used truck. But what I'm finding out when searching is that the sellers don't really know what they have. Is it a 4WD or AWD with open axles front and back, or does it have a limited-slip axle? And that has me wondering because I am looking for 4WD but I an seeing a lot of nice 2WD trucks available. I had a 4WD Dodge for years a rarely ever put it in 4WD. How well does a 2WD with a limited-slip axle do with CHAINS vs. 4WD?
 
I have had both 2wd with locker not lsd is lighter and will go through almost as much as a 4wd with open difs. 2wd won't turn well
in thick mud or snow.
 
There is never much research done on used trucks that come on the lot. If you get the vin a shop for the OEM should be able to pull up the build list. I know when I used to sell Fords in the commercial department I even had access to that, but not everyone knows where it is, so you might have to ask around a few places. My farm truck is an old '79 F250 2wd with an open rear and so long as it's not wet in the fields the truck does the job great. While on a new truck the price difference isn't huge, if shopping the used market you should expect a pretty healthy discount, and likely some aged units aged only because of equipment and not other issues. Plus, I always found most folks who bought 2wd that weren't fleets were old men, so they generally aren't beat on.

All that being said, there are limitations. You can't tow heavy loads through a field or pull out equipment that gets stuck, and it won't be a snow vehicle.
 
My current pickups in upstate NY are part time 4 wheel drive with 3:55 limited slip. Crossing the Irondequoit bridge on Rte 390 in the winter was an adventure with 2 wheel drive limited slip as the front end tended to move/slip around where as the 4 wheel drive tracked very true. Pulling small tree stumps is much better with the 4 wheel drive.

Cable Chains on the highway are terrible, noisy and terrible ride.
 
I remember the days when hardly anyone had 4-wheel drive. I think a lot of the old school guys simply didn't want to fork out the $500-1000 or more for it. My uncle had a fence business and for years drove a '78 Ford F250 dually which saw it's share of mud. Usually had a lot of weight on.
 
A 2wd with chains and maybe some weight in the back will go through bumper deep snow no problem. If it's wet, slippery snow, likely be better because of the chains.
 
Here's my dumb question.

What is an open differential? It almost certainly can't be literally open to let in mud, water, etc.

Thanks for an explanation.
 
(quoted from post at 21:30:19 03/08/18) Here's my dumb question.

What is an open differential? It almost certainly can't be literally open to let in mud, water, etc.

Thanks for an explanation.
Click to expand...

Open difs really only put power to one wheel. A limited slip has clutches that allow for both wheels to spin together, but once a predetermined torque is reached it will open up to allow for tracking around turns. A locker fully locks the rear wheels together. If I were buying a brand new truck I'd go for 2wd with the locker cause I'm cheap.. but my old truck was cheaper than a junk yard axle so I didn't complain that it was open dif and I just get aggressive tires and it does well enough.

One thing on chains, if they break loose your bed will pay! If it's a newer truck it might even be worth paying a shop around $1500 to add a locker if it turns out to be open... but then again, you have to weigh against the cost of 4x4.. .from the factory the locker is only a few hundred bucks.
 
My '99 F250 can get stuck on a dime, but put a half ton in it, no problem. I ran snow tires on the back all year. Soft ground or even wet grass and the wheels spin. I park it in the turnaround when it snows avoid the slight upgrade from the garage.
 
At the dealership if we got a 2x4 truck in trade it sat on the lot for months -- 4x4 quite a few were sold
before we got them cleaned up. I have both, 2x4 has the limited slip. When I leave the driveway I have to go
up steep hills. If there is any snow on the ground, forget the 2 wheel. I put over a million miles on trucks
in the 15 years I drove, I do not want to put on another pair of chains as long as I live.
 

Almost every pickup has 4x4, not AWD, you will find some higher end 1/2 tons with "4A" auto 4x4, normally meaning the transfercase shifts in and out on it's own, sort of an on-demand 4x4

Current trucks I drive are a 2WD with (automatic) diff lock and a 4wd with limited slip.

The 2wd gets stuck on wet grass, even with both rears spinning. Never ran chains.

The 4x4 with limited slip is almost unstoppable in 4x4.

Both will step sideways when the axle locks up. The 2wd will stop, but 4x4 will keep going.

Also run 4x4 loader tractor and 2wd loader on chains, 2wd gets stuck if you look at it the wrong way. 4x4 just needs pointed the direction you want to go.
 
I guess chains went out of style a long time ago. I remember hearing school buses with them on. Busted my knuckles a few times, don't miss them.
 
Chains aren't even legal for highway use here in Michigan. In New York, a few roads require them for travel during certain months.
 
(quoted from post at 23:38:52 03/08/18) In snow not much difference, in mud there
is more advantage to 4x4.
Click to expand...

I'm old so I remember chains well.
A 2 WD with chains and some weight will darn near go anywhere a 4 WD will without chains will in snow maybe even more places.
As I said I'm old......nowadays, I much prefer turning a switch or pulling a lever to crawling around in the snow putting on chains.
 
I engaged 4wd on my 99 dually Ford 3 times today.

I mounted chains on my 2000 3/4 ton 4X4 twice so far this year. I think of chains as a "better to have and not need, versus need and not have"

I wouldn't own a 2wd pickup, even if I only ran highway miles. My mind might be changed if I was looking at a 2wd pickup with differential lock, but I haven't seen one I can afford yet.
 
I have owned both 2wd and 4x4 trucks. Will never own a 2wd again. Got it stuck on lawns, snowy driveways and just about died when it did a
360 going about 40mph up a hill. Whew. But, I do have a pair of chains for the 4x4. I put them on the front tires for deep snow, ice or deep mud.
It makes the truck unstoppable. I can deliver a truck + wagon load of hay or pull the same amount of firewood and not have to worry about
getting in or out of almost anywhere.
 
An open differential is one without any kind of limited slip or locking device. The physics of an open differential mean that the torque on both axle shafts is always equal even if the speed is not. Thus, both wheels are always contributing equally to propelling the vehicle with no exceptions. In ideal conditions when both wheels have equal traction an open differential performs well. However, when there is unequal traction available at the two wheels the one with the least traction sets the limit of how much torque can be delivered to both. For example, if one wheel is on ice and can only receive 100 ft-lb before spinning the other wheel, setting on dry pavement, will also only receive 100 ft-lb. In this case, the wheel on ice will spin while the other remains stationary and you're stuck. It can appear that only one wheel is being driven but the key point is that both are at least attempting to move the vehicle by an equal amount since by definition the torque on the axle shafts is always equal.

A limited slip differential uses clutches or fancy gearing to be able to provide 2 or 3 times as much torque to one wheel over the other. In the example above, if the "ice wheel" spins with 100 lb-ft the limited slip differential could send 200-300 ft-lb to the "pavement wheel" which might be enough to move the vehicle. A true locking differential can send infinitely more torque to one axle shaft by essentially no longer being a differential at all when locked.
 

School busses today have the mechanical "throw" chains.

When I was riding the bus back in the mid to late 50s, the bus driver would have to put chains on the bus before traversing the steep hills up to our neck of the woods.
When he got back to the State highway, the older boys on the bus would help him take them off.
Vice Versa, when he needed to put chains on in the afternoon to get up the hills, the same boys would help him put the chains on.
Can't ever see something like that happening today. LOL
 
If you don't mind putting the chains on a 2wd will go anyplace a 4wd will and if you add weight it will do even better. The other advantage is those chains will force you
to slow down and drive a safe speed unlike all the idiots in the big 4w drives who think they can drive as fast as on a sunny day.
 
I had a 2WD pickup with an Auburn LSD for many years here is SE Michigan. It did pretty good in our snow; I only had to put the chains on one time. I had a cap on the bed, and I'm sure the extra weight helped. Throw some sandbags in the back of 2WD pickup with posi and it will probably get you where you need to go. Keep a set of chains in the vehicle, just in case.
 
No pickup trucks are "AWD" so that's an easy one. It's either 2WD or 4x4.

There is an option code for limited slip or locking differential. Learn what they are for the various brands and have the seller look at the option tag to see if that code is present. On GM pickup trucks, the code is "G80" and the option tag is located in the glove compartment.

GM vehicles have true locking differentials. Other brands only have limited-slip differentials. The difference being, a locking differential has both wheels spinning at the same rate 100%, while the limited-slip still allows some differential action.

I drove 2WD trucks for 25 years. Not once was I ever "stuck on wet grass." Of course I also don't mash the gas pedal to the floor in a blind panic any time the going gets sketchy.

Many times I've walked right past 4x4 trucks buried up to their axles with my "helpless" 2WD truck, towing a trailer, on the wet grass. All because they think they gotta gun the gas as soon as it gets a little mushy.

Now I have a 4x4, and what that has afforded me is the ability to leave the concrete slabs at home during the winter. 4LO is handy as heck for backing trailers into the barn.
 
I drove a lot in the snow with an early 70's Ford 2wd and a late 70's GMC 2wd good tires and some weight got along good. Had a 1996 dodge 4x4 ext. cab. With weight and good tires in 2wd it was worthless ! Not sure why ? The older trucks had skinny tires and shorter wheel bases must be why ? Like others I seemed to engage my 4 wheel drive in wet grass when pulling a trailer more often than other times.
 
I went to IOWA for a (non agriculture related) recruiting trip once. Stopped by the JD cotton picker plant the afterenoon I arrived and got a
nice tour while there even though I was there after normal touring hours. I asked the question about tours and the receptionist called out a
retired tour guide who was at the plant in half an hour and took "me" on a tour. Very interesting especially the machine used for cutting
the cotton stripping 3 bladed cones......I guess the cutter that pulls the bowl and hulls off the stem of the plant. My first time to see a
"forged" steel part being made which was an eye opener. Was really impressed in getting the tour just for me, after hours and all. Really
blew me away!

Rented a Chev. full size, 2wd. at the airport. Went to bed that night, didn't pay any attention to the weather, roads were dry with snow piled
up in the fields. Got up the next morning, opened the curtains and there was snow everywhere.

Called the rental car co. and told them I had to make a couple hundred miles that day and was worried about the car and the roads. Clerk
said that I had radials and posi-trac. No problem, get after it. I did and had no problems.
 
Some of the newer Fords actually have a switch on the dash for locking the rear axle - looks like a 4X4 switch. Activates a magnet in the axle looking it up - I believe it deactivates at 20 or 30 MPH. We buy lots of fleet trucks from dealer lots - some have it and others don't.
 
We had 2WD on the farm and out of high school I had a 2WD. They seemed to do just fine if you had some weight. I drove 2WD supplied by the company for the fist 15 years of construction. With them loaded they did good as long as you didn't put them in a bad spot. I've had and still do have 4x4's either personal or through work in the years since. Right now I have a 2WD work truck I wouldn't give a pug nickel for.
It's a 2011 1500 Chev w/ a 6cyl. While cheap on gas it's a dog and gets stuck on a banana peel. Even loaded with tools. As I said, I have had experience with 2WD, but this one is different.
 
A good 95 percent of my driving here in fairly flat nw Iowa is with a 2wd. In fact I specifically shop for 2wd pickups because they are cheaper to buy and operate. No, I don't get stuck in wet grass, in fact I don't remember the last time I had to have a 2wd pulled out though it has happened. My 4wd pickup is another story. I've had it stuck more than once but most of the time it was when I was trying to get through snow I should have stayed out of, the kind of stuff I wouldn't have tried with a 2wd. One advantage to a 4wd is if you do get it stuck in snow usually you can shovel out from underneath the pickup and get going again. If you get a 2wd stuck in the snow your chances of shoveling out and getting going again are much less.
 
(quoted from post at 07:44:00 03/09/18) A good 95 percent of my driving here in fairly flat nw Iowa is with a 2wd. In fact I specifically shop for 2wd pickups because they are cheaper to buy and operate. No, I don't get stuck in wet grass, in fact I don't remember the last time I had to have a 2wd pulled out though it has happened. My 4wd pickup is another story. I've had it stuck more than once but most of the time it was when I was trying to get through snow I should have stayed out of, the kind of stuff I wouldn't have tried with a 2wd. One advantage to a 4wd is if you do get it stuck in snow usually you can shovel out from underneath the pickup and get going again. If you get a 2wd stuck in the snow your chances of shoveling out and getting going again are much less.
Click to expand...

I used to see a lot of people try to melt the snow bank at the end of their driveway with their car. It never seemed to work though, and they would have to shovel the snow out from under the car. I don't see it very much any more though, maybe because of all wheel drive cars and trucks or maybe because more people hire their driveways cleared
 
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