4WD or 2WD with a locker?

[michaelgroves]

or...

a 2WD van with traction control!? :hehe:

 

[eugene]

I secod the low range comment. Sure a 2wd can be taken where a 4x4 can but there are a lot of places even on mild trails where you need to go slow requiring low range, in a 2wd you just bounce yourself all over the place or overheat the transmission.

 

[Spikepretorius]

Do you guys also have a problem in the States where uninformed people get conned into buying 4x2 with diff-lock trucks. I've lost count of the number of guys I've come across who reckoned they had a 4x4 and got a rude shock when the reality was explained to them.

When I was in the market for my latest truck a salesman tried to pull that one on me as well. I phoned about an advert to check because I was suspicious that the particular truck wasn't 4x4. I then went along for a test drive but when I got in there was a gear-lever missing. So I turned to the salesman and his answer was Oh man it's the same thing. When I gave him hell he replied that he was just trying to make a sale. Go figure

(off topic rant finished)

 

[Martinjmpr]

Do you guys also have a problem in the States where uninformed people get conned into buying 4x2 with diff-lock trucks. I've lost count of the number of guys I've come across who reckoned they had a 4x4 and got a rude shock when the reality was explained to them.

When I was in the market for my latest truck a salesman tried to pull that one on me as well. I phoned about an advert to check because I was suspicious that the particular truck wasn't 4x4. I then went along for a test drive but when I got in there was a gear-lever missing. So I turned to the salesman and his answer was Oh man it's the same thing. When I gave him hell he replied that he was just trying to make a sale. Go figure

(off topic rant finished)

That would pretty much be considered criminal fraud in the US, and a dealer who did this would be subject to both criminal and civil sanctions.

Now, if a slick salesman convinces someone that the 4x2 is "just as good" as the 4x4 and the customer buys it, then it's just business.

IMO 4x4 is not a requirement - as long as you are willing to accept the limitations of the 2wd. I toured all over the Western US in a 2wd Ford Ranger with just a LSD (not even a locker) and I did fine. Of course, I stuck to paved roads or well graded dirt roads, but I was still able to get a lot of places. So it can be done. 4wd and lo-range are nice to have, but not neccessities.

When I took my long trip to Utah this past March, there was one day of fairly harsh 4wd roads that required both 4wd and low range. Everything else I saw could have been seen just as well with a 2wd pickup.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Do you guys also have a problem in the States where uninformed people get conned into buying 4x2 with diff-lock trucks. I've lost count of the number of guys I've come across who reckoned they had a 4x4 and got a rude shock when the reality was explained to them.

A similar problem I've heard about was when buying a FZJ80 unscrupulous sellers will install the dash switch for the lockers in trucks that don't actually have e-locker diffs. I dunno how common it is at established dealers, I've only heard of it happening with a used truck advertised by a private seller. I think by now that most people know what to look for on the axles, it's so obvious that I'm surprised that anyone gets away with it.

 

[KG6BWS]

IMO 4x4 is not a requirement - as long as you are willing to accept the limitations of the 2wd. I toured all over the Western US in a 2wd Ford Ranger with just a LSD (not even a locker) and I did fine. Of course, I stuck to paved roads or well graded dirt roads, but I was still able to get a lot of places. So it can be done. 4wd and lo-range are nice to have, but not neccessities.

i agree with this. i originally bought the truck because i got a helluva financing deal on it. i found it to be quite capable with the elocker. is it as capable as a 4wd?? no. but its gotten me plenty of places that a stock 2wd would not have gone. that being said, im halfway thru my 4wd conversion. i should have it done in a couple of weeks thanks to my family pitchin in for my bday. if youre willing to accept the limitations, like i was, a 2wd with a locker is a fairly capable truck, imo.

 

[michaelgroves]

IMO 4x4 is not a requirement - as long as you are willing to accept the limitations of the 2wd. I toured all over the Western US in a 2wd Ford Ranger with just a LSD (not even a locker) and I did fine. Of course, I stuck to paved roads or well graded dirt roads, but I was still able to get a lot of places. So it can be done. 4wd and lo-range are nice to have, but not neccessities.

When I took my long trip to Utah this past March, there was one day of fairly harsh 4wd roads that required both 4wd and low range. Everything else I saw could have been seen just as well with a 2wd pickup.

That's pretty much true of most expeditions - the vast majority of the distance is on roads. On transcontinental expeditions I'd guess you'd need 4WD maybe 0.5% of the time (5km in 1000), though you might have it engaged for much greater distances.

Along with 4WD comes a robust construction, high ground clearance, and big tough tyres, all of which are probably needed much more than 4WD itself.

The crux of the matter is how important the 4WD sections of the journey are. Are they impossible to bypass or struggle through, even with assistance? Are they the raison d'etre of the journey in the first place? If the answer is yes to either of those, you should definitely opt for a 4WD. If not, then a good 4x2 is at least an option.

A locker on the back axle of a 4x2 closes the off-road performance gap a little - but I would say it is a marginal factor in making a vehicle decision. If the standard 4x2 is inadequate, I wouldn't rely on a locker to make the difference. On the other hand, if you have decided to opt for a 4x2 anyway, then a locker is a good way of making it just that much more capable.

IMO a 4x2 with a locker is an improvement on an open-diffed 4x2, but isn't in the same league as an otherwise equivalent 4x4.

(That old chestnut "they've both actually got only 2 driven wheels" notwithstanding!)