Today, some of the larger heavy-duty trucks come with the same suspension systems loaded on their 2WD and 4WD models. The only real remaining differences are the inclusion of differentials on the front wheels of 4WDs and the availability of lower gearing and higher low-end torque in the 4WD mode —a plus for tow vehicles, regardless of whether or not they ever actually encounter off-road driving conditions.
So what sort of modifications will breathe new life into your trusty 2WD and open up new off-road capabilities? While having to cover the same terrain as the actual race trucks, they are not obligated to do everything that the race trucks are capable of doing. You may also consider that the famed Paris-to-Dakar rally now has a category for 2WD vehicles.
The ability to take a 2WD off road boils down to satisfying two simple requirements: having sufficient ground clearance and getting traction. Lift kits —designed to provide that extra clearance for oversized tires and to avoid gutting your undercarriage on rocks while still maintaining steering and braking geometry —are available for 2WDs. By using lift kits and other suspension upgrades, you can now put a system together that is tailored to your own personal off-road requirements without having to compromise highway comfort.
The same holds true for tires that are intended to provide you with the traction you need. With the variety of off-road competitions, each requiring a specific tire design and tread, the only limitation is your wallet.
BFGoodrich, with an unchallenged success rate for both Baja and Paris-to-Dakar rallies, markets a heavily treaded tire designed as the rear tire for 2WD desert racers.
One possible additional option for 2WD truck owners is an effective locking system for the differential. A number of 2WD and 4WD pickups have limited-slip differentials that lock up the axle when a wheel starts to slip. With two-wheel drive, the engine sends power to two of the car's wheels while allowing the other two wheels to spin.
Because the engine doesn't have to use energy to power all four wheels, and because two-wheel drive systems weigh less than four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive vehicles are lighter and more fuel-efficient. Two-wheel drive vehicles come in either front-wheel or rear-wheel configurations. This means that, depending on the car, the engine sends power to either the front or rear wheels. According to Autotrader, two-wheel drive vehicles are excellent choices for drivers in Southern California, Texas, and the Southeast, because these regions have mild weather conditions.
In areas such as the Mid-Atlantic, where you might occasionally see snow, two-wheel drive vehicles are sufficient if that's what you're comfortable with. As Be Forward notes, there are pros and cons to driving two-wheel drive vehicles. The pros include the following:. Esurance points out that most two-wheel drive vehicles come in a front-wheel drive configuration. Except for a few SUVs models, most SUVs are front-wheel drive and feature extra components that can send power to the rear wheels when necessary.
Front-wheel drive systems cost less to make and take up less space than rear-wheel drive configurations. Because a front-wheel drive configuration places the engine's weight above the front wheels, it also gives you better traction. Front-wheel drive vehicles don't have the driveline hump needed to accommodate a rear-wheel drive system, so you have more room for passengers and cargo. Consumer Reports notes that pickup trucks, SUVs on truck bases, sports cars, high-performance cars, and high-end sedans feature rear-wheel drive systems.
With a rear-wheel drive configuration, trucks can accommodate bulky and robust components. Rear-wheel drive also gives a pickup truck better traction when towing or hauling heavy loads. Performance cars come with rear-wheel drive because the system balances the car's weight from the front end to the rear end, giving the vehicle improved handling.
When the driving and steering are split between the front and rear wheels, it allows for an optimized suspension. However, because rear-wheel drive vehicles have less traction, most luxury vehicles give you the option of all-wheel drive.
As Autotrader points out, most drivers can't tell the difference between front-wheel and rear-wheel drive. However, rear-wheel drive systems are designed for performance, while front-wheel drive systems are designed more for safety, especially in harsh weather conditions. Front-wheel drive systems are more common in family vehicles. Four-wheel drive systems , according to Economical, often feature in pickup trucks and other vehicles used for off-road excursions.
However, more manufacturers are adding them to SUVs and crossover vehicles. In a four-wheel drive vehicle, the engine sends power to all wheels, giving you optimal traction and control, especially on rough terrain. This traction comes in handy if you're driving uphill, over rocky terrain, or through the snow. Four-wheel drive systems are set up to operate in one of three modes, including:.
The needs of a soccer dad from Los Angeles will be vastly different from a contractor in Aspen who needs to drive the Colorado mountain passes once a week to get materials from Denver. What do you think? Do you have any experience with either type of truck? You may find these posts interesting as well —. New Tires!
Winter tires! He mentions nothing about the newer technology in the tire manufacturing as well. Check out the Bridgestone Blizzacks! Then they are stuck out in the middle of nowhere and no cell reception! You can buy a nice RV bus for that to live in! Slow down and take your foot off the gas! We just had a crazy winter here in Seatlle and I live ft above sea level.
Guess what I drove all over and had a great time in the snow and black ice! A villified evil killing 2WD!!! I have done it! Even in cars and Vanagons and 18 wheelers and double clutches! Bias ply tires and retreads.
Save yourself the money and either buy a FWD wagon or car and put Blizzacks on it for winter and a good tire for spring and summer and fall. If you want to climb rocks and crawl then you should have been born a spider! Plus the off road crews with their need of a 12 ft ladder to get into their monster gasaholic trucks are ruining salmon beds and plowing down undergrowth and wildflowers and instead of hiking to their spot why not ruin the forest or desert by getting there.
We are an impatient and an instant gratification consumer driven society! So go minimal and your pocket book will thank you.
Oh, and you need 10 cyclinders too! One more tip to this pro 4x4er. Invented in Norway and now all the 18 wheelers are not chaining up they are socking up! Do your research a bit better please. You rear wheels up in the air and no traction cracked me up! Why that happens is because of no weight over the axles! So the tires in any drive car are not going to get traction period! All you were describing is what I have done thousands of times when stuck in deep mud or snow burms!
You rock it out! Sticks are the best for this! Just a 2WD owner and proud of it! I feel both the author and first commentor are akin to a political debate. Neither side was explained was argued well, and filled with controversy.
There are merits and demerits for all types of drivetrain systems. You can ride a horse, camel, or donkey, what you choose should be suited towards your needs and preferences.
You can get from A to B in a pinch with just about anything, but to say one or the other is irrelevant is absurd. There is no one-size-fits-all. Buy what you need.
0コメント