Aaron asked:
"I want to start out by saying I do not want this to
turn into a flame war, it is "not' 4x4 vs 2x4 I just
want to know some experiences...."
Driving on snow two to three times a week would make
it very easy to justify getting four wheel drive. You
probably already know that a two-wheel drive truck is
not the best choice for driving on snow. A front-wheel
drive car would probably be better than that. So if
you're getting a truck, I strongly recommend a 4x4.
I also strongly recommend full-time four wheel drive
if it is available with the engine you want. A full
time system works great in winter conditions. Unless
you are extremely partial to a stickshift, I would
also recommend getting an automatic transmission. The
combination of an automatic with a full time transfer
case leads to gentle, gradual applications of torque
when accelerating. That reduces the chance for
wheelspin. That makes for much better winter
performance.
As to tires, if you are driving on snow-covered
pavement, you'll probably do better without the wheel
and tire package. Wider tires tend to float on the
snow. Narrower tires will tend to cut through to find
better traction below. The reverse is true if you are
driving on snow so deep that digging in would cause
you to belly out or that has no solid surface below.
But driving up to the ski resort won't usually bring
you into those conditions. And a limited slip diff is
a good choice for any truck you choose.
The additional maintenance costs are not onerous,
unless you choose to use the severe duty maintenance
schedule. Check the owners manual carefully. I'll bet
you decide you can get along just fine with the normal
maintenance schedule. Unless you submerge the axles
you don't need to spend a lot of time thinking about
changing axle fluids.
just my opinions,
-J.
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:03:21 EDT