You would be making an erroneous assumption here. I've done plenty of
offroading in both a 4x2 and 4x4. I've done it since I was old enough to sit
on my Dad's lap and drive our full time (no choice) 4wd articulated 8 wheel
Case tractor through conditions anything short of a tracked vehicle or monster
truck would fail in. I've been there and done that in most off-roading
conditions, sand, rocks, snow, forest, etc. etc. Do I offroad for fun? No,
I'm not into beating the heck out of my truck for no purpose other than to get
back into areas that are accessible in other ways. I'd rather use my feet and
hike it, it damages the area less, *I* get the workout benefit, and I feel
like I've accomplished more when staring at those nice vistas.
I've taken my 4x2 in places that 'experienced' 4x4 folks told me was
impossible for a 4x2. It's not impossible, it just requires knowledge of your
vehicle, how to drive, and where to drive. A 4x4 gives you more options, you
can be more carefree and reckless with your choices of drive lines. If you
are going to do serious off roading, I'd stay away from anything short of a
Jeep. They go places other 4x4's can only dream of. If you are planning on
just occasionally offroading in some standard trails, you have to decide if
you want to pay the extra $1.5k for the truck, more in gas, more in
maintenance, more in insurance, more in repairs- more often, and more, and
more and more for a 4x4.
If all someone wants to do is run down trails and roads that are already
blazed, deal with most dirt conditions, etc. a 4x2 will do just fine. An
experienced off roader can take a 4x2 plenty of places. Mine has been through
rocky creeks, canyons, the top of 5000' mountains, etc. You just have to know
your limitations.
So you can buy your lift kits and your fancy mudding wheels, but most of
those mods are toys for an everyday truck. I'll take a stock Jeep Wrangler
and drive it places we could only wish our Daks (4x4 mods or not) could go
(there are reasons why there are "Jeep only" trails). No matter how you slice
it, for the most part, 4wd is wasted by most truck owners on trucks that'll
never see true 4wd mandatory conditions. The steepest thing they'll climb is
their driveway (at least around here). I refuse to buy into the macho 4x4
mentality. It's a waste of money for all but the most serious of off road
conditions and there are vastly more real conditions I'd prefer a 4x2 over a
4x4. But hey, I'm not made of money so such things matter to me, I'm kinda
stupid that way. If you've got big bucks then by all means, turn your Dak
into the next 'Bearfoot' if you like. I still say it's an image thing. When
you work on a farm or ranch, then 4x4 becomes sort of a necessity (but we had
a 4x2 and a 4x4 truck on a farm. The 4x2 was always rescueing the 4x4 because
that front differential kept binding on rocks, mud, snow... but that 4x2 never
got stuck in it, it "floated" on top of most of that stuff. Strange but true.)
Shaun H.
---original message---
I think the best way to sum this up is 4 wheelin' by a non-4 wheeler...
Some of the interjections and clarifications make sense but the rest is hog
wash from someone that's never been there and done that. Hard pan is fine
for a 2wd with mild undulations but it ain't gonna cut it when the flats
gets rough. Never mind steep hills and slippery stuff.
T.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:13:06 EDT