<<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.>>
O.K. Gotta' love a good tractor though... It's amazing the work they can do
and where they can go.
<<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.>>
This is a "too each his own" kinda thing. I will say that after humping
mountains for a week+ looking for the perfect Buck, I look forward to doing some
4x4 exploring in the off season! Wheelin' is fun and exciting but I agree it's
not quite as satisfying as looking over your shoulder and taking in a beautiful
mountain valley after you hiked up to the top.
<<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.>>
A jeep is surely a competent vehicle (I owned one), but the equation is a bit
more involved than that. In some terrain a longer wheelbase rig would
outperform a jeep anyday... Under most conditions though, the tight turning
radius and possibilities of a jeep make it the vehicle of choice.
<<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.>>
Everything but the upfront cost and gas I'll argue with... My insurance cost's
are the same as it would for a 4x2 (I asked) and my jeep insurance was actually
lower than normal 'cause they categorized it as a "utility vehicle" which, for
some reason, costs less. As far as maintenance goes, as long as you do the
required PM and take care of it after you been wheelin' the costs are not
significantly different. I had my jeep for 10 years and drove it places I still
can't believe I made it out of... I never did anything more than routine PM,
thorough cleanings, and banged out/smoothed out a bunch of dents. Heck, it
still had the OEM clutch and disk brakes when I gave it to my brother-in-law.
<<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.>>
Well, that's the key isn't it --know your limitations. What I'm saying is, you
will reach those limitations sooner in a 4x2.
<<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.>>
I'm sure some guys get the big wheels and lifts for looks, but I want 'em to get
the important stuff higher off the ground so I don't break or bang 'em up. One
big rock in the wrong place can ruin your whole day!
You may take the wrangler but can you afford it and your Dak? I can't and
that's why I had to compromise and go with the Dak only. It will never go to
alot of the places my jeep went, but it will take me to most of the places I
want to go.
<<The steepest thing they'll climb is their driveway (at least around here). I
refuse to buy into the macho 4x4 mentality.>>
Come on Shaun, that's so cliche! Not all of us consider 4wd because of it's
"ego appeal".
<<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.>>
What can I say, too each his own.
<<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.>>
You don't even have to trust me on this one --I don't have big bucks! I have to
put aside slush funds that take months to get large enough to do what I want to
do with my truck. It's important to me to make a reasonably competent 4x4,
though, so I save the penny's, nickels and dimes to make what I want.
<<I still say it's an image thing.>>
DOH! Cliche again!
<<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.)>>
Sure, you can hang up your front diff. on stuff, but I'll take a front diff over
no diff. any day of the week.
Anyway, it's been a good debate but my fingers are getting tired with all this
typing (I know my typing limitations now ;-)... TAG! It's your turn now! :-)
Tom
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