OK.. So while I dont freely admitt this on TFF, but im a yankee (yes thats right). Coming from upstate NY, I have always had 4x4 trucks, and used/needed that 4x4 many many times. Now that Ive been in TX for almost a year, I havent encountered any need for it.

Sooo... To the fellow sportsmen here and long time residents of this wonderfull state, do you have or need 4x4?

Boat ramps seem to be mostly paved and havent needed 4x4 yet.

Went hunting at Whitney, but the roads back in didnt seem to bad.

Am I seeting myself up for trouble if I go 4x2?

Welcome to Texas. The answer to your question depends on where you hunt and fish. I have a 4X4 and have really needed it only a few times. I fish at several ponds that do not have paved access, so having 4WD for me was a good thing. Was it worth it? To me, yes because I bought the truck used and did not pay any more for the 4WD. If you are buying new and do not get off of the beaten path that often, you probably don't need it. That being said, don't call me the first time you get stuck!

I don't want to be the guy saying,"I wish I had a 4x4 right now". You rarely hear anyone say the opposite. It's nice to know that you have it. Being a hunter and fisherman, it's automatic for me to get a 4x4. I've gone through some rough stuff hunting and fishing.

The only 4x4 that don't make sense to me are the one's that are so tall that you have to have a ladder to get into it and have 24 inch rims. They look good for show, but are they functional? I know that they won't make it down the trails I've been down. They won't clear the tree branches! I guess what ever floats your boat, everyone has different taste. I respect that. Welcome to Truck Country!

i dont need a 4x4 , got a atv for that , not shure the difference in fuel economy between the two is worth the occasional use , limited slip gets me by

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

I know.. but whats the limit? I have a 20ft boat.. A 22ft'er would be much better when caught off gaurd by a storm..

Do you guys ever NEED 4x4 pulling out a bass boat on any of these ramps?

I have never needed 4wd pulling my boat from a paved ramp, but I have needed it driving offroad after it rains and for heavy work like pulling out stumps from the ground.

I have Never needed a 4x4 ever. Although I do tow with a AWD Denali. The slickest ramp I have ever encountered is the East Diablo ramp on Lake Amistad. Never a problem. Now pickups is a whole different story.

It all depends on how many lakes you go to and different ramp you use. I have seen some steep ramps, ramps with algae, mud, sand, and have launched boats in areas where it was a sand bar where I needed the 4wd. I sometimes just use the 4lo without locking the hubs just so I don't burn my clutch up on my Toyota.

Just don't be this guy...
Stuck at ramp

im sorry i didnt get a 4x4

Some of the lakes I go to are low and require launching from the bank. I've even had to do this at Buchanan a few times when it was low. A 4x2 would get you in a bind at times doing this.Yeppers, I have and will always have a 4x4. I use my truck for hunting and fishing. I seldom need the 4x4 but when I do it is there.

2007 Chev, 2500 crewcab Duramax 4x4 with Power Chip

I also thought long and hard about this when I bought my new truck. I had a 1994 F-150 without limited slip and in fifteen years, I only got stuck once. If I would have had limited slip I probably could have gotten out of that one. If your not going off pavement, I say you don't need 4 Wheel drive but like some of the other posters said...Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

The most important thing about pullin our on a slick ramp it to ease on the gas, dont punch it.

This said I have a two wheel drive and have had the privelege of cussing it several several times. Yes I do take it some places I shouldnt. I have high centered it over three times in a morning trying to get down to a creek around the house, and found out that it wont pull my boat our of the brazos and up about 100' of bank without putin a 55 gallon drum of water in the bed. Do you need it, no, but it sure is nice to have. I cant aford to buy a new truck now, but my next one will be 4x4 for sure. Till then I will continue to get buy.

matt

I have never needed 4WD but when I got my new truck I got it, just because I was getting a new truck and just in case.

i like mine being 4x4 because the suspension is beefier. i have only used it twice in 4whd. that was to keep from tearing up a field that was damp. its security in my mind, knowing I have it when I might need it. i dont think i will ever own another truck without 4wd.

4WD is definitely nice to have when when you need it. I have both right now so I have the option to drive the 4WD when I think that I will need it. As far as ramps go limited slip or a locker should be all you need. I have used 4WD on ramps twice. Once on Travis and once to pull a big### cabin cruiser out of the water on Texoma. If you are planning to get out onto wet fields or dirt roads when wet then get the 4WD.

I've never needed it. When I was in S. Texas I had deer leases I used my Olds Cutlass! I've had 3 suburbans and one Tundra and still haven't needed it.

Yes, it would be nice but at what price? I tow a 17.5 Nitro today w/the tundra. I have yet to slip on a ramp.

diesels are good with the 4x4 because they weigh so much i know that you may not need it but it is good to have i have used mine several times.

The 4x4 suspension makes the pickup look better anyways. I have it and have had to use it on several occasions. Even used it yesterday since our lake is so low that you have to launch from the beach.

now watch what the idiot does next http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvAQBimee80&feature=related

Ive used my 4x4 many times. Try getting your tractor stuck and pulling it out with a 4x2! Better have a long tow rope and some dry ground. If you ever plan on buying hunting land or going to check out property for sale, the weather is not always great and you never know what to expect. If not for the 4x4, me and my brother would have been stuck on the backside of a 50 acre property out in the middle of nowhere. Also used it when looking at some land in pushmataha county up in OK. It was literally on the top of a mountain and thetrail to the top was so steep , the back wheels alone wouldnt cut it.

Its also good to have when some good looking girls get their car stuck on the side of the road and need to be pulled out. You can be cool and confident pulling them out with your 4x4, or try pulling them out without it and praying you dont get stuck yourself and look like an idiot.

If you ever go to the beach or anywhere sandy, a 2 wheel drive truck is the worst because your powered wheels have no weight on them. You can weight down the bed for better traction though.

Plus, you'll have a 4x4 and then as a direct result be exponentially cooler!

I have a 4X4 and have been asked this same question from others several times. All I can say is do I NEED it - No, not really. But for the times that you use it, you are sure damn glad you have it. When your stuck in the mud, on a wet ramp that is slick or iced over a bit, off road, taking it easy on someones grass, etc. you'll be glad that you had those other 2 wheels with the weight over them to help out.

4x4 is good for getting out of trouble. But too many people use it to get into trouble.

I have an electronic locking rear differential and have yet to need 4 wheel drive anywhere here in Texas.

All that means is you havent gone enough places here in texas, becasue there are plenty of times and places you need it, or a good budy that has it to help you out.

matt

Enough Said!

I don't want to be the guy saying,"I wish I had a 4x4 right now".


"Amen Brother." I had a 06 Tundra 4X2 and stuck it three times fishing ponds off of dirt roads. I bought a 08 Tundra 4X4 three months ago for that very reason. Nothing like being 15 miles from home and having to call your wife to come get you. And that is after you walk the two miles back out to a paved road. When I stuck my truck another guy stuck his trying to get me out. A guy in a 4X4 showed up and pulled us both out.

The last time I got stuck my brother and I was in Rising Star 3+ hours away from home and of all things to be stuck in it was sand in a farm field. Fortunatly there was a man mowing with a tractor that pulled us out. And then theres duck hunting season, the number of times been stuck on a dirt ramp/frozen iced over ramp. And then the fishing trips in the out of the way places, when it was time for a new truck the wife INSISTED IT BE 4X4

I have owned 4X4 since 1985. I am always outdoors. It has come in handy when hunting and fishing. Not to mention the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FshOpPqj88&feature=related

where i launch at, both tires are in the water and its all rocky and gravel, i have to have 4x4. down at the coast i'm always driving in the sand, or back in the back bays and that can get pretty bad too. and south texas, when it rains, south texas mud isn't something you want to walk through because your 2x4 got stuck, 4x4 is a must. however, i can a 2x4 for 6 years and had to limit the places i went or had to bum a ride with friends with 4x4 to go certain places, and now that i have one, i dont have to worry about who i go with or where i go. besides, that one time i didn't have it, was enough to make me want it.

I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it also...

I will always own a 4X4...for more than one reason:

1: The roads DO ice over in Texas and Louisiana sometimes....and 4WD makes a difference. I cant tell you how many people I've pulled back up on the road surface with all 3 of my Jeeps...using the "granny" gear.

2. I duck hunt. 'Nuff said.

3. I like the added assurance of being able to throw it in 4WD on a slick, steep boat ramp...although it's rare that I have to do it. I also have a limited slip rear end.

4. It really doesnt cost much more for 4 WD...and the fuel economy doesnt suffer any that I am aware of.

5. Your resale market will be wider with a 4X4 in Texas and Louisiana.

6. 'Round these parts, if you aint running a 4X4...then some of us consider you a bit "suspect", if you know what I mean.

I have a 1996 Toyota Tacoma 4 x 4 and don't plan to change anytime soon. I have not ever had it stuck in 2WD I guess because of the off road tires and limited slip.

I have been trying to decide if I would get another 4 x 4 or a Pre-Runner next time but will most likely stay with the 4WD but will look at all the costs and mpg at the time and hopefully make the right call.

got a detroit locker in my 2wd thats all i need to pull my 20

What Oldfrog said! Peace of mind and better resale even with gas the way it is.

Oldfrog,

I can only disagree with you on one point and that is fuel economy. Because of weight and rolling resistance (includes drag) the fuel economy on a 4x4 is about 15% less than the same vehicle in 4x2.

One other thing

I have never timed both but, the 2WD version in the same truck seems to be more responsive and I would think that the 0 - 60 time is better.

In 30+ years only owned one 4x2 truck. It did OK, esp. the walks it provided to the nearest phone! 2 4x4 Grand Cherokees currently.

I will have to say that I agree with Old Frog 100%. I have found myself in several situations getting in and out of the deer lease that would have been Very bad with out 4x4. It's called insurance. 4x4 does not mean you can go any place you want. it just gives you more traction to get into some places that you can not get to in 2x4.

And for the guy who said he did not understand the BIG 4x4's. I had a 94' Chevy 4x4 with 9" of lift with 38x12.50x15's and I went any place I wanted. I drove across a plowed field in Waxahachie after 4" of rain. Mud chunks the size of basketballs flying over the truck and never got stuck. I went into mud holes that came up to the door and stopped, got out and hung out in the back of the truck while watching smaller trucks get stuck next to me. Then drove out with no problems. There is a time and place for big mud tires. Just be prepared to spend some money for repairs. I no longer have the truck, but had MANY, MANY good memories in that truck.

I will always have a 4x4! Better to have than to need!

K.P.

It all depends on the mud hole. In the plowed field you probably had hard pan under the top layer of mud. Once at Marshall Creek I traded runs at a hole with a guy that was running 44s and I was running 33s with stock suspension. He would not make it any further than I did. After about 3 times of pulling each other out we gave up. A ATV decided to try it and buried it to the handle bars. The ATV was harder to get out than the trucks because of the suction. I have learned that a locker works well for most situations unless you are into some serious mud or sand.

i didnt know we were all into off road boating and besides if we get stuck one of those 4 x 4 will be around right to pull us out

Well said. I think the thread started out as everyday driving in wet, dry, snow, etc., and occasionally going off road to get to that one spot to fish or to hunt, not going mudding or rock climbing. That's another forum. A truck with a huge lift and tires are not going to make it through the woods without having to cut branches or tearing up more land to get around that branch.

I gotta admit, I'm trying to learn myself before deciding on which truck to get. What exactly is a locker?

B_Rod,

A locker is located in the rear diff and locks the differential so equal power will go to both left and right wheels no matter what. You could have one wheel completely off the ground and the wheel with traction will still grip. An open diff will cause the wheel with least amount of traction to spin. It's what you'll find on most vehicles so it has less drag when making turns. Many trucks are coming with factory lockers now and are good for traction. You can't drive on the street with them locked, the vehicle will just want to push straight forward. I prefer just a regular limited slip diff. It'll have enough traction for everyday use, including boat ramps and off road conditions. Oh, nice burn outs also. Two lines instead of one

The only time that I ever HAD to use the 4x4 on my old truck was when I did something stupid, however, I did use it to play, but I didnt HAVE to.

Ok, Let me put it this way you can go places in a 4x4 that you can't go in a 4x2.

Here is fisherman terms bank fishing vs. boat fishing, you can fish places in a boat you can't get to when fishing from the bank.

If you fish in South Texas--especially Amistad and Falcon, you better have it. We have been very forunate over the past 5 years or so due to these lakes being semi-full. They do flucuate and I remember the days of having to launch at Falcon from the dirt (State Park)--that was fun. At Amistad, the Diablo East ramp used to be slick as snot and a 4x4 came in mighty handy--since then a lot of work has gone into making the ramp--at least the part that's out of the water, but if (when) we go to drought conditions again and the water falls below the part that was "reconditinoed", we will face the same issue/problem. I'm not saying all Texas lakes are like this, but here in S. Texas, we have the water fluctuating issue, therefore, I have a 4x4.

I thought about 4x4 when I was looking at Expeditions but then again I wanted to drop her and put the Ford Lightning wheels on it, never got to it tho.

If I need a 4x4 I pull out the Jeep, If the Jeep gets stuck, I pull out the F-450 and the steel cables and rip her out.