Question for me now is whether or not to get 4wd on my new(er) truck.
My old Nissan is 4wd and my old Dodge is not. I have never needed 4wd
here in FL and when I lived in AL I used it only a few times, a couple
times when it snowed and several times for caving. When we go to WY,
we may use it both winter and summer although that is a very small
fraction of our time. We also could do without it in WY even in
winter by being careful. My experience with 4wd is that it makes
repairs a lot more expensive. Thoughts?

I've had 4wd vehicles for the last 20 years. Not once have I had to have the
transfer cases serviced. So no, they don't cost any more for repairs. 4wd
sure makes pulling a heavy boat up a slippery ramp, a piece of cake.

--Mike

wrote in message
...
Question for me now is whether or not to get 4wd on my new(er) truck.
My old Nissan is 4wd and my old Dodge is not. I have never needed 4wd
here in FL and when I lived in AL I used it only a few times, a couple
times when it snowed and several times for caving. When we go to WY,
we may use it both winter and summer although that is a very small
fraction of our time. We also could do without it in WY even in
winter by being careful. My experience with 4wd is that it makes
repairs a lot more expensive. Thoughts?

Here in Michigan I wouldn't be without 4WD, but it wouldn't be necessary in
Florida.
Like Mike said, 4WD makes it nice to pull on a slippery ramp.
4WD does have more moving parts so the wear factor does increase, not to
mention the fuel consumption!
"Mike" wrote in message
...
I've had 4wd vehicles for the last 20 years. Not once have I had to have
the transfer cases serviced. So no, they don't cost any more for repairs.
4wd sure makes pulling a heavy boat up a slippery ramp, a piece of cake.

--Mike

wrote in message
...
Question for me now is whether or not to get 4wd on my new(er) truck.
My old Nissan is 4wd and my old Dodge is not. I have never needed 4wd
here in FL and when I lived in AL I used it only a few times, a couple
times when it snowed and several times for caving. When we go to WY,
we may use it both winter and summer although that is a very small
fraction of our time. We also could do without it in WY even in
winter by being careful. My experience with 4wd is that it makes
repairs a lot more expensive. Thoughts?

wrote in message
...
Question for me now is whether or not to get 4wd on my new(er) truck.
My old Nissan is 4wd and my old Dodge is not. I have never needed 4wd
here in FL and when I lived in AL I used it only a few times, a couple
times when it snowed and several times for caving. When we go to WY,
we may use it both winter and summer although that is a very small
fraction of our time. We also could do without it in WY even in
winter by being careful. My experience with 4wd is that it makes
repairs a lot more expensive. Thoughts?


Living in the northeast, I buy trucks with 4wd.

I think in the past 8 years, I've used 4wd about 4 or 5 times. Once to pull
my 4wd tractor out of a hole it had dug itself into, another time to haul a
tree stump out of the ground and a couple of other times when stuck in a
snowbank.
Oh .... 4wd low range is great for backing heavy trailers .... like a fifth
wheel .... into a tight spot.

Before that, I used it more often because I towed, launched and retrieved a
fairly heavy boat. The truck would probably pull the boat and trailer out
of the water fine in 2wd, but I always did it in 4wd to prevent putting on a
show for the launch ramp audiences.

I've never had any repair problems with 4wd systems, but my trucks aren't
usually very old when I replace them.

One thing about 4wd. The very few times you need it, you can't go without
it. I noticed though that the three winters we spent in Florida, you
rarely saw a 4wd truck.

Eisboch

wrote:
Question for me now is whether or not to get 4wd on my new(er) truck.
My old Nissan is 4wd and my old Dodge is not. I have never needed 4wd
here in FL and when I lived in AL I used it only a few times, a couple
times when it snowed and several times for caving. When we go to WY,
we may use it both winter and summer although that is a very small
fraction of our time. We also could do without it in WY even in
winter by being careful. My experience with 4wd is that it makes
repairs a lot more expensive. Thoughts?
The 4 wheel drive and low range comes in handy with heavy boat/trailers
on slick and or steep ramps.
I've had to pull several 2 wheel drive p/us and their boats up ramps. I
ve watched 2 wheel drives spin and slip backwards at the same time.
I no longer have the boat or truck. We will, economy allowing, buy a
boat next year. I will have to give serious consideration to replacing
my current 2 wheel drive with another 4 wheel drive.

Not once have I had to have the transfer cases serviced.

Theres a difference between never having them serviced, and never
HAVING to have them serviced. They need fluid changes as well, even if
you arent using them.

So no, they don't cost any more for repairs.

You are waaaaay wrong here. What a mis-informed statement. If it
says 4WD..OR Marine...it always costs more.

Here in the SF Bay Area, it's (4wd) not needed either. However we go to
Tahoe a few times a year to ski, and it's a LOT easier to flip a switch to
go to 4WD, than get out and put on chains when restrictions are in place.

Funny thing is that when I lived in MA and CT, I never had 4wd... couldn't
afford it. But, where it snows regularly, they don't ever seem to require
4wd or chains anyway. My theory is that here in CA, folks aren't used to
driving in snow, so they make us chain up or use 4wd for everyone's safety.
I still follow the rule I learned when I learned to drive in CT... if the
roads are foul, don't drive unless you absolutely have to. Sometimes though,
in the Sierras, unforecasted weather can move in quick, and catch you off
guard.

Additionally, being in construction, job sites can be a mucky mess when it
rains, and 4wd get's me out in a hurry.

--Mike

"Johnny" Johnny @any.com wrote in message
. ..
Here in Michigan I wouldn't be without 4WD, but it wouldn't be necessary
in Florida.
Like Mike said, 4WD makes it nice to pull on a slippery ramp.
4WD does have more moving parts so the wear factor does increase, not to
mention the fuel consumption!
"Mike" wrote in message
...
I've had 4wd vehicles for the last 20 years. Not once have I had to have
the transfer cases serviced. So no, they don't cost any more for repairs.
4wd sure makes pulling a heavy boat up a slippery ramp, a piece of cake.

--Mike

wrote in message
...
Question for me now is whether or not to get 4wd on my new(er) truck.
My old Nissan is 4wd and my old Dodge is not. I have never needed 4wd
here in FL and when I lived in AL I used it only a few times, a couple
times when it snowed and several times for caving. When we go to WY,
we may use it both winter and summer although that is a very small
fraction of our time. We also could do without it in WY even in
winter by being careful. My experience with 4wd is that it makes
repairs a lot more expensive. Thoughts?

You are waaaaay wrong here. What a mis-informed statement. If it
says 4WD..OR Marine...it always costs more.

That's bull. It costs no more to "tune up" a 4wd vehicle than a 2wd vehicle.
But I do agree with the "marine" part of your statement.

Yup, gotta change the fluid in the xfer case. Depending on use, that costs
an additional $20 to $80 per year. Less if you do it yourself. I just let
Jiffy Lube do it.You must not own a 4wd vehicle, as that's one of the common
arguments I hear against getting one (service costs more). ;-)

--Mike

wrote in message
...


Not once have I had to have the transfer cases serviced.

Theres a difference between never having them serviced, and never
HAVING to have them serviced. They need fluid changes as well, even if
you arent using them.

So no, they don't cost any more for repairs.

You are waaaaay wrong here. What a mis-informed statement. If it
says 4WD..OR Marine...it always costs more.

On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:24:41 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

My experience with 4wd is that it makes
repairs a lot more expensive. Thoughts?

I have a 4wd Tundra. What repairs ?

I'll concede that 4wd gets used a lot less here in SWFL than it did up
north. It's nice to be able to pull a trailer up a steep ramp
however, or take the occasional off road excursion. The last time it
was seriously useful was to pull out a 2wd PU that was stuck in a sand
rut.

On Oct 22, 10:46 pm, "Mike" wrote:
You are waaaaay wrong here. What a mis-informed statement. If it

says 4WD..OR Marine...it always costs more.

That's bull. It costs no more to "tune up" a 4wd vehicle than a 2wd vehicle.
But I do agree with the "marine" part of your statement.

Yup, gotta change the fluid in the xfer case. Depending on use, that costs
an additional $20 to $80 per year. Less if you do it yourself. I just let
Jiffy Lube do it.You must not own a 4wd vehicle, as that's one of the common
arguments I hear against getting one (service costs more). ;-)

--Mike

wrote in message

...



Not once have I had to have the transfer cases serviced.

Theres a difference between never having them serviced, and never
HAVING to have them serviced. They need fluid changes as well, even if
you arent using them.

So no, they don't cost any more for repairs.

You are waaaaay wrong here. What a mis-informed statement. If it
says 4WD..OR Marine...it always costs more.

Here is why 4wd costs more to service, simply more parts to service.
My Nissan has required its front boots over the joints to be replaced
requiring me to replace the entire front driveaxle assembly because
grit got into it although it was rarely used.
Left front auto-hub failed after 10 yrs and had to be replaced and
would have been very expensive so I replaced it with manual hubs.
Replacing a clutch on a 4wd is much more expensive than 2wd and I
suspect auto tranny probs on a 4wd would be horrendous.
Alignment on a 4wd often is more than 2wd and hardly anyone could do
it right on my Nissan because the toe in in the manual was wrong.

Alternatives to 4wd: Carry a come along all the time and really know
how to use it. Chains, in winter, many roads in WY require you have
chains. When I lived there, I went all over including up steep icy
roads with 2wd and chains. Carry 6 bags of sand in the bed for weight
over the drive wheels.

I normally launch from good ramps so I have not had any issues with
getting stuck and a come-along would get me out of almost anything.

"Tune-up", whats that mean? In 313,000 miles, I never really had a
tune up and I always went an absurdly long time between oil changes.
Engine seized at 208,000 miles due to a corroded freeze plug leakign
when my wife was driving it. For that matter, I can honestly say I
never washed my truck EVER. My wife washed it a few times to try to
shame me into it (didnt work), thats what rain is for.

My family wants the 4wd for WY but we will only spend one month there
next summer and then MAYBE a year there before reverting to a month a
year.