4x2 vs 4x4. Need Help

[gone_jeepin]

I wouldn't worry too much about the snow, some of my family lives in White Plains, NY....a little outside the City and they've had a 2wd expedition, and cabrio and I haven't had any issues when I go up there in the snow and I'm from GA. where we hardly have snow.
Slow and Steady gets you there safe.

 

[sleeve]

Counters:

1) Engine braking helps a 4x2 just as much as it helps a 4x4. Again, if you were driving for the conditions you wouldn't really need to use engine braking to stop your vehicle

2) Same thing can be said about turning. driving for the conditions is probably going to save your life more than that 4x4 system.

 

[Dave]

Help needed here......................

What's this "Snow" stuff you keep talking about?

It's that "white stuff" that will "frost up your wallabee's".......

Dave

 

[pipeliner]

It's that "white stuff" that will "frost up your wallabee's".......

Oh, you mean this stuff.

You must be registered for see images attach

Photo from when I was in Saskatchewan last Feb - so don't try and tell me that it gets cold in NY!

 

[jnaut]

Counters:

1) Engine braking helps a 4x2 just as much as it helps a 4x4. Again, if you were driving for the conditions you wouldn't really need to use engine braking to stop your vehicle

Counter counters:

Usually. Sometimes. Maybe. Even if one drives for conditions, engine braking is usually going to be safer than foot braking. Yes, when driving for conditions, you should be going slow enough and leaving enough lead time so if any slipping occurs, you should be able to compensate. However, a lot of time you're driving in mixed conditions.

I'm sure there are those of us who pride ourselves on driving for conditions, but have found ourselves sliding at 6mph when applying the brake. It happens. In my opinion, part of driving for conditions is using engine braking. When I'm on ice and snow, I always start my deceleration by dropping gears.

2) Same thing can be said about turning. driving for the conditions is probably going to save your life more than that 4x4 system.

Agreed.

 

[jnaut]

Oh, you mean this stuff.


Photo from when I was in Saskatchewan last Feb - so don't try and tell me that it gets cold in NY!

The nice thing about those conditions is that you have SNOW! Everyone knows it, everyone sees it. There's no disputing it.

The dangerous conditions are when you have sun and clear roads, and then there's one lonely patch of black ice hiding in a shady spot on the freeway where there's a curve.

 

[icarl]

Oh, you mean this stuff.

You must be registered for see images attach

Photo from when I was in Saskatchewan last Feb - so don't try and tell me that it gets cold in NY!

It looks like you are on a new survey/pipeline.

 

[Robocody]

Holy reviving a dead thread batman...


Anyhow, I just needed to put in my $.02 about Pedal Braking VS. Engine breaking, and the choice of the 4x2 over the 4x4,

They do the same thing, and engine braking by no means is the solution for slipping on ice. Sure, if you are stomping on the brake pedal like you are trying to put out a fire, then by comparison, engine braking will cause you to slip less. The only reason for that is because it is a more gradual process. You will get the same effect if you slowly depress the brake pedal. I'd even argue that because the brakes apply stopping force to all four tires, and in a 4x4 only two of the tires are working during engine braking, that you would stop better with a gradual application of the brake pedal.


Anyhow, I don't think you made a bad choice with the 4x2. You saved $2,000, and you don't have a use for 4 wheel drive. You live in NYC for goodness sake.

Along with my Liberty, I have an old '93 for ranger rear wheel drive, and I have taken both out in large snowstorms, with 2+ feet of snow. (I'm in the snow belt), and I can say that I have never gotten stuck in the Ranger. It's all about driving for the conditions, and knowing when and how to use the brake pedal. I have 4x4 on my jeep, and when I first got it, I thought it would be impervious to slipping. It's not, and I found that out quick. I have to drive just as carefully in my Jeep as I do in my Ranger.


Being in NYC, you won't have a problem. Unless you try to plow through snow drifts at 60 miles an hour while "Engine Braking", that is.


-Cody

 

[offrovering]

Engine braking is different than wheel braking. I was able to drive my 5 speed manual front wheel drive jetta through as much snow as the 4x4 jeep and control it, more engine braking and control.

Driving always comes down to the driver and their knowledge of the systems.

4x4 doesn't add that much support in snow, unless you are stuck, or already slipping a tires. An AWD vehicle will add more support for regular conditions.

 

[Bashgod]

Lots of times when i am coming up to the lights if i hit the brakes i will start sliding if its icy. However if i shift the auto into 2nd or 1st gear, depending on how fast i am going, the engine will slow me down and i will not slide as easy. However if i am going like 50 mph and i throw it into 1st then i watch my tail slide past me.

Here is another interesting tidbit. When i am almost stopped on ice i will often need to also throw it into neutral because at this point the engine starts to work against me. Throwing the vehicle into neutral and gently applying the brakes works also. On ice more torque = less traction. Neutral = zero torque. If you start sliding around the corner throw it into neutral and keep your foot off the brakes and you will regain some traction. If you exceed the traction of your tires going around a corner the 4x4 may not help. In this case, throw it into neutral and do not touch the brakes.

Another method is to powerslide around a corner. Apply controlled acceleration while turning the steering wheel to slide the rear end around. You can also use the e-brake on a RWD vehicle With a FWD vehicle use the e-brake while accelerating. I've done this before to avoid collisions when i could not stop in time. One time with the jeep i drove right into the ditch with 4 feet of snow in it to avoid running into the back of someone. I just put it in 4x4 low and drove it right out.

Its easier to do these things then to try and explain them though. You have to practice them first. Anybody who has driven in snow and ice for many years knows what i am talking about.

i do the power slide trick, its quite controllable in the libby. there is also less binding nosies than if i were to do the same turn slowly. im gonna try engine braking, never thought of that before. i figured it would cause premature ****** wear if done too much.

 

[CHUD]

Holy reviving a dead thread batman...


Anyhow, I don't think you made a bad choice with the 4x2. You saved $2,000, and you don't have a use for 4 wheel drive. You live in NYC for goodness sake.

Being in NYC, you won't have a problem. Unless you try to plow through snow drifts at 60 miles an hour while "Engine Braking", that is.


-Cody

In NYC, it helps not to park on the street during a snow event. The plows will surely make you long for 4WD. Ive been in Brooklyn over 47 years. The plows will sock you in quick.

 

[Robocody]

In NYC, it helps not to park on the street during a snow event. The plows will surely make you long for 4WD. Ive been in Brooklyn over 47 years. The plows will sock you in quick.

Wow, really? I live in a town of 6,000 people... So we all kinda know eachother... I just expected a little of the common courtesy that our plow guys show us... They try their best not to box us in too bad.

 

[icarl]

Think Ill have problems in the snow?

And pardon me for being a total noob.... Whats KJ stand for? "J" Im assuming is for Jeep...

KJ = Kickass Jeep

 

[Dave]

Wow, really? I live in a town of 6,000 people... So we all kinda know eachother... I just expected a little of the common courtesy that our plow guys show us... They try their best not to box us in too bad.

I live in a small village of 1,833 people, and the snow plows will plow you in real good if you are on the street. They can't help it. They go around the parked car and the blade unloads 4 feet of ice chunk snow up against your car. If the car were not there it would unload against the curb. I spent an hour with the guy next door helping him shovel his car out and then getting it unstuck. I got what I could with the snowblower but there was a lot of it that we shoveled by hand.

I was in the East Village down in NYC a week after a snow storm they had down there a couple of years ago and many of the cars on the side streets were still plowed in real good. That storm was rare for down there.

OP.....don't worry about not having 4wd down there in NYC as a bad storm is more infrequent down there. You also have mass transit.

Dave

 

[Ry' N Jen]

I don't know, but isn't "Jeep" and "two wheel drive" a contradiction in terms?
I have difficulty picturing US forces pushing "Two wheel drive Jeeps" through Europe during WWII!
Nah... That doesn't work for me!

 

[mikes07kj]

I don't know, but isn't "Jeep" and "two wheel drive" a contradiction in terms?

This is what upsets me a little, why would they put a open differential in a 4wd. It takes away from the idea of a 4wd.

 

[tjkj2002]

This is what upsets me a little, why would they put a open differential in a 4wd. It takes away from the idea of a 4wd.

In a regular 4wd vehicle(no lockers or LSD's) you have one wheel working in the front and one in the rear which is far better then one wheel working,front or back, in a 2wd vehicle.

 

[ATXKJ]

I don't know, but isn't "Jeep" and "two wheel drive" a contradiction in terms?

It's not about terms - it's about sales. in Texas they probably sell 5 or 10 2wd Jeeps for every 4wd - if you want 4wd - you have to search for them.
and on 4wd's - it's not unusual to find a 4-5 year old one that's never been put into 4wd. ( that includes used Rubicons - I never understood that)

The market for Wranglers - is the market for convertibles - they compete with Miata's.

The biggest real market for 4wd is for older ones that sit on hunting leases and never hit the road.

 

[Ry' N Jen]

It's not about terms - it's about sales. in Texas they probably sell 5 or 10 2wd Jeeps for every 4wd - if you want 4wd - you have to search for them.
and on 4wd's - it's not unusual to find a 4-5 year old one that's never been put into 4wd. ( that includes used Rubicons - I never understood that)

The market for Wranglers - is the market for convertibles - they compete with Miata's.

The biggest real market for 4wd is for older ones that sit on hunting leases and never hit the road.

I guess the same can be said here. When I bought our KJ the lot attendant (no car salesman at this place) told me that the vehicles mileage was all highway or freeway and once or twice in the winter and that the operator said he never had it in four wheel drive!
Funny.
Your comment "The market for Wranglers - is the market for convertibles - they compete with Miata's."
That would be my sister! First time she actually took it out for a drive she figured she would pull a fast U turn (with the top down and her and her daughters hair blowing in the wind...)
Dumb bag almost rolled it! Apparently it got way up on two wheels as well!
What an idiot.