2wd vs 4wd....or tires

[437]

I have a 2010 2wd V6 4Runner and I love it....2nd one I put 320k on my first one from college through my first job. I travel a ton on the highway and I really don't want 4wd due to the associated cost, mpg and maintenance etc. It's pancake flat here, no towing and primarily just concerned for when it gets wet. I will be staying on our main roads and walking the fields when they get monsoon-ish.

I currently have highway/rain tires that perform great on the road. I don't want to do any lift kits, but would consider putting the widest offroad rubber on there if it gives a significant benefit to pushing through wetter areas where it can get a little muddy.

Waste? Worth it? Location is south Florida. Thanks for any advice.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

You've got a few options. How much money are you comfortable spending?

 

[djones]

pushing through wetter areas where it can get a little muddy. .

that tells me everything i need to know.... 4 wheel drive or take a shovel and tow strap

 

[437]

You've got a few options. How much money are you comfortable spending?

It's not a do or die thing b/c I have a UTV I can borrow *most* days, but when the owner is there he is using it. So, I'm not inclined to spend a ton was thinking just a set of tires if that will do it....if not nothing else like lift kits, new rims etc....$800? It's not something I have to do right away, but I am keeping this in the back of my head. For any more cost I will just buy a quad and keep my 4Runner as is....or at least that's the thinking for now. Always up for options though let me know what you are thinking

 

[437]

that tells me everything i need to know.... 4 wheel drive or take a shovel and tow strap

Argh.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

I was thinking that a selectable rear locker would be the thing that you need, but you will spend more than $800 on it. Toyota rear axles have a drop out 3rd member (DJ will laugh that I wrote member) that allows you to quickly change out your gears for different ratios. A selectable locker would allow you to chose when you want traction and when you don't. There are electronic and air actuated rear lockers, so you would have to decide which would be more appropriate for your needs. A locked rear end with street tires can go places you never thought possible.

If you are automotively inclined, you can purchase a "lunch box" locker, such as a Lock Rite that provides a low cost rear locker. I had them in my 82' Scrambler, and the thing would climb like a mountain goat. Not as sturdy as other lockers out there, but it is a low cost option.

Wider off road tires will work, but generally have a softer rubber compound than street tires, so you sacrifice wear for traction.

 

[Afalex1]

Scram is on target with this one. If you put off-road tires on a 2wd with an open differential you still won't get far. Once one tire spins all the power goes to it and you're stuck. This is the glory of an open differential doing it's job well.

If you put some sort of locking differential in the rear you will be able to get through a lot more m, but still not as capable as 4wd. The benefits of only a rear locker are not having the maintenance of 4wd or the weight. Downside of putting one in is you will spend a lot more than $800.

Look at another 4runner with 4wd and Atrac. The 4th gens can be had at a decent price and Atrac does a decent job of taking the place of a locker during mild off-road. I have an 03 4runner sport edition 4wd V8. 269000 miles and counting.

 

[437]

Ok thanks all lots to consider. I know I can get by on the main roads year around, but ugh some of the walks to stands can be a mile or so which I don't mind I actually enjoy.....what I mind is if I kill something a mile or so out!

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

Another option is to buy a winch (not wench, DJ). I put an 8000lb winch on my log hauling trailer from Tractor Supply for around $300 (actually on sale for $199 at the time) it is a work horse. They have come down in price from the good ones like Warn etc... but for as often as they get used the price is great considering they will last a long time.

 

[Afalex1]

Winches are great until you're in a field with nothing to winch to. Then you need more recovery gear (takes up space and adds weight) to create a deadman. Or you need another vehicle to winch to. 2wd off-road=stuck in most cases. Copious throttle use and momentum are your friend, but that only gets you so far and can break parts quickly.

 

[djones]

Winches are great until you're in a field with nothing to winch to.

that's when you bury your spare tire and winch to that. or have the other wench ready.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

Winches are great until you're in a field with nothing to winch to. Then you need more recovery gear (takes up space and adds weight) to create a deadman. Or you need another vehicle to winch to. 2wd off-road=stuck in most cases. Copious throttle use and momentum are your friend, but that only gets you so far and can break parts quickly.

Look up "pull pal". Basically it is a big shovel blade you press into the ground. The winch drives the blade into the ground and provides a solid anchor. No trees or boulders needed for an anchor.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

that's when you bury your spare tire and winch to that. or have the other wench ready.

There is almost always a way to use a winch, especially when using a winch rope instead of a cable, that and running your tires down to about 12 lbs will walk you out of much, may be a slow ride back to find air but well worth it.

 

[Chopperdrvr]

Keep in mind that 2wd with locked differential will get you a lot farther into the muck before you get stuck.

 

[der Teufel]

Keep in mind that 2wd with locked differential will get you a lot farther into the muck before you get stuck.

Yep! My brother and his son both have Jeeps, and take them to Colorado periodically. Their Modus Operandi is to tour in 2WD, and only use 4WD to get unstuck. Traveling in 4WD just lets you get stuck in more difficult places.

 

[rgilbert]

My suggestion is to buy a used UTV. Trailer it to your hunting area. If you stick it you can still get back home in the road vehicle.

 

[FrankT]

since you have a 2wd like me it is all in the tires, a comealong, winch and ropes/straps..I am getting ready to replace my tires looking at these all cheaper than a new truck

General Grabber AT2 Radial Tire - 265/70R16 112S $140 or
Definity Dakota M/T (90000004226)

 

[OneK]

I'm going to be the odd man out and say get the 4x4. Today's 4x4's don't seem to give the trouble the older versions did. Toyota seems to be one of the best too. Gas mileage is not that far off either.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

Neither of those would be my first choice. In order for tires to get you through the mud, you need a tire with large side lugs and open voids to spit out the mud. If you have extra time on your hands, look up the Interco Super Swamp Bogger. It is the ultimate mud tire. Plenty of big lugs to scoop away the mud but it is WAY loud on the road and you will only get around 30k miles from a set if you are lucky. I run 35" Super Swampers on my jeep. They are slightly less loud than the Boggers and wear a little better, but definitely a tire you would want to utilize on a daily driver. My jeep is a toy so I'm more concerned with performance than mileage.

The tires you showed don't have the large side lugs or openings, which isn't to say they won't work, but there are other tires out there that will work better. Take a look at the Wal Mart Goodyear Wrangler Authority tire. It is in the same general price range as the ones you showed. They have the large lugs and decent sized openings. I have them on my 1986 F150 4x4, and I'm very pleased with them. I've put around 45k miles on mine. I've crossed through some decent mud holes with the truck in 2wd.

 

[pruhdlr]

Posi-traction,limited slip,big tires, . . . NOTHING takes the place of a 4WD vech. --- pruhdlr