I'm looking at a 2006 4x4, 4 cylinder, manual, with SR5 package. This does not have limited slip, and is not an option.
I live in southern Calif so seldom see rain or snow. Several times a year I might go to the ski areas, but then you primarily have fresh snow, and I'm just on the roads.
The main reason I'm looking at 4x4 is to go to hiking areas. Most of the areas I visit only require high clearance, but the occassion road is rated as recommended for 4x4.
So my needs are driving in fresh snow on roads, and on the easy end of off-road 4x4. It seems that even the TRD package does not have limited slip either, so given that I don't go on really crazy roads, I assume I would be ok without the limited slip or the locker that the TRD does have.
Something to remember too if you get a 2wd truck, buy a set of tire chains for it and when conditions get really bad (snow and ice) a 2wd with chains on drive wheels will outperform a 4x4 without them. I have gone thru some incredably bad snow and ice conditions in 2wd with chains and without white knuckles too. You have got to experiance it to believe it. My wife has a 2wd cherokkee that I put studded tires on rear of every winter and it is kinda a tank on ice and will outperform a 4x4 without them on ice. No tendacy to want to swap ends at all.
A 2 wheel drive truck without a limited-slip or locking differential is really a 1-wheel drive truck - if you get one rear wheel into mud or sand you are not going anywhere, it will just spin.
Same thing with an open-differential All-Wheel Drive system - the unlocked center differential and the axle differentials will send all the power to the one slipping wheel.
A part-time (conventional) 4WD vehicle with open differentials is really a 2-wheel drive, one in front and one in rear. Same problem, if both ends have one wheel slipping, you don't move
If you want "Stuck Insurance" you want (in order of effectiveness) a Part-Time 4WD System, or a Full Time AWD system with a lockable center differential, or a 2WD, all with some sort of locking differential in each powered axle.
You can go quite a ways with 2WD and a locker of some sort. And even with an open differential, driving smart helps a lot.
The factory choice is usually a clutch-style limited slip, and they work fine. If you go aftermarket you have several choices, the ones that you will like for street driving are the ARB Air-Locker or the Gleason Torsen worm-gear limited-slip.
You will NOT like driving on the street with the (IMHO Off-Road Use Only) Detroit Locker - it is an inertia-activated solid spool clutch system, and it will kick in and lock-up on every tight street corner with much wheel skidding and squealing. Anyone driving the truck that doesn't know what is going on will swear the rear end is about to fall out from under the truck, and they chew up tires fast.
If your world is flat, maybe. My world has mountains, slickrock and snow.
What a silly thing to say. I find 4WD with LSD or lockers quite useful for steep terrain, big rocks or the loose 'n soft like sand and snow. With just
2WD, obstacles can only be attempted with speed and inertia which will really get you in trouble when you're bounced off line and things get broken more often. With 4WD, low range in the xfer case and a closed diffy its pretty amazing what one can get in and out without incident.
I find 4WD extremely useful for moving my cargo trailers across landscaped surfaces, some of which are wet and/or soft. 4WD allows for steady, slow, more controllable driving, while 2WD depends upon momentum. Momentum in many cases = torn up landscaping.
The same low-momentum case can be made in the snow. No charging up driveways or hills. No running stop signs, because you're afraid to stop moving forward... Having had many examples of both, I've never wished my 4WD truck was 2WD, but on the other hand...
On the other hand, my usual answer to the "Do I need 4WD?" question is "If you gotta' ask, probably not."
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.