Having a second differential will give you an added confidence with your equipment, KNOWING that it is very capable, given the driver can handle the situation.

Of course someone with a 4x4 will generally go through a mud bog. Get stuck? Who cares? Does getting stuck make me have less fun? Hell no, its probably more fun getting stuck than tooting around the side and barely getting the tires dirty.

I think 99.9% of the members here forget there are other types of offroading, if you even call mudding "offroading". Tennessee is home to a nice set of mountains and trails that I like to call Tellico, and two-wheel drive vehicles would have trouble getting through the fireroads that lead to the TRAILHEADS.

Also, I don't have much experience with snow or sand, but I can say I'd rather have four-wheel drive equipped truck. Just because I have the differential and the transfer case doesn't mean I'm always using it, I just like to have the option. Everytime I go mudding, I use 2wd till I get stuck, and rely on 4x4 to get unstuck, because it is more fun IN THE MUD. Does it work every time? Nope... I've been stuck.

Would I do this for rock trails? Nope, I'm in 4-Lo before I leave the gravel.

 

I like 4lo just on the fire roads if they are tight, gives you more gear options so you don't have to lug or over rev the engine.

 

4low is great on fireroads that have a lot of steep inclines or declines also. I don't have to work the brakes all the time and worry about taking the fast lane off the mountain top.

 

Ya, its VERY nice, i learned that a while back

 

What's that? The low-range? Don't you drive an '04. Sadly we have no hubs to unlock so we can't use 2Lo on the boat ramps.. :-(

 

The 4wd Low, when pulling out my boat from the dock

 

Ahh, agreed. Wicked pissah that we haven't got a 2Lo option!

 

Yeah I know what you mean there! It can be fun, even on dry pavement I can do a nice peel out in my truck, but when I am in rain or gravel it can be a bitch. I have to start it in 2nd gear a lot. It has horrid axle wrap too.

The bottom line is, 2WDs can't do what 4WDs can off road. That's just the way it is. However, your truck is your truck. If you like it lifted, keep it lifted. When you wanted to convert it to 4WD, I said sell it and you said you liked it too much to sell it. If that's the case, ignore whoever gives you crap and enjoy the truck.

Who exactly is giving you crap? People at school with 4WDs or what? This seems to be common at high schools. I don't know why. It's kind of opposite at my school. Everyone thought my truck was 4WD (eventhough it is a stock height XL 2WD). I would bring it to school covered in mud, so I guess that is why they all thought it was 4WD. When I said it was 2WD, people were suprised, but never talked **** about the truck at all. Sometimes when I try and convince someone to take their SUV off road, they will say something like "but your truck is a 4x4"...I can't help but laugh.

 

When I was in high school only a couple of my truck buddies who actually know their stuff would appreciate my rig, everyone would always flock to my buddys rig with all the bling, bull bar, flames, clear tails, stickers, stuff like that. I think the high school tension results from 90% of the kids talking **** don't know a locker from a roll of toilet paper. I love when kids would rag on my truck for bein a midsize with only a v6. The majority of those kids are the ones with 4x4s bought by their parents who don't appreciate anything.

 

??? your tires still spin coming up the ramp?? damn i guess ive just got the major skill... lol JK... i guess its the tires... and the fact that my boat is pretty lite

 

Depends on the ramp too. There's a ramp down on the other side of the bay that is huge and real gradually sloped. Plus it's paved well below the normal low tide mark. We always had fewer problems w/ that one. However the one closer to my dad's house sucks. It's all misc rocks and stuff except at high tide and the ramp is really steep.

Although I have a lot less trouble w/ the new truck and wide tires then I ever did w/ the old truck, regardless of the extra power of the 4.0L.

Still, 2Lo would be key!

Dad's new Jeep ('03 w/ the 4.0L I6) kicks *** on the boat ramps. Short wheelbase, better weight distribution, at least as much power, 4x w/ lowrange..