93jeepin

Nice. Lol
I had a buddy that his rear springs broke out from his rear end and it threw him towards a ditch. He went sliding to it and gunned it back to the road and straightened it out without incident. Needless to say we were replacing leaf springs that night.

Sideways99

2wd is for getting you stuck, 4wd is for getting out...and recovering ford f250s and hummers that should'a never left pavement...lmao
I can and have done more in 2 than 4 with the exception of Michigan winters.

black label

I wouldn't say it useless. I did most of my driving last winter in 2wd and as far as I know I'm not locked. That was a New England winter and we had quite a lot of snow. That said, if you're stuck and can't get moving 4wd is a nice option.

As far as 2wd vehicles go, try driving a rwd Mercedes in 1/2" of snow and you'll see what useless really means.

OldLaredo

I've had a recurring issue with mine where it likes to spin out when I accelerate on snow or even just wet pavement if im on an incline. It almost feels like the front end is putting up more resistance than it should.
But that is with no weight in the back, and not the greatest tires. Also definitely not locked in the rear.
So probably just normal slippage right? It gets annoying sometimes and I have to keep it in 4wd on any kind of snow or ice.

Bluelight

My 95 2wd will go through surprising stuff, but than get stuck on something insignificant. Last winter, I needed to move I to plow the driveway. Backed it through a snowbank with no trouble, but a wheel went into a small depression and would just spin. Had to nudge it out with my 99 4wd, but than it got stuck again when the front wheel went into the same depression.

With decent winter tires and the truetrac, I hardly touched 4wd in my 99 last winter.

93jeepin

That's what problems I'm having. The smallest thing will get it stuck and unable to move. But in a flat run the 2wd will surprise you.

Tom95YJ

I'll 1 up you. Try driving a 603whp z28 on drag radials in 3" of snow starting on a incline from a red light.

drhoward1988

Just spin the tires enough to create some heavy friction lol I was running my 88 mustang at the track one afternoon and a monsoon rolled in and soaked everything. I ended up having to ratchet my car back onto the trailer because I could never hold enough traction to get it up the ramp..the struggles of high HP/TQ lol. Kinda miss that car now. 347 stroked with a 400 shot big plate

black label

Yeah, but that build is your fault. Mercedes come from the factory driving like crap in the snow and their "ESP" electronic skid prevention works by keeping you from moving in the first place. You can't skid if you aren't moving.

Tom95YJ

Yea we all miss our fast cars. A few years after I was court ordered to sell that car I bought a mustang my wife didn't let me play with it much just kooks long tubes and a magnaflow catback.

I keep telling her for a midlife crisis I'm gonna build a notch back fox and put in a coyote with a procharger and 4.10 gears

drhoward1988

That'd be sweet! I'm still old school when it comes to power. I'd love to find another trunk car and do a big block....but that becomes crazy money... 3k just for a balanced crank.....lol I chuckle when people says jeeps are expensive.

Tom95YJ

Don't get me wrong I really like oldschool setups but Iove that coyote. Heck my DD is a 25 year old YJ I ripped out 90% of the wiring harness , all the vacuum bs other then the 3 vitals. Running a GM hei distributor and a weber 38 carb. No computers or to fail 1 wire hook up nice and simple. Runs great, hell it runs better now then it did with all the emissions bs (other then cat) and vacuum and computer bs. But I know hp = $$$. My father used to be friends with rod saboury who races in ihra back in the day he's still best friends with rods cousin. I got to take rods cousins 58 vette to my prom. All the Rich kids were pissed cause my ride got more attention then their stretch h2 hummers. The corvette I drove to prom was the actual one used in the movie diner in the late 80's. The pic below is one of rods older Vettes I think he runs a 63 now

Kris smith

My last jeep became 2wd obly after I did the rear axle swap never got around to re gearing or swapping the front. And I'll be damned if it didn't do just as well as my current xj that's geared and locked. But in the snow they both suck as they gravel the roads here and my old ats would just slid on them. I was heads in up toward the mountains one day in maybe 6 inches of snow I was doing maybe 25 and drifting all the curves and I was still being tailgated so I pulled over right as they sped by and straight into a ditch. That was some all wheel drive car. It's really all about how you drive. I use 2 wd in my new heep to get stuck and when I can't get out its 4 hi. I still have never used 4 low.

black label

^^^
So right about it being how you drive in snow. A front wheel drive honda civic has 4 wheel brakes just like an XJ. 4wd doesn't improve braking and in 99% of 4wd/awd systems it doesn't improve handling.

4wd allows you to move or keeps you moving, it does nothing to keep you on the road.

holycaveman

Here is my experience. Standard 2wd does crap (xj) say you are pulling a snow covered hill and trying to stay the speed limit. No way, you will be lucky if you make the hill. Now you are locked 2wd. You can pretty much keep the speed but there is a point where the weight of the front end will overcome your traction in the rear and you instantly slide to wherever the grade is, so you have to immediately let off and back on.

With 4wd open, you can run a the speed limit up the hill. With little risk of sliding. Now you are 4wd lockedd. You can pull the hill as fast as the jeep will go. If you do start to slide it's much more controllable with your front wheels pulling you back straight.

So 4wd locked is the bomb but can be a little scary.

4wd open is the safest

Locked 2wd is pretty good

2wd open just plain sucks.