35FordTudor Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 (edited) After having 5 F series trucks and 4 of them with 4x4, I have ordered a F350 7.3 crew cab 8 foot bed without four wheel drive. 1st truck was a great 76 F250 supercab 4x2, 8’ bed, 460 auto, a/c, cruise, intermittent wipers, had this truck from 88-2000. Never stuck 2nd truck 97 F250 supercab 4x4, 8’ bed, 460 auto, loaded truck. 2000-2003, Never had it in 4 wheel drive 3rd truck 2003 F250 crew cab 4x4 8’ bed power stroke, 2003-2016, 5 times in 4 wheel drive and suck 2 times, needed a JohnDeere 4th truck 2016 F150 crew cab 4x4 6.5 bed 5.0 2016-2017. Never had it in 4 wheel drive, didn’t keep it very long, Airstream trailer was to much for it. 5th truck 2017 F250 crew cab 4x4 6.5 bed 6.7 power stroke 2017 to present, only 3 times in 4 wheel drive only to keep the DW from complaining on snow. My reasoning for not ordering a 4x4 is that after all of these years of having one, is that I don’t really need it. At 60 plus if the weather is going to be bad, I’ll stay put until the weather passes. As a younger man my father never had 4x4 and always had a good set of tires for the winter. Most people never use their truck for what they can really do. I’m looking for a truck to pull and hopefully decent gas mileage. I’m walking away from the diesel trucks, with the epa and cost of service, I’m done with them. I still have 2 Isuzu diesel trucks for a small business and these will be gone soon. When I placed the order the salesman told me that my new truck is a 2% sold truck today, they have tried to talk me into the 4x4 and diesel. If anyone has a F250 or 350 with the 7.3 with 3.73 locking axle, what has been your MPG? Edited January 7, 2022 by 35FordTudor Added Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FL Lariat Driver Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 (edited) It's funny that you are getting away from a 4x4 diesel and I am getting my very first 4x4 and my first diesel. And I am also 60+. We got our current 2 WD F-150 stuck twice during one trip pulling the camper and the DW said NEVER AGAIN. So off I went to offer the dealership big money for a 2022 F-250 Lariat 4x4 with the 6.7L. What I also realize is the tires are the real trick to not getting in big trouble. A friend of mine once told me that you can get just as stuck with 4 wheel drive as with 2 wheel drive. A new 4x4 truck = very expensive but a happy wife = Priceless! Edited January 8, 2022 by FL Lariat Driver 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackdiamond925 Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 You probably don't want to hear about my $3,000 winch then. It's my third winch. The mechanic who installed the first one (a friend and I installed the second) told me he never used his winch after 30 years. I use them all the time. My mechanic is just smarter than me. I took my F350 through snowy Nevada last month and used 4WD mostly to get unstuck from parking lots and explore BLM roads. I could have just not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35FordTudor Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 15 hours ago, Blackdiamond925 said: You probably don't want to hear about my $3,000 winch then. It's my third winch. The mechanic who installed the first one (a friend and I installed the second) told me he never used his winch after 30 years. I use them all the time. My mechanic is just smarter than me. I took my F350 through snowy Nevada last month and used 4WD mostly to get unstuck from parking lots and explore BLM roads. I could have just not. I have thought about adding the winch to the build, don’t know if it is to late? Another reason for no 4 wheel drive is the height of the newer trucks. My 2003 was 3 inches lower than the 17. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattdm Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 (edited) I had to use 4x4 within an hour of driving off the dealer lot to get down my snow covered road. The first 3 days of ownership the truck spent more time in 4x4 then 2wd due to a snow storm passing through the area. I also really like using 4x4 when the roads are icy, it seems to give me a bit more stability and keep the rear end from kicking as hard if i hit ice. Edited January 8, 2022 by mattdm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FL Lariat Driver Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 18 hours ago, mattdm said: I had to use 4x4 within an hour of driving off the dealer lot to get down my snow covered road. The first 3 days of ownership the truck spent more time in 4x4 then 2wd due to a snow storm passing through the area. I also really like using 4x4 when the roads are icy, it seems to give me a bit more stability and keep the rear end from kicking as hard if i hit ice. Can you use snow chains when you are in 4wd? Or should you only use 2wd when chains are in use since my understanding of chains is they only go on the rear wheels? Southern boy here living in Florida, Louisiana or south Texas most of my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35FordTudor Posted January 9, 2022 Author Share Posted January 9, 2022 18 hours ago, mattdm said: I had to use 4x4 within an hour of driving off the dealer lot to get down my snow covered road. The first 3 days of ownership the truck spent more time in 4x4 then 2wd due to a snow storm passing through the area. I also really like using 4x4 when the roads are icy, it seems to give me a bit more stability and keep the rear end from kicking as hard if i hit ice. Matt, I’ve become picky on the driving conditions. If it’s bad out I’ll stay home. Growing up we didn’t have 4x4 and we learned how to drive better without it. I believe this and I’m really going for a better mpg with out it and hopefully a lower truck. Now this winch might be the answer. I’m calling the dealership tomorrow and see if they can add it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattdm Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 28 minutes ago, 35FordTudor said: Matt, I’ve become picky on the driving conditions. If it’s bad out I’ll stay home. Growing up we didn’t have 4x4 and we learned how to drive better without it. I believe this and I’m really going for a better mpg with out it and hopefully a lower truck. Now this winch might be the answer. I’m calling the dealership tomorrow and see if they can add it? Fair enough. I dont have the luxury to just stay home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKosi Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 34 minutes ago, 35FordTudor said: Matt, I’ve become picky on the driving conditions. If it’s bad out I’ll stay home. Growing up we didn’t have 4x4 and we learned how to drive better without it. I believe this and I’m really going for a better mpg with out it and hopefully a lower truck. Now this winch might be the answer. I’m calling the dealership tomorrow and see if they can add it? I didn't want 4x4 either but to get all of my options, I had to order it. I used to own a 4Runner for 18 years, and can count on both hands the times I used 4x4. It was nice to have when it snowed, but here in the Vancouver BC area, we don't get tons of snow. I don't think the mpg will be much worse on the newer 4x4's, here's hoping that will be the case! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quigs Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 As much as I wish I could have a 2WD truck, I unfortunately have to be at work either sun, rain, snow, hurricane, flood, whatever. I don't put it in 4WD unless I absolutely need it, I hate the people who drive around in full speed in crappy weather with no regard to the road conditions "just because they have 4WD." It's certainly not an invincibility mod like most people seem to think it is. If you can't drive well in 2WD then 4WD doesn't magically make you a better driver haha. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPistons Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 On 1/7/2022 at 1:27 PM, 35FordTudor said: When I placed the order the salesman told me that my new truck is a 2% sold truck today, they have tried to talk me into the 4x4 and diesel. This is likely due to resale. Not too many folks are going to want a 2wd truck. I see how many you've had and it looks like you will be trading it at some point. Same thing they said to me when I was thinking of buying a RCLB dually. In saying all that, here north of the 49th, my daily is a 4x4 half ton and I always drive in 2wd and only need 4wd when I'm lazy and don't want to plow the driveway first. Junk the OE tires for something better and it will be fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottK1 Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 On 1/9/2022 at 9:43 AM, FL Lariat Driver said: Can you use snow chains when you are in 4wd? Or should you only use 2wd when chains are in use since my understanding of chains is they only go on the rear wheels? Southern boy here living in Florida, Louisiana or south Texas most of my life. Yes you can use chains in 4x4. And no they don't necessarily go on the rear wheels. If towing, then you need them on the rear or all 4. If not towing, put them on the front for steering when in 4x4. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FL Lariat Driver Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 On 1/12/2022 at 11:42 AM, ScottK1 said: Yes you can use chains in 4x4. And no they don't necessarily go on the rear wheels. If towing, then you need them on the rear or all 4. If not towing, put them on the front for steering when in 4x4. Sounds like something I'm going to have to keep in mind when the wife thinks towing the RV up to see the snow will be fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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