Two-Wheel Drive Ford Ranger's New $595 Off-Road Pkg Is Touted as a “Hell of a Deal”

[DaveInDenver]

Only takes a 10-20 ft section of loose gravel, soft dirt, sand to totally stop you in 2wd. Dirt roads can be unpredictable. Maybe with a winch, several max trax, it'd be better, but 2WD wheeling just sounds like an oxymoron to me.

4WD doesn't make you invincible. If that 20 feet of sand is 30 feet or whatever is greater than your wheelbase is you're just as stuck. Then if it's a locked 2WD you have two driven wheels just like an unlocked 4WD and actually would be slightly better without a differential trying to balance torque across it. Look, I agree, 4WD >> 2WD but it's not a magic bullet.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Your hard packed, easy dirt trail, and 95% of your overland travel, is perfectly fine for 2wd.........until it rains. Or snows. S10's and Ranger 2wd's are the reigning kings of upside down in a ditch during the winter around here. Tied with Prius's.

Wheelspin is heck on a trucks drivetrain. Sometimes I select 4wd, off road just to completely eliminate it, not because it's needed. Sharp gravel eats tires. Ride can be a hair smoother in 4wd sometimes. I didn't bust my butt for all these years to settle for 2wd again.

As someone who lives on a gravel road I fixed it for ya.

Only time I run in 4wd on dry gravel is when I am towing something heavy on a steep hill so I don't spin out and jackknife. When the frost went out this year there was a lot of really weird soft spots that mandated 4wd for directional control. A front tire would hit a soft spot and the rest of the truck would try to pivot around that front tire. Between snow and that I was using 4wd twice daily as part of my normal commute for 3 months straight, it was like I was living in a truck commercial there for awhile and I gotta admit it was fun lol.

Around here it is trucks and crossover SUV's that can't cope with the weather. All their fancy traction aids help them go but not much to help them turn or stop when it gets sideways.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Steering traction is a distinct difference between 2WD and 4WD, that's for sure. It's not always an advantage to have driving traction coupled with steering, though.

 

[MOguy]

4WD doesn't make you invincible. If that 20 feet of sand is 30 feet or whatever is greater than your wheelbase is you're just as stuck. Then if it's a locked 2WD you have two driven wheels just like an unlocked 4WD and actually would be slightly better without a differential trying to balance torque across it. Look, I agree, 4WD >> 2WD but it's not a magic bullet.

I will STRONGLY disagree.

I have ARBs and have played around with exactly what you are speaking about 4wd (even with open diffs) is far better than 2wd locked. You have a better chance of gaining traction when your wheels with power are further apart then next to each other.

When climbing, having a rear tire pushing and a front one pulling is MUCH better than two tires pushing. In general having a tire pushing and another pulling offers more than two pushing.

In mud, if you just send power to one axle, even both tires, you can quickly dig in. Have the push and pull thing won't dig you in nearly as quickly giving you a better chance of moving forward.

Packed snow or icy snow, having two tires drive on the same axle can push you sideways. The push and pull can help keep you straight.

Having either axle locked can make it difficult to steer.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I will STRONGLY disagree.

I have ARBs and have played around with exactly what you are speaking about 4wd (even with open diffs) is far better than 2wd locked. You have a better chance of gaining traction when your wheels with power are further apart then next to each other.

When climbing, having a rear tire pushing and a front one pulling is MUCH better than two wheels pushing. In general having a tire pushing and another pulling offers more than two pushing.

In mud, if you just send power to one axle, even both tires, you can quickly dig in. Have the push and pull thing won't dig you in nearly as quickly giving you a better chance of moving forward.

Packed snow or icy snow, having two tires drive on the same axle can push you sideways. The push and pull can help keep you straight.

+1

And in 4wd you gain a ton of traction by powering the wheels under the engine/transmission especially in a truck that is normally pretty nose heavy.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I will STRONGLY disagree.

I have ARBs and have played around with exactly what you are speaking about 4wd (even with open diffs) is far better than 2wd locked. You have a better chance of gaining traction when your wheels with power are further apart then next to each other.

When climbing, having a rear tire pushing and a front one pulling is MUCH better than two tires pushing. In general having a tire pushing and another pulling offers more than two pushing.

In mud, if you just send power to one axle, even both tires, you can quickly dig in. Have the push and pull thing won't dig you in nearly as quickly giving you a better chance of moving forward.

Packed snow or icy snow, having two tires drive on the same axle can push you sideways. The push and pull can help keep you straight.

Having either axle locked can make it difficult to steer.

There's always corner cases. I did say 4WD >> 2WD general. I'm also the guy using 4WD high a lot and use low range as much as possible. It's less stress on the drivetrain, less tire slip. Of course you're correct and I don't disagree. Just saying that taking a differential out of the situation might mean you get less wheel slip than two open diffs on a loose surface.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

There's always corner cases. I did say 4WD >> 2WD general. I'm also the guy using 4WD high a lot and use low range as much as possible. It's less stress on the drivetrain, less tire slip. Of course you're correct and I don't disagree. Just saying that taking a differential out of the situation might mean you get less wheel slip than two open diffs on a loose surface.

Being lighter a 2wd vehicle usually seems to do better than a 4wd in 2wd too.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Just thought too that I can't remember a situation I've ever wished I didn't have 4WD, so I'm certainly not suggesting 2WD is better. Just saying that 2WD should be seen as an absolutely threshold because it can work fine if you have clearance and weight over the drive axle. Now there have been times I wished I didn't have an auto locker...

 

[Buliwyf]

2wd locked in my truck is a disaster in slick wet conditions. 4wd open is way better. It's a quick easy solution to lock the rear in dry conditions though.

 

[Cackalak Han]

4WD doesn't make you invincible. If that 20 feet of sand is 30 feet or whatever is greater than your wheelbase is you're just as stuck. Then if it's a locked 2WD you have two driven wheels just like an unlocked 4WD and actually would be slightly better without a differential trying to balance torque across it. Look, I agree, 4WD >> 2WD but it's not a magic bullet.

Knock on wood, I haven’t been stuck in sandy or gravel sections yet. But I have tried going over and/or up some loose sections on county roads, and in snow, in 2WD plenty of times. Just to see what the truck would do in 2WD. I’d say 80-90% of the time, I’d start spinning out, lose momentum, and come to a stop. Put in 4WD, walk right out. I remember trying to get up someone’s driveway during a snow storm. Same thing, start spinning, slide back. 4WD, no issues.

Good tires and 4WD is mandatory for me. May not be a magic bullet, but more of a 45-110—it’ll get the job done in most cases.

 

[AbleGuy]

Around here it is trucks and crossover SUV's that can't cope with the weather. All their fancy traction aids help them go but not much to help them turn or stop when it gets sideways.

2x that

I’ve lived a large part of my adult life in mountainous or 4 season communities, often near enough to bigger, flatland drier cities. We’d get weekenders from those cities driving their big, fancy 4WD’s up to play in the snow all winter long.

But these over confident, unskilled, inexperienced drivers just never seemed to get it that, while their big 4WD’s might have noticeably better traction to purposely move them forward as directed, their rigs didn’t stop any darn better or usually even controllably steer any better, in icy, slick conditions.

When I was younger, my buddies and I happily made lots of extra cash money each winter from pulling weekenders out of the ditches and snowbanks.

But in all fairness, every single winter during our first really big, serious snow storm of the season, even the otherwise experienced locals still seemed to have to learn all over again how to drive in the snow.

 

[Buliwyf]

2x that

I’ve lived a large part of my adult life in mountainous or 4 season communities, often near enough to bigger, flatland drier cities. We’d get weekenders from those cities driving their big, fancy 4WD’s up to play in the snow all winter long.

But these over confident, unskilled, inexperienced drivers just never seemed to get it that, while their big 4WD’s might have noticeably better traction to purposely move them forward as directed, their rigs didn’t stop any darn better or usually even controllably steer any better, in icy, slick conditions.

When I was younger, my buddies and I happily made lots of extra cash money each winter from pulling weekenders out of the ditches and snowbanks.

But in all fairness, every single winter during our first really big, serious snow storm of the season, even the otherwise experienced locals still seemed to have to learn all over again how to drive in the snow.

I hear ya. It ain't easy to teach snow driving. And IME, it's best to go back to 2wd operation ASAP. As soon as your moving.

But open diff 4wd is good for one car length improved stopping in the snow and ice. (no idea if lockers mess that up, haven't tested LSD's and such like that, yet)

 

[rho]

This thread sure got complicated.

"New ranger offered with FX2 package".

Calamity ensues

Right? Personally I'd take a 2wd with a locker over a 4wd with no low range... But hey!

Should I pass you the bucket of popcorn?

 

[mobydick 11]

to my knowledge ford does not sell 2 wheel drives Rangers in Canada ,at least not in Ontario . Up here you can get a f 150 way cheaper then a Ranger

 

[Todd n Natalie]

to my knowledge ford does not sell 2 wheel drives Rangers in Canada ,at least not in Ontario . Up here you can get a f 150 way cheaper then a Ranger

This is correct. No 2wd Rangers in Canada.