4WD Question

My 2008 F150 is 2WD as were all my prior trucks. I did a cherry picker tree job and hauled it to the job without issue last month. First time ive ever pulled anything with a truck. Flat driveway and yard.
I have another job, but requires me driving/backing it down a hill to set up near the tree.
Here's my question: Will it have enough power to pull the CP out of there with the PU empty? Its on grass. The hill isnt steep. I have the ability to do a "loop" around the backyard with the CP hooked up. Would a running start be to my advantage? The hill is maybe 10 degree slope.

 

Dry grass and a load of wood in the back and it should be fine. "Hill isn't steep" means a lot of different things to a flatlander vs a mountain man.

 

Im talking about pulling the cherry picker out. PU bed will be empty.

 

That's what I meant, empty truck and wet grass it will be a chit show. Need weight over the rear axle.

 

Power yes, traction who knows. I have a 2WD F150 with AT tires and I can get in and out of some pretty gnarly places. There's a dirt hill that leads to a cabin in the woods, probably 15%+ grade....no problem when its dry.

Depending on how wet/soft it is, you may want to air down your tires. If you are worried about traction you could chain up the rears.

 

Gotcha, thanks. I misunderstood. Im not taking the wood (dead ash 16" dbh). Only hauling brush and trunks from hemlocks

 

condition of the tires and wetness of the grass on the hill will be the deciding factors.

 

It will also make a difference if your PU has a limited slip (posi track) rear end too. I have seen a 2WD posi track truck go places a 4x4 got stuck.

 

If the grass is wet and the ground is real soft then try the loop around. Or just try it and if you cannot get up the hill back it down then use the loop around.

 

Also depends a bunch on your differential. My F-250 is 4wd but with an open diff and traction control. It’s just like a normal open diff in that it has no traction except you can smoke a full set of rear brakes in two minutes. I still think about installing a Torsten sometimes.

 

Mine has the same setup, never smoked any brakes though. Probably takes a little more juice to get the 250 moving though.

I've thought about putting a locker in mine, but its so far down the priority list right now.

 

KISS.
No need to over think it.

 

Yeah, i owned a 4x4 Chevy once. (Not for long though, what a POS. They should have called it a 4 minus 2)
Got stuck on flat ground...

 

If you have rear tires with highway tread (read "car tires") then with an empty truck bed I'd give you a 50/50 chance of getting out, at least without getting a good run at it...bed 1/2 full of wood, chances increase quite a bit. Momentum, and weight over your drive axle are you friends.

 

Sounds right...

 

Depends on the mud. Air down it you need flotation on semi-soft mud, air up if you want to dig past the slop.

 

Here we go....

 

Says the man that couldn't get traction to back into a parking spot on level land at Walt's a couple years ago!!

 

I don't remember that...but I do have "all (no) terrain tires" on it...so wet grass is an issue in 2WD sometimes