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#102273 - 05/03/07 11:06 AM 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


Hey can all u 2005 and up xterras with 2wd tell me how ur x is doing in the snow.

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#102274 - 05/03/07 04:30 PM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


I dont think you will find anyone here enthusiastic about a REAR wheel drive 2x2 [Huh?] But try out the 2wd forums below for a better reponse.

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#102275 - 07/03/07 05:21 AM Re: 2wd
TJ Offline
Member
*****

Registered: 08/03/01
Posts: 7756
Loc: Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
For snow...get 4wd.

The 2wd is for soccer mom's who stay home when school's closed.

laugh

Seriously...the X is a sturdy beast with a real boxed frame, etc...and, is about a 2 ton rig...not ideal for a daily commute if you don't need the capabilities.

Getting 2wd is trading all the SUV advantages away, and ending up with a slow, heavy commuter car...with no real advantage over a minivan except crash worthiness and ground clearance.

(Yes, of course Baja and other desert racers use 2wd off road...at like 100 mph...but they are not driving stock rigs either, and count on speed/momentum to keep them going...)

So - please, for the love of god, don't get a 2wd.

laugh
_________________________
- TJ

2001 Xterra '03 VG33, SE 5 spd, 305/70/16's, Revolvers, UBSkidderz, Doubled AAL's, 3"SL/2"BL, winch/bumpers, skids, sliders, OBA, Snorkel, pine stripes....

Friends don't let friends drive stock.

http://www.gifsoup.com/view/501230/tj-tackling-crawlers-ridge-o.gif

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#102276 - 07/03/07 08:38 AM Re: 2wd
BlueSky Offline
Member

Registered: 17/08/00
Posts: 2286
Loc: Georgia
TJ, your arguments make perfect sense for those who live in places where winter weather is a real issue or for hard-core rock crawlers. 4x4 is obviously the way to go in those cases. Your opinion makes far less sense in warm weather climates, especially urban areas where off-roading isn't a frequent possibility. Also, how is not having 4x4 "trading all the SUV advantages away" ? That's a ridiculous statement.

But what I'd really like to know is why you insult those who don't have 4x4. Frankly, it makes you sound like one of those "4x4 makes me a REAL man" types who crows about having 4WD and big tires and a lift as if that stuff adds something to your courage and character. Is that what you think?

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#102277 - 10/03/07 09:00 PM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


hey bluesky i agree w/ya man. the harsh comments on 2wd's really aren't necessary. tj, all he wanted was an answer to a question. im no help to you bluesky cuz im in tx but i feel ya on the harshness, but...ill make a stupid guess and say snow and 2wd probably dont play well together unless the situation isn't to rough. i've been told 2wd is bad in mud but i have yet to get stuck. have a good day sir.

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#102278 - 10/03/07 11:26 PM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


in my absence of mind i didnt realize bluesky wasn't the one wondering about snow. oops and im not tryin step on your toes or anything tj cuz i know you are very knowlegeable about x's, just thought some of what you said didn't make much sense (to my uneducated self lol [Freak] ). goodnight everyone.

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#102279 - 13/03/07 10:51 AM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


all i can tell you is we had one day of 2 inches of snow in dallas (about 6 inches to the north of here). we then got some ice the next day. The 2wd handled fine, but this is nothing like colorado or other places can get.

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#102280 - 13/03/07 04:04 PM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


shit, i bought an xterra for 2 reasons:
1. i like the way it looks
2. i like nissans

i could care less about ground clearance, gas mileage, offroad capability, etc.

i skipped on a SC and a 4x4 because there are more parts to break, insurance is higher, and why pay more for something i dont need? "everything thing you need and nothing you dont" is the tag line right? well i dont need 4 wheel drive. let me enjoy my xterra in peace and you can do the same.

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#102281 - 13/03/07 06:45 PM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


Statistically, I'd be willing to bet a 4x2 is safer and therefor better on snow than a 4x4. Why?

1) First I'd wager most 4x2's SUV's are sold in the southern climates where snow is less likely or around metro area's where they are sold on other attributes (height relative to most cars around them, safety in wrecks, cool looks, etc) and are generally in better driving conditions year round.

2) In the event of snow, those folks above would be less likely to risk driving in snow and therefor less likely to experience problems in the snow.

3) 4x4 does not save you from an out of control 4xANYTHING on icy roads. When I lived in Wyoming, it was common knowledge that the most dangerous place to be is on a road with drivers you do not personally have any control over. Wyoming happens to be one of those states with the highest per capita fatality's of motorists deaths by big rig trucks - most of those occur in bad weather conditions and involve people driving just about everything from the best 4x4 trail rated rigs to corolla's with equally poor outcomes when they collide.

4) Again, from my days (25+ years) in Wyoming (and now Texas actually) - people with 4x4 do take unnecessary risks with their 4x4 equipt vehicles and go way outside the limits of safe driving, often endangering themselves and everyone else unlucky enough to be sharing the roads with them. I got passed by a Cadillac Escalade here in Dallas when we had our last ice storm, he/she was going at least 60MPH over ice. I have no idea if the truck was 4x4 or not, but all it takes is a car slipping in front of you, 4x4 isn't going to help.

All that said, from my own experience in snow in both a 4x4 and 4x2 - never never never count on your 4x4 to make up for driving skills on roads with less than perfect conditons. The best advice was taught to you in driving school when you were - slow down. However if you live in an area that does get snow more than a few times a year, and more than a few inches at a time, I would definitely consider 4x4. 4x4 has advantages in breaking - the 4LO with manual transmissions has saved me several times by allowing more than just the back wheels to slow the truck. ABS does something similar, though less effective, on slick roads. 4x4 engaged also helps you from drifting when turning, however your turn radius expands. Most importantly, like a front wheel drive car (which do handle very well on slick roads) 4x4 engages the front axle with the weight of your engine over the tires. That helps enormously with traction. There are work arounds for 4x2's - sand bags in the bed to put weight over your rear axle, chains > 4x4 alone on slick roads. Trouble is, chains aren't always legal or practical.

For me, I chose 4x2 because I needed a vehicle that would take me where I was taking my car without scraping the bottom or wearing out my suspension. I needed the room of a station wagon to put the dogs in the back, the bikes on top or behind, and room enough for me and a couple of friends. The X gets me to all the trail heads I could ever want to get to to ride my mountain bike. It also gets me to the lake with my dogs. If I ever move back up north (and I will eventually) then obviously my needs will change and I will be considering a 4x4 again.

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#102282 - 15/03/07 04:32 AM Re: 2wd
TJ Offline
Member
*****

Registered: 08/03/01
Posts: 7756
Loc: Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
I didn't mean to be harsh - but its not as rediculous as you think.

Froma functional stand point, a minivan has more function as a street vehical.

To take a less personal tack....I'll use my old jeeps as an example instead....

A Jeep Wrangler is a lousy commuter car...as all the extra weight, and ground clearance, etc...does nothing for you ON ROAD...it just eats more gas, has lousy handling for a 2+2 convertible, etc.

People buy them because they think it looks cool/they want to project an image.

Are they more macho if they drive something that looks more macho? I don't think what you drive says who you are, as much as it says who you want to look like.

laugh

4wd doesn't show, so there's no advantage to getting it if its about looks.

_________

As for the argument that if you get a 4wd, you'll drive crazy and be more likely to get into trouble...its a double edged sword....

I see it all the time....Ford Exploders crashing all over the place on the TPK when its slick out...because they forget that while they can GO, they can't stop any better, etc.

laugh

On the other hand...its like arguing that food should be banned, because some people eat too much and die from heart attacks, etc.

______________

So - I am not saying you can't have a 2wd, or a unicycle, etc...just saying that it seems silly to get a 2wd SUV instead of a 2wd with more advantages/better function...made possible when a heavy frame and other SUV features can be left off, etc.

So - I'm saying it seems silly, to me.

You are saying the looks are more important than the function....to you.

I see no conflict....as neither of us are making the other one's payments.

laugh
_________________________
- TJ

2001 Xterra '03 VG33, SE 5 spd, 305/70/16's, Revolvers, UBSkidderz, Doubled AAL's, 3"SL/2"BL, winch/bumpers, skids, sliders, OBA, Snorkel, pine stripes....

Friends don't let friends drive stock.

http://www.gifsoup.com/view/501230/tj-tackling-crawlers-ridge-o.gif

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#102283 - 15/03/07 05:15 AM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


They shouldn't even make a 2wd X

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#102284 - 15/03/07 08:48 AM Re: 2wd
BlueSky Offline
Member

Registered: 17/08/00
Posts: 2286
Loc: Georgia
Quote:
Originally posted by TunaSoda:
They shouldn't even make a 2wd X
Wow, that was well thought out and articulate. Thanks for sharing. :rolleyes:

Obviously we'll just agree to disagree. To the point of Mike in NRH's post (North Richland Hills I take it?), true story:

I'm driving back from New Orleans to the Dallas-Fort Worth area after attending the Saints' playoff win over the Rams in 2000. About 70 miles east of Dallas, it starts to snow and I-20 gets pretty treacherous - yeah, even for 4x4s. Everybody's going about 30 MPH but then this tool in a Jeep or something comes barreling past in the left lane going at least 60. Twenty minutes later, I see the same Jeep...on its roof in the ditch on the side of the road, with emergency vehicles clustered all around it. Yeah, another of those idiots that thinks, "Ice and snow? Hey, I got the four-wheel-drive and them anti-lock brakes on this rig, I'm good to go." Right.

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#102285 - 16/03/07 04:23 AM Re: 2wd
TJ Offline
Member
*****

Registered: 08/03/01
Posts: 7756
Loc: Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
Yeah - that's been my impression too....too many people don't know how to drive...and forget that 4wd doesn't stop any better than 2wd...and do that ditch routine, etc.

laugh

Same with sports cars, too many people think..."I've got a mustang it'll do 80"....but on the next decreasing radius exit ramp, they do 80 off the ramp into the weeds, etc.

Probably, to protect bad drivers from themselves....they should make conveyor belts instead of roads...and you just get on and off the belts to go places.

laugh

The other thing alot of people resent are SUV's in general...as they loom over their painfully responsible small environmental foot print Prius...SUV's are threatening....and should be banned....because look at the bad drivers of SUVs who come barrelling along, and expect the hybrid to get out of the way, etc.

For myself...if I didn't off road as part of my job, and if it were not a hobby...buying an Xterra would make no sense...there's vehicals with more room inside and better fuel economy, better handling and ride, etc...for the money.

Once I buy a truck, instead of a car...I've decided to haul around that boxed frame instead of a unibody, churn large masses of hysteresis and wind resistance, ....and trade room, comfort and economy for off road ability....which I have due to the 4wd.

If I traded it away for nothing...I would have made a bad trade.

If I add aesthetics to the mix...so that aethetics are more important to me than room, comfort, economy or off road ability....than the trade can be worth it, as I would get the look I want, at the expense of the other factors, which I would have deprioritized to place looks ahead of.

So - there's no wrong answer, depending upon your priorities.

So if you buy a Vette, don't drive 140 mph because it can, unless you know how to, don't buy a 4wd, unless you remember the drive part is only a propulsive factor, not a decelerative one, etc.

laugh

Now, even a 2wd X can go faster than the speed limit....and of course, we've all seen people with 2wd and 4wd...and even 1 wd...drive too fast, and have accidents....so of course people with any of those should only be equipped with engines governed so that exceeding the speed limit is impossible.

laugh
_________________________
- TJ

2001 Xterra '03 VG33, SE 5 spd, 305/70/16's, Revolvers, UBSkidderz, Doubled AAL's, 3"SL/2"BL, winch/bumpers, skids, sliders, OBA, Snorkel, pine stripes....

Friends don't let friends drive stock.

http://www.gifsoup.com/view/501230/tj-tackling-crawlers-ridge-o.gif

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#102286 - 16/03/07 05:23 AM Re: 2wd
Xorand Offline
Member

Registered: 02/04/03
Posts: 2163
Loc: LA (Lower Alabama)
The reason they make 2wd Xterras is as much marketing as anything else. With SUV's being one of the largest vehicle market segments (despite rising fuel prices, etc.), why miss out on a potentially large audience by only making a 4x4 version?

Around here in the cotton belt, there are three types of people that use 4x4 on a regular basis: construction (pickups are the norm), hunting (ditto), and off-roaders. All of the off-road clubs in our state cater to extreme rock crawlers, most of which drive vehicles that barely resemble the vehicles they are meant to represent. 99% of those are Jeep-based.

Our local Nissan dealer only orders 4x2 versions of the Xterra and Pathfinder for new vehicle sales. They order a smattering of 4x4 Frontiers and Titans, because they know they might sell a few to hunters and construction workers.
_________________________
2002 Just Blue XE 4x4

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#102287 - 24/03/07 06:04 PM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


A few years ago I stopped to install chains on my Isuzu Trooper. A bronco stopped and joked about how I had 4wd and had to use chains. Well I drove up the mountain safely. Along the way there were four vehicles along the road in the ditch. The bronco and three other 4wd. My Xterra will go in the snow some day but I plan to drive as if it had 2wd.
I think you can have a lot of fun in a 2wd vehicle off road. Conservative driving and know your limitations.
Have fun.

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#102288 - 24/03/07 08:08 PM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


I bought a 2wd X for numerous reasons.

1. I have absolutely no need for 4wd. The only off road driving I do is to get me and my bike to a trail head.

2. The insurance is less expensive on a 2wd than a 4wd. At least for a single, 26 year old male in NM it is.

3. There are less things that can break on a 2wd.

4. I have always loved the way the X looked.

5. It has tons of room for me, 3 friends, and all of our crap for biking, camping, going to dinner, whatever. Of course I was coming from a single cab, 2 seat GMC Sonoma, so anything would seem roomy compared to that!

Bottom line is that I couldn't be happier with my 2wd X. Why bother getting a 4wd just to join the "cool kids club", when a 2wd X does all I need and then some?

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#102289 - 27/03/07 09:10 PM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


^ that's exactly what I got mine for too.

Thank God for this thread...I was starting to get a complex about not having 4WD even though I knew I didn't need it before I bought it.

My X has taken me snowboarding and camping in the 2 weeks that I've had it (no real offroad experience, but again there was no need to). I need the space for my 3 buddies and me, gear, and our boards and skis. Mountain biking comes this summer.

Plus, like it's been said...the X's look bad as hell. Why wouldn't I want one?

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#102290 - 28/03/07 07:58 AM Re: 2wd
TJ Offline
Member
*****

Registered: 08/03/01
Posts: 7756
Loc: Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
Well, that's my point - as long as we recognize and accept each other's priorities as being different, its all good.

If the way what you drive looks, is more important than function, a 2wd SUV is a perfectly sensible solution, as you get the look you want, w/o the added insurance costs and so forth.

If you just don't need 4wd, and, you are not an image shopper, you can get a car or minivan as a sensible solution, as it saves even MORE $ on insurance, gets even BETTER mpg, etc.

If you DO need 4wd, THEN getting 4wd makes sense....otherwise, its a waste.

This is why everyone is right...about what is right FOR THEM....even people who bought Civics.

laugh
_________________________
- TJ

2001 Xterra '03 VG33, SE 5 spd, 305/70/16's, Revolvers, UBSkidderz, Doubled AAL's, 3"SL/2"BL, winch/bumpers, skids, sliders, OBA, Snorkel, pine stripes....

Friends don't let friends drive stock.

http://www.gifsoup.com/view/501230/tj-tackling-crawlers-ridge-o.gif

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#102291 - 06/04/07 02:09 AM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


A 2 WD makes is the smarter choice. A 2WD Xterra can go farther than an a 4WD in the hands of an idiot.

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#102292 - 19/04/07 08:22 AM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


Quote:
Originally posted by TJ:

Getting 2wd is trading all the SUV advantages away, and ending up with a slow, heavy commuter car...with no real advantage over a minivan except crash worthiness and ground clearance.
I've got to admit - this cracked me up...

I must have been an IDIOT!!! Why in the world would I want a vehicle thats only advantages are greater CRASH WORTHINESS and TRAIL ACCESS when taking my kids camping and biking? I don't know what I was thinking!?!?

Seriously, no offense TJ, but it seems you're viewing this from only one perspective and that's the use you purchased your '01 SE 4x4 for - muddin' in NJ, etc.

The other thing of note is that you're viewing this from the 1st Gen. X perspective. The 2nd Gen X is anything but slow and its gas mileage is on par with many mini-vans (which you'd have to drug me, give me a sex-change operation, and call me Betty before I'd drive...)

I wanted a vehicle that was:

- SAFE (I've usually got my wife and 2 kids or a truck full of Scouts from my son's troop)

- had the capability to get me to remote trail heads (sometimes down fire, logging roads, etc.)

- had enough room to take all the camping, biking, back-packing gear

- didn't drive like a civic

The ONLY vehicle I drove that I immediately went "yeah, this is it" was the '07 Xterra S. It has nothing to do with image - it has to do with functionality, safety, driveability, etc.

I live in South Carolina, we get 1" of snow every 5 years, and I grew up driving 2wd in snow in Kentucky. I figured it made no sense what-so-ever to pay the extra $2k+ just for 4wd.

I'll save my pennies for more [drink] !!!

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#102293 - 19/04/07 10:22 PM Re: 2wd
Anonymous
Unregistered


what part of South Carolina do you live in.

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