We Don't Need 4-Wheel Drive!

da gimps story about the team of horses reminded of my Grandpap telling of a homesteader that lived along the " main road" to town.
Seems he kept a water tank wagon parked by his windmill during the daytime and replenished a mud hole in front of the house each night.

Now mind you there wasn't another mud hole between Cheyenne and Casper, but that one never went dry.

He kept a team of horses harnessed and ready assist hapless motorists that got stuck. He charged them a dollar to pull them out.

That mud hole was a better cash crop than anything he grew.

My Dad din't like 4 wheel drives, but then he never put the trucks in 4WD until he was already stuck, in hopes that he could back out of something.

He said that all 4WD did was git you stucker!!!
 
I wore out 4 sets of cross links on my chains on my 4WD pickup on the ranch in the winter of 79. That was a wooly booger!!
 
I grew up in south florida with airboats and swampbuggies. Been gone from down there for 18 years now . These are a mix of old and new photos covering swamp buggies . Check some out. 2 wheel drive with chains can get you must places but you can also bottom out any thing is some of what we called a grave yards . Those could make you think a buggy was never leaving or it would kill you getting it free at times.
Bing photos - swamp buggies - Bing Images
My first built at home buggy , future wife and me with friend in the swamp buggy parade "1977 "- 100_0438_zps4b850a4e.jpg Photo by hardluk1 | Photobucket
Local 4x4 club on an outing in 1974 - 100_0440_zpsc7dd2669.jpg Photo by hardluk1 | Photobucket
 
We were on maneuvers one spring and I got stuck running errands in an old Dodge M880, a vehicle which everyone hated. After the deuces had tore up the muddy roads most of them consisted of 6"-8" of mud with some puddles even worse. Had to use the winch a few times but with a running start I could get through most of them.

After 6 hours of this I took the truck back to the motor pool and mentioned to the motor Sgt how poorly the M880 was in mud. He looked at the truck, looked at me, looked at the truck and asked: Why didn't you have it in 4WD? THAT was when I learned about lock-out hubs.
 
My cousin always said that 4 wheel drive just let's you get stuck even further back in the sticks.

I like mine in snow though. The danger is it just helps you go, it doesn't help you stop. People forget about that part.

But it does help you stop..
The "emergency brake" is called "put it in reverse and floorboard the gas". This works best if your running 4 wheel lock.
In the last 43 years of running Jeeps, it's saved my butt several times!
 
I wore out 4 sets of cross links on my chains on my 4WD pickup on the ranch in the winter of 79. That was a wooly booger!!

I was plumping in SE Idaho that winter.We had three weeks of below zero weather for the highs. I spent too much time in between broken and frozen water lines.
 
Had a 4x4 Montero..

My wife delivered mail to some pretty rough rural roads*, but I don't know if she ever had to use the 4WD. I did though. About three times it pulled my fat out of the fire.

*One of her workmates turned her truck over on one.
 
I used to live on that hill with the bridge at the bottom, up in the N.E. Georgia Mountains! And, you know, the Dodge boys used to make the motors for Ford! So I'm sure that the motor in that rig was fine after that little cruse, but I bet the paint started to peel, and the rocker panels started to rust pretty quick, and...
 
Great Video.I would like to see one of today's Cars even attempt that.
 
Dodge sedans were tough. I once read the Military was so impressed they asked Dodge to start building trucks.

I grew up on a farm, we had 2 WD pickups, lots of mud and snow. Our farm road pulled off the river road and went vertical for about a 1/2 mile.

One either learns to drive a 2WD rig without posi traction or walk. I chose to learn. The Dodge boy had it right, most of the time do not slow down, speed helps.

With trucks of today 4WD in low with posi like my Ford SD crew cab with the 7.3 Diesel can walk thru stuff. I don't think 3 guys could flip it up right though.
 
Thats fine, , but I will keep my 3 4x4s, 2 with winches that plug into receivers front or rear, chains for all 4 wheels and axle shaft stakes. We get some snow around here and the bendonite clay (gumbo) makes some nasty mud. Sometimes around here it is a long ways to help especially for guys who have to see whats over THERE.
 
This is the daily driver, a 2002 Merc Grand Marquis with 192K miles on the clock. Been through two winters and many snowstorms, has not let me down yet. Sadly the tranny is starting to go and its starting to rust out underneath so once our taxes get back I hope to find a replacement that might include another 4 wheel drive of some sort. I cannot go anywhere near a new vehicle so I am sure it will be something a little older, a little tougher with a bit more steel involved. In this picture its wearing its chains which got it through 4-5 inches of snow the night before like a champ. Went right through like a hog.

 
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