Hello!

I'm considering this truck for purchase and I noticed this 4X4 has a "regular" axle which I understand is an open rear or non-slip. Am I correct in reading this as a truck that will only have 3-wheel drive at best?

: Window sticker

 

Not really. With the traction control, you aren't going to miss a LS rear. Also the front diff on all F150s is open, so you could say 2wd.
I have the 3.73 locker on my 09. That means it is open unless I lock it. So far I have never had to do that. I had a 90 with an open rear and it was terrible compared to my previous trucks with LS. Don't think you are going to miss LS or locker.

 

At best it'll be 2wd, even when locked in 4x4 if you get into a slippery situation. The tire with the least resistance get's the juice without an LSD/locker/whatever. The front diff doesn't have a locker. Me, I'd find a truck with a locker.

 

as said, the open in the new trucks over even the 04-08 is a huge improvement. I don't mind being open at all and i can always lock it if i do need it (which i haven't found one, just tested it a couple times at the beach). My truck feels to have better traction than my 07 w/ the LS

Front as well is open, not sure if it will benefit from the traction control like the rear does, i doubt it though.


In all honestly, unless you are offroading (something difficult) a stock 4x4 will get you where you need even open. You can always add it later on anyways if you find your dream truck minus that option.

 

4x4 actually ='s 2wd worst case scenario, and 2wd actually ='s 1wd worst case scenario. If you have a rear locker you have 3wd worst case scenario, and of course if you have a front and rear locker, only then do you have true 4x4.

 

The traction control wont help you off road, i'd get a LSD or a locker for sure if you plan on going offroad, I have the locker in my 2011 fx4 and I love it

 

An open differential wil put the exact same power to each rear wheel as the one with least traction will handle. If the left rear is in mud slicker than snot and the right on pavement, if the left wheel has enough traction to push forwards with 5 pounds of pull (call it "tractive effort") then there will also be 5 pounds of "tractive effort" applied at the right rear on the pavement even though that one on dry pavement might be capable of supplying 1200 ;pounds of "tractive effort".

With a 4WD with two open differentials, each end is a seperate deal as the transfer case locks both frt and rr driveshafts to same speed. If that rear axle above is the back and same situation, 5 pounds of "tractive effort" at both rear wheels, that's 10 pounds "tractive effort". If the left front is on gravels over loose dirt and is capable of supplying 500 pounds of "tractive effort", then the right side front wheel on pavement that could possibly provide 1200 pounds is now limited to the same 500 pounds of "tractive effort", giving a total of 1000 pounds of "tractive effort" up front plus the 10 out back = 1010 pounds "tractive effort".

Take that same 4WD truck and say instead it has a full tim e transfer case like many late 70s and 80s pick ups, and two open differentials, where the transfer case does not lock the front and rear driveshafts together, where it's like a open differential in the transfer case. Then, same situar=tion, you are limited in "tractive effort" to the same as available at the wheel with the least traction and thus "tractive effort" .... being 5 pounds. All 4 together will then supply 20 poundfs "tractive effort" and any throttle used that supplies more results in that whjeel with least traction spinning wildly.

There are other combos that change the rates, like lockers that lock left and right axles together so that that rear axle in the first paragrah can now make use of all 1205 poubds of "tractive effort" pushing the vehicle forwards.

Take the pickup in the second paragraph, it has now a locker in the rear and a air locker up front and the transfer case locking both driveshafts together. All 4 wheels are geared to turn together. Now, with the LR at 5 pounds "tractive effort", RR at 1200 pounds "tractive effort", LF at 500 pounds "tractive effort", and RF at 1200 pounds "tractive effort" .... the truck can move with 2905 pounds of total "tractive effort" (5 + 1200 + 500 + 1200 = 2905).

There's then the added calculations of limitedf slip diffs, limited slip transfer case that devide power with a sort of differential between driveshafts as is often found in all wheel drive vehicles. Many possibilities.

A tire of the right rubber compound on good pavement, let's say a "drag coefficient" of 1.00 or in other words, when 1000 pounds of weight is placed on that tires tread, it takes 1000 pounds of "tractive effort" to slide it, that's a "drag coefficient" of 1.00
If it takes only 500 pouinds of "tractive effort" or horizontal force to slide that same tire patch which has 1000 pounds resting on it, you have a "drag coefficient" of 0.50.
On most every day pavement you have a "drag coefficient" of between 0.65 and 0.90 .... course concrete is high friction and it and new pavement can exceed 1.00. Well worn asphault can be as slick as 0.65.

"Drag Coefficient" = "weight" devided by "force" in same units. Drag coefficients are what we use to measure grip or friction between two surfaces. We are talking smooth surfaces in that they do not mechanically "lock" like say a pinion gear on a steering rack or cog on a mountainside "cog railway".

Goodnight.

 

All I know is that my '10 XLT 4x4 with 3.73 L/S haint nevuh been stuck yet, y'all.

 

Me neither with the locker, not even with this, just stopped for the photo op. Not saying it can't/won't happen, but many times ive been in soft sand, deep snow, and mud without a problem. Take it on some extreme trails, i'm sure I'll be high and dry with some scratches.

 

If one or two wheels has no traction just apply a little brake so all the wheels have the same resistance and pow you have 4x4... good to get you through in a pinch...

 

What do you think traction control does? It uses brakes and throttle to stop slipping, probably far better than a human can do it.

 

An option that cost thousands of dollars that your foot can do for free...

 

Except it is not an option. It is standard equipment.

 

yeah and so is abs, airbags that i don't need (because i use my seat belt) and bunch of other things i don't need... i went through rear brakes on my 2009 wrangler after 8K miles (two years of use) because of traction control... b.s. safety equipment, waste of america's money to get mom to the grocery store safely...

 

If'n I had my druthers with having just L/S, locker, or electronic TC, I'd choose the L/S.

Which is what I did and they threw in the TC for free!!!!! (On current models).

I know my L/S works well most of the time without using the 4WD.

My TC has only kicked in when the truck thunk I didn't have control on icy surfaces.

Kinda annoying, if anything, cuz I had control.

Kinda like your mother-in-law watching you drive from the back seat and chiming in with her opinion on your driving.

And then climbing over the back seat to try to help you drive.

Real annoying...........