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off road capabilities with FWD? 4x2?

42K views 32 replies 18 participants last post by  DPauly182 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I tried looking up videos and searched online to see if anyone has taken their fwd renegades off roading. I never plan on off-roading at all, I am however curious what its capabilities would be?

thoughts?
 
#2 ·
Think station wagon. You'll have higher clearance, but I'd stay out of anything soupy, and off of any terrain with an extremely uneven surface. Depending on where you're at, you'd be surprised how many fun "dirt" roads you can find. Look up forest service roads in your area. In dry weather, they can allow a high clearance 2X4 to go some pretty cool places. This is based on owning a 2X4 Patriot 5 speed for 7 years.
 
#3 ·
Any car can go "offroading". Dirt trail and hills.

You run into trouble when you need to climb a very steep hill, mud, rocky area, or a lot of ruts.

Clearance is the advantage you have over a regular car.

The trails I go on, I can go through most of it in Auto Mode. The 4wd system will kick on when the car feels it's needed, but I know it's not needed at times.

100% of the the trails I go on, I can do it in 4wd if I avoid all the difficult bits. But I go in them on purpose and even then I hardly need to use 4Low or Rock Mode. Momentum helps up steep hills if you don't have 4x4. 4wd/AWD requires more momentum than 4x4 and 2wd/fwd/rwd requires more momentum than 4wd/awd.

My cousin has taken his AWD Honda CRV out with us and have no issues on the main road and some of the trails off the main road. And he is on street tires.

My other cousin's 1986 4Runner has like 100hp and he does most of the trail in RWD only. He's lifted with mud tires. The 35" mud tires help a lot.

I've helped a 1993 4Runner 2wd/RWD only out of a rut. He picked the wrong path and when he backed up to get another run at the hill, he backed up into a rut. After I pulled him out with Renegade, he made it up the hill staying on a safe path.

My brother drove through death valley in his 2014 Toyota Corolla. The car was cover completely in dirt by the time he got through.

So... if you look at a Wrangler as 100% capable. Here is what I would rank the rest.

Wrangler 100%
Renegade Trailhawk 85%
Renegade 4WD 75%
SUV 4WD/AWD (non 4x4) 70-75% depending on clearnace
Renegade 2WD/FWS 60%
Truck/SUV 2WD 60%
Regular Car 40%

The higher the percent of capability, the less likely obstacles going to prevent you from moving forward, limit your choices of paths, or cause you to get stuck. The higher percent also increases your chances of getting out if you do get stuck.

Tips:
Know your trails. If you know the trails are good, then you should have no issues. Rain changes the trails a lot, so don't assume the trails are the same every year/month/week/day.
Take a another vehicle out there with you that is 4x4. Make sure both car have tow points and that you have the necessary equipment. Just in case you get stuck.
Once you played it safe with a second capable vehicle, you now know you can hit that particular trail by yourself. Just keep in mind the trails change every year.
Even when you know you are capable on a particular trail, mistakes can still happen and you can still get stuck. Be prepare to call someone or hike to get help. Example is the stuck 4Runner I mentioned above. He lived an hour away and usually hit these trails with a friend that has a 4x4 that can pull him out of trouble. He had to hike up and down 1/2 mile of hills to find us. He brought no water and no towing equipment. Luckily I had some tow gear.
 
#7 ·
That is made for a flat tow on a road not stuck in mud or sand off road. I would love to see some photo's of some one stuck off road and being winched or pulled out with them! I bet you will have a lot of damage.
 
#8 ·
I have to agree with Mrsig. The TH hooks were made for regular offroad use by being towed our or using them to tow somebody else out. I hope no damage is occurred through using these tow points.
 
#9 ·
While I don't disagree with anything said here, every situation is different. I've been stuck in nothing more than wet grass in my Astro, but it was "one wheel drive".
Same with my Civic with FWD....a 4-6" shallow dip is all it took. I think wet grass is sometimes worse then mud.
Do both front wheels drive on the FWD version of the Reney?
 
#13 ·
Not to put too fine a point on this, but there is no such thing as a "2X4" vehicle. The first number refers to the number of wheels--4 in most cars and light trucks--and the second refers to the number that can be powered. 4X2 = 2 wheel drive, 4x4 = 4 wheel drive. A "2x4" is something that you use to frame a house--or to get someone's attention.
 
#20 ·
In short, dirt road in dry conditions with uneven ruts deep enough to lift one front wheel will be just over over maximum limit with fwd. Without a locking front differential, lose contact with the ground with any one of your front wheels and you are done. In wet conditions, lose traction with one of your front wheels and you are done.
 
#21 ·
There is an electronic system that uses ESC sensors to simulate a locking front differential.
Many Fiat vehicles, at last in Europe, offer it as option or on some versions. It is named "Traction+" or "Traction Plus".
For example you can find it in Fiat 500X Cross FWD (the one named Trekking in NAFTA market), Fiat 500L, Fiat Panda, Fiat Ducato, ...



In Brazil Fiat uses a true mechanical locking system of some versions of Fiat Strada and Palio.
It is a system sourced and co-developed with Eaton, FWD ELocker, that was intrduced into market in 2008.
 
#23 ·
There is an electronic system that uses ESC sensors to simulate a locking front differential.
Many Fiat vehicles, at last in Europe, offer it as option or on some versions. It is named "Traction+" or "Traction Plus".
For example you can find it in Fiat 500X Cross FWD (the one named Trekking in NAFTA market), Fiat 500L, Fiat Panda, Fiat Ducato, ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4PwEDv9BNM

In Brazil Fiat uses a true mechanical locking system of some versions of Fiat Strada and Palio.
It is a system sourced and co-developed with Eaton, FWD ELocker, that was intrduced into market in 2008.
Key is "to simulate". Not the real deal. Such systems have limits.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Right. Full mechanical locker lock the differential so both wheels turn, even the one that is in the air. With open differential, power goes to path of least resistance... that means the wheel that is up in the air or has no traction (so it spins and spins, while no power is sent to the wheel that needs it and the vehicle is goes nowhere). The electronic system senses wheel spin and applies brake pressure to that caliper, forcing power to divert to the other wheel. Problem is there only so much pressure the caliper can apply, limiting the amount of power that can be transferred to the wheel that has traction. This is where a good AWD system comes in (but it too has limitations).

With AWD, because you have more tires providing motivation, chances are you'll have at least one wheel that could push you out of a hole (as long as the engine and gearing can supply enough torque). With FWD with locking or limited slip, you've got only two shots at getting traction... left and right. FWD with open diffs, any surface that will take one of them out of the equation is going to stop you cold (unless you go so fast and hard that you basically skip right through—CLEARLY NOT RECOMMENDED).
 
#33 ·
Well, I have done Black Bear Pass in Colorado USA. Personally I think I was a touch tricky in my TH, just because of tire placement, but other than that it wasnt that difficult. I dont think that the Renegade gets enough credit for what it can actually do. even a FWD can do more than people think.
 
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