I'm a muscle car guy, GM mainly, and I was curious what is most popular here, RWD or 4x4 for performance trucks?

I was thinking of picking up a RCSB GM or the new Ram to haul my motorcycles with.

Issue is I am a gear head, so I will end up modifying it. Mild engine mods, full exhaust, full suspension, etc.

So I was just curious if people stick to RWD for performance applications.

Do the 4x4 systems play nice with a lot of power?

For the most part are RWD trucks easier to lower?

I'd want a 2008+ GM 1500 or a new Ram 1500, and I would want it with a 4/6 drop for looks and for the ease of loading motorcycles in the bed.

TIA!

 

Welcome to the site. You'll see a lot of both here, there's quite a few fast trucks that are both 2wd and 4wd. Personally, I prefer 4wd as I feel there are fewer suspension mods necessary to get a good launch at the track, but some people prefer the weight savings of the 2wd trucks and don't mind suspension mods or slicks/drag radials. It really boils down to personal preference for you.

I can't remember ever seeing a transfer case or front driveshaft fail in a high HP 4wd setup, other than normal wear and tear or a failure that would have happened anyway. The t-cases are rating for something stupid like 2500 ft-lbs.

4wd trucks are pretty simple to lower. Either way you'll likely need shocks depending on how far you drop. 4wd's allow you to decrank the torsion bars and remove the rear lift blocks, and you'd probably have to get some shorter bumpstops or trim the factory ones. I don't know much about the 2wd front suspension but I'd imagine you would have to replace the coil springs, and maybe bumpstops as well.

Basically it comes down to what you want. Both 2wd and 4wd platforms can be lowered and made to be fast, just depends on which direction you want to go with it.

 

That was basically my question!


Thanks for your input. I can get a Black Edition Ram new for about $19k, or a used Chevy 1500 for about the same. I love GM, so-so on Dodge/ RAM, but I hate Ford. < Bad experiences with their service and customer service.

So basically 4WD is fine for lowering and big power applications. Thats all I needed to know!

For me I would rather have something and not need it (4WD), versus need something and not have it.

So 4WD is a no brainer to me, unless I was doing a pure drag truck and trying to save weight.

 

without a huge long winded answer:

mild = 2wd for weight savings

wild = 4wd for traction

 

 

Go with 4x4 and lowering is easier than doin a 2wd