Full time 4wd opinions

[Jester1023]

I guess this could have gone under engine and drivetrain but its more of an opinion than anything else,so recently I just bough an 04 yukon assuming it was going to be a standard part time 4wd vehicle I bought it from a friend of mine the vehicle has been meticulously maintained its whole life regular oil changes with all synthetics from as far back as he can remember,the truck has not an ounce of rust and the under carriage and engine you can eat off of.with that being said I never paid it too much mind as I knew I was getting an absolute gem in this vehicle body wise and mechanically,with an above avg interior which was very well kept.over the weekend while taking a good look at the switch plate not paying it too much mind before that this vehicle is one of those full time 4wd vehicles with the stability control.after finding this out I would be lying if I were to say I am happy to have a full time 4wd vehicle the first two things that come to mind is bad gas mileage and more chance of something to go wrong in the drivetrain with it being full time 4wd.

I was trolling the web all weekend after realizing this was a full time 4wd vehicle trying to gather as much info as I can the pro's vs cons it kind of is what it is the truck is mechanically aces and the body is clean as clean can be!believe me I was searching for well over a month for A nbs tahoe or yukon and everything and anything I found did not hold a candle to this vehicle that I just bought.either the body was showing signs of rust,the under carriage was shot or mechanically the engine/drivetrain was just too much of a dice roll.At least buying this vehicle from a friend who buys and sells vehicles he will stand by this vehicle 100% he does not sell vehicles with out knowing a history on them so as far as those things go I was not going to find a better vehicle out there for the price I paid.

with that being said I am not too keen on having a full time 4wd vehicle I much preferred a part time where I can drop it into 4wd as needed I do live in the northeast so inclimate weather is a yearly occurence in the winter months so having full time 4wd is not the worst thing in the world it does save me from deciding if switching to 4wd is the right approach or not and as I read the stabilitrak is kind of a mixed bag out there with some pros some cons and a whole lot of mixed opinions,I like that it is not AWD and I do have the option of 4L if needed which will be rare to none unless I get stuck in a snow bank but at least that option is there versus not having it in A AWD vehicle at all.The more I read the more I say to myself maybe 4wd fulltime is not so bad I still prefer part time 4wd but it kind of is what it is I got A gem of a truck with the one thing I am not too crazy about is the FT 4wd with the stabiltrak.

So I am just looking for some of your guys opinions on this particular drivetrain with the Stabiltrac good,bad or just ok.pro's and cons.I am stuck with it but was just looking to field some opinions and potential problems or on the flipside advantages over having a part time 4wd truck

Thanks

 

[Chubbs]

A lot of vehicles have AWD platform. You won't have any more problems than the next PT-4wd consumer so I wouldn't worry about it.

People get into trouble when they aren't keeping up with maintenance and inspecting the drivetrain components on a timely schedule.

I crawl underneath our cars and look for new leaks at least once per month. The front half shaft seals are seeping on the Yukon so since the orig drain & fill when I bought it last June, I have topped off the front diff twice.

The transfer case oil pump retainers on this line of trucks have a reputation for biting into the rear case half, due to a poorly engineered design. There is an upgrade fix kit but until the Tcase is pulled down and split, it's wise to keep an eye on the tailshaft housing because if the oil pump clips begin to rub through the oil will run low and the internals will self-destruct.

I was DD a FT-4wd suv before I got into the Yukon and I really enjoyed it; never had a single problem. It really shines & gives an added level of confidence on slick highways and roads on rainy days where a PT doesn't have any benefit. So long as the tires are good you can haul ass with no worries if need be.

The PT trucks have the CVs/wheel hubs turning 24-7 just like the AWD. The older PT transfer case before 2002 even have the front driveshaft turning. There isn't a whole lot of difference between the PT & FT where it concerns rotating parts and parasitic drag.

the AWD version actually have fewer probs than the PT which are known for the abundance of electronics and the failures that occur. You are prob better off when looking at it from the electronics standpoint and the hoops that we have to jump through in order to diagnose which component needs replacing

Note the rpo code in the glovebox and use it to find the model transfer case being utilized. I think it will be NP2 or NP4. Using that and/or the model NVG*** further online research will tell you which situations to avoid. GM applies a viscous clutch to their AWD TC so you may start with Google and 'viscous clutch type transfer case' and browse the hits. You will come across some new key words that you can apply to your next search phrase and so forth.

 

[Dlayne]

I guess this could have gone under engine and drivetrain but its more of an opinion than anything else,so recently I just bough an 04 yukon assuming it was going to be a standard part time 4wd vehicle I bought it from a friend of mine the vehicle has been meticulously maintained its whole life regular oil changes with all synthetics from as far back as he can remember,the truck has not an ounce of rust and the under carriage and engine you can eat off of.with that being said I never paid it too much mind as I knew I was getting an absolute gem in this vehicle body wise and mechanically,with an above avg interior which was very well kept.over the weekend while taking a good look at the switch plate not paying it too much mind before that this vehicle is one of those full time 4wd vehicles with the stability control.after finding this out I would be lying if I were to say I am happy to have a full time 4wd vehicle the first two things that come to mind is bad gas mileage and more chance of something to go wrong in the drivetrain with it being full time 4wd.

I was trolling the web all weekend after realizing this was a full time 4wd vehicle trying to gather as much info as I can the pro's vs cons it kind of is what it is the truck is mechanically aces and the body is clean as clean can be!believe me I was searching for well over a month for A nbs tahoe or yukon and everything and anything I found did not hold a candle to this vehicle that I just bought.either the body was showing signs of rust,the under carriage was shot or mechanically the engine/drivetrain was just too much of a dice roll.At least buying this vehicle from a friend who buys and sells vehicles he will stand by this vehicle 100% he does not sell vehicles with out knowing a history on them so as far as those things go I was not going to find a better vehicle out there for the price I paid.

with that being said I am not too keen on having a full time 4wd vehicle I much preferred a part time where I can drop it into 4wd as needed I do live in the northeast so inclimate weather is a yearly occurence in the winter months so having full time 4wd is not the worst thing in the world it does save me from deciding if switching to 4wd is the right approach or not and as I read the stabilitrak is kind of a mixed bag out there with some pros some cons and a whole lot of mixed opinions,I like that it is not AWD and I do have the option of 4L if needed which will be rare to none unless I get stuck in a snow bank but at least that option is there versus not having it in A AWD vehicle at all.The more I read the more I say to myself maybe 4wd fulltime is not so bad I still prefer part time 4wd but it kind of is what it is I got A gem of a truck with the one thing I am not too crazy about is the FT 4wd with the stabiltrak.

So I am just looking for some of your guys opinions on this particular drivetrain with the Stabiltrac good,bad or just ok.pro's and cons.I am stuck with it but was just looking to field some opinions and potential problems or on the flipside advantages over having a part time 4wd truck

Thanks

When I purchased my first ‘01 Denali with the AWD I had the same thoughts. Then I realized every one of our cars is and has to be AWD. Audi Quattro, scary planted on slick conditions. BMW X-Drive, crazy traction on the ice and snow. My ‘17 Denali I get to choose. However, the noise involved with the transfer case in auto or 4-hi is annoying. Unless in deep sand or mud the AWD always worked great on the boat ramp to the ski slopes. Nothing for this old guy to remember. Like a previous poster noted, just keep it well maintained. Switched all my diff and transfer case fluids to Royal Purple. Heavy towing, fast drives to the mountain for first tracks..never failed. This year I am driving quick to the mtn only to realized I haven’t manually shifted to 4wd! That was fun!! Have to also remember to shift each time I am on the boat ramp. Bottom line, AWD is not that bad if you got a cream puff vehicle and maintain the driveline.

 

[swathdiver]

It's rare that a vehicle meets all of our expectations. We usually accept trade offs and compromise on this feature or that. Even though I'm not a fan either, if I were in your shoes, I'd take it.

Just remember that when it comes to tires, you have to replace all 4 at once, no more pairs or singles with AWD.

 

[Shaw520]

When I was searching for a nbs I initially wanted a Yukon Denali,... came very close to buying a very nice 05', but upon closer inspection I realized it was AWD. I had thought that ALL nbs's had select-able drives. I actually turned the sale down because of previous bad experience I had with an older square body full-time 4wd. But needless to say they've come a long way since the early 80's. I dont think the gas mileage is that much different, maybe 1-2 mpg's...and as mentioned above with proper maintenance they're just as reliable.

 

[Jester1023]

Thanks for all the opinions,it kind of is what it is I certainly was not going to return the truck nor with the shape the vehicle was in the FT 4wd was by no means going to be a deal breaker you just cant find this type of vehicle so well maintained and well kept without paying a ransom note.on top of that it was bought from a friend of mine who I know maintains all the vehicles he sells,much like his own.this one just so happenes to be one that he serviced for quite some time now.

after reading alot of stuff on the internet and hearing your guys feed back I think this was probably the best way to go maybe even better than PT as I dont have to worry about do I or dont I need it to be in 4wd its already in there if I need it to be.I still have the 4LO which I hopefully will never have to use but just in case for some reason I need it at least I know its there,its funny having not having a vehicle this size in awhile that likes to eat gas as this one does in quite some I actually find myself babying the thing more than any other vehicles I've had trying to drive it as civil as possible to prevent the needle from doing a nose dive towards empty,so in a sense I am treating the thing with kid gloves in an effort to save a little bit of fuel and in turn I am sure it will last me a hell of a lot longer than it probably already will,this was kind of expected when I got it though not having that great of gas mileage so its really no big shocker to me the extra 1-2 mpg I would be saving on the pt 4wd is really no deal breaker neither as I am already going to not have a very gas efficient vehicle so by driving it civil and not racing around town I will save a touch of gas and pro-long the life of the vehicle that much longer on top of any maintainance that will come along with having a ft 4wd.the more I read the more happy I am that this wound up unexpectedly being full time 4wd vs pt 4wd

Thanks for the advice on the things to look for as well,the vehicle will not really have to tussel with much off road endeavors besides the occasional family camping trips being from the northeast it will be all about handling the winters and from what I have read and heard that should be no issue with this beast.

Thanks guys