Production #’s 2wd vrs 4x4

[Plug-Y-er]

I have found plenty of 4x4 around but rarely 2wd . What’s rarer?

my MJ 1989 2wd LB pioneer  4.0 A/T, 4.5 in Lift 32” tires. Extremely clean absolutely no rust 3rd owner 

 

[Pete M]

we don't know.   there aren't any breakdowns of what all was made and sold (beyond the total number of trucks per calendar year).  and at this point the numbers wouldn't mean much anyways, as there are only ~10% of MJ left on the roads.

 

nice truck  

[GrandBoost98]

Around me there are WAY more 2wd than 4wd MJs

[Classy Comanche]

Well as a collective Comanches are very rare. More likely to see a Lamborghini or Ferrari nowadays statically speaking according to Google. If I had to say I would say 2WD's edge it out simply because everyone wanted the 4×4 option. And most 2WD's have been converted as well. So while there is no specific number I have seen way more 4×4's around/for sale. I know every person that has questioned me about my jeep says "man I bet this little thing goes good in the snow!" Then I reply my FWD monte does better than the truck and that it's a 2WD. They flatout do not believe me until they look under the vehicle and see no 4×4 parts under it. They swear up and down all jeeps are 4x4/4WD. Not this one lol

[jpnjake]

37 minutes ago, GrandBoost98 said:

Around me there are WAY more 2wd than 4wd MJs

Up here in the rust belt, all the 4wd’s were driven into the ground, these trucks were basically throwaway trucks back in the day. But the 2wd trucks weren’t as good in the snow and ice, so not as many got turned into beaters with heaters, between the 5 my dad and I have had 4 started as 2wd models and only one being 4wd (Low mile Chief brought to the north)

[jpnjake]

2 hours ago, Plug-Y-er said:

I have found plenty of 4x4 around but rarely 2wd . What’s rarer?

my MJ 1989 2wd LB pioneer  4.0 A/T, 4.5 in Lift 32” tires. Extremely clean absolutely no rust 3rd owner 

 

This truck probably lived a life very similar to my 89, bought as a 2wd truck (mine was a apartment complex maintenance/security truck) driven locally and then bought by an enthusiast that wanted to protect the truck and keep it in good shape, oddly enough mine is same color interior, almost same option, only mine is a swb, in black and with 73k on it, looks like we have sister trucks 

[NHMJXJ]

Totally random opinion?  I bet there we more RWD produced than 4WD.   

 

I'm in NH also. On my 3rd MJ.  Had an absolutely straight, rust free RWD Eliminator that I sold because it couldn't get out of its own way in an inch of snow. 

Surprisingly, it was from Indianapolis ... part of the rust belt. 

 

My last two have been 4WD and both from the Carolina's.   As others have stated, I've seen lots that were converted to 4WD.  I would add, I've been surprised

at the number of RWD drive Jeep vehicles I've seen.  MJ, XJ and WK alike.  While I loved my Eliminator, I always thought a  RWD Jeep was strange.

 

[eaglescout526]

I think our registry will say how many started as RWD or 4WD as that could give us a ratio. But chances are AMC probably oriented the XJ more towards the 4wd segment than the MJ. Same could be said for the J-truck and SJ. 

[Classy Comanche]

I know my jeep was bought by my great grandfather for his wife. She was a small lady. She was able 5'1-5'2. So the Comanche was perfect for her. It was a grocery getter and church goer. So the 2wd was perfect. That that given time they had a old 70's GMC Jimmy that if they had to go somewhere in bad weather they took that. And then time went on, they aged and couldn't drive. So the truck sat. Then I bought it. Thats why the paint is so rough. Sat in the sun for so long. But yeah I think the 2wd was perhaps for....town running? And 4×4's were geared more towards farm work/hauling truck? I really don't know that's just a random guess that makes sense to me. I know the one time I did drive it in the snow I almost ran it into the ditch by accident. So yeah. No more snow driving for it

[FrankTheDog]

I blasted through all kinds of snow in my 1 legged 2wd MJ. It all depends on how much snow driving experience you have and your tires.

 

We would spend hours hurling our heaps around empty parking lots through all kinds of snow.  Usually on marginal tires. We would always get to where we were going.

[jpnjake]

3 hours ago, FrankTheDog said:

I blasted through all kinds of snow in my 1 legged 2wd MJ. It all depends on how much snow driving experience you have and your tires.

 

We would spend hours hurling our heaps around empty parking lots through all kinds of snow.  Usually on marginal tires. We would always get to where we were going.

This is very true, I drove my 2wd in the winter for a couple years and with 800 lbs of rock in the bed and snow tires even a 16 year old me couldn’t get stuck  

Well except when I took the rocks out 

…. They went right back the next morning

[FrankTheDog]

800 lbs of ballast really hampers performance.

[gogmorgo]

A few years back I was in Lethbridge for a bit and we got a dump at the end of September, just a little over a foot. My 2.5/2wd lives on winter tires because mountains and I’m lazy. It was pretty funny cruising around with an open rear diff and watching big 4x4 trucks on questionable rubber struggling to get around, while I wasn’t having problems. Stuck and abandoned in parking lots. Tires make a big part of the equation, but an open bed full of wet heavy snow likely didn’t hurt anything.

 

But I’d also suggest the 4x4 MJs get beat on a fair bit in comparison to the 2wds. They’re always in rougher shape up here, and not just the MJs. 4x4 was a big expensive option and people weren’t going to shell out for it if they didn’t need it for whatever they were doing with the truck. This is before everyone and their dog had a crew cab half ton to haul their family around in.
 

 

[Classy Comanche]

Lol I have to say there was one morning I did go out to work. I took the MJ and it rained all night. So about 5AM I was out and ready to go. Started the truck and let it warm up then started to ease off. But when I started to ease off I noticed I wasn't moving. At all. Put my foot down a bit and I still wasn't moving but heard my tire screech for a moment. Put it in park and got out to look. My jeep got stuck in the driveway with one of its rear tires stuck between two slick wet rocks. They were like embedded in the ground but were smooth. So it was quite funny I got it stuck in my own driveway. I did also look it has summer vintage tires. So that's why it hates anything that isn't a dry road. Love my little 2wd though 

[pizzaman09]

I'm very glad I have a 4x4, even though I never plan to drive it in the winter.  On my property I have a big hill to climb and I can bearly get it up in 2wd after several run up attempts.  In 4x4 I can crawl up it in low range at idle.  I've had it stuck in the mud a number of times due to the front CAD not actually connecting the front axle.