4WD vs AWD: How Four-Wheel-Drive Systems Work in Pickups
Part-time, full-time, automatic 4WD and crossover-style AWD all put power to four tires. Here's how each one does it, where each one runs out of talent, and which one fits your driving.
Topic
4WD Tech
Transfer cases, lockers, low range and gearing, explained the way a good tech would explain them.
4-High vs 4-Low: When to Use Each and How to Shift Correctly
4-High is for traction at road-ish speeds. 4-Low is gear reduction for slow, steep, heavy work. Here's what each range really does, how fast you can go, and how to shift without grinding anything.
Locking Differentials Explained: Limited-Slip, Lockers and Spools
Open diffs, limited-slips, brake-based traction control, selectable and automatic lockers, spools and GM's G80, plus how to use a locker without breaking parts and which 2026 trucks have them from the factory.
Regearing After Bigger Tires: How to Pick the Right Axle Ratio
Bigger tires quietly make your gears taller. Here's the math to see how much, when you can live with it, which ratio to choose, and what a proper regear involves.
Approach, Departure and Breakover Angles Explained, With 2026 Specs
The three angles that decide whether your truck clears a ledge, a ditch or a crest, how the factory measures them, how to calculate breakover, and published figures for 2026 off-road trims.
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