# 4X4 or 6X6?



## jimaug87

Why does everyone call a dually with all wheel drive a 4X4? 4X4 does not mean all wheel drive, it means 4 wheels and all get power. A "four wheel drive" dually doesn't get power to the front axle!

and why does chevy lable the (6X6) duallys with the 4X4 logo? 

I don't get it. 

if it has six wheels it can only be a 6X4 or 6X6


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## Mick

Think of it as four "wheels" (or four axle points) vs four tires. With a 4x4, there are four points to potentially provide power from the axle to the road surface (regardless of how many contacts there are). The same with 6x6 - there are six ends to the axles with potential for all six to transfer power.

What you're referring to as 6x6 is actually only four ends of axles - all four potentially transfering power to the ground (through six tires).

How's that for an explanation?


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## F250 Boss v

...That's a pretty darn good explanation!


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## jimaug87

Perfect. That answered my question, and now I can sleep soundly tongiht. 

Thanks!


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## Detroitdan

jimaug87;548395 said:


> Why does everyone call a dually with all wheel drive a 4X4?I don't think anyone makes an AWD dually 4X4 does not mean all wheel drive, it means 4 wheels and all get power.Doesn't necessarily mean they get power, they have an axle driving them and depending on the circumstances they might get power A "four wheel drive" dually doesn't get power to the front axle!Actually it does, or it's not a four wheel drive, it's a two wheel drive. A 2wd with a locker will drive 4 wheels, but it's still only a 2wd
> 
> and why does chevy lable the (6X6) duallys with the 4X4 logo? I'd say because 2 of those 6 wheels can't be driven independantly
> 
> I don't get it.
> 
> if it has six wheels it can only be a 6X4 or 6X6


I have 6 wheels, two of which can't be driven independantly of the other two they are bolted to. I have a locker which drives all of my rear wheels, but my front diff is open. So at best I have 5 wheels driving. Or 3, depending on whether you count the duals as 1 or 2 each. If I were to replace my 4x4 decals, what should I get? I think 6x6 would look cool, but until I get a front locker, I can't. So I could maybe do 5x6, or 6x5. Or even 4x5, or should it be 5x4? Or how about 5x4of6? Hope I've been helpful;>


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## Detroitdan

jimaug87;548420 said:


> now I can sleep soundly tongiht.
> 
> Thanks!


What about me? This is going to keep me awake all night!


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## Mick

Some things are simply incomprehensible. I was going to say unsolvable, but usually that's only because someone has made then incomprehensible due to inconsequential, miniscule and/or distracting details. These problems become solvable when broken into loosely related components and tackled consequentially.

Huh?


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## jimaug87

You made a very simple question difficult. 

i know how differentials work. My truck has 2 open diffs (and it sucks! I need money for a locker), but it's still a 4x4. all four wheels have the POTENTIAL to be drive tires. That better? 

if you were to get a decal, that I THOUGHT would be appropriate for your set-up (until Mick clarified it for me), you would still need a 6 in there. Even tho your front diff is open, "depending on the circumstances" either driver, passengfer, or both (yes both) tires can be driven by the engines power. If each wheel is on a surface of equal traction, boom, they both get it. 

Mick answered my question so we can let this thread die a slow death as is crawls it's way to the later pages of this subforum.


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## heather lawn spray

Now . . 

would someone GENTLY explain what a 6x6 actually refers to?  (hey , how else can you keep old threads from just fading away?)


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## jimaug87

6X6 = triaxle. 6 axle ends turning 6 hubs.


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## heather lawn spray

jimaug87;548445 said:


> 6X6 = triaxle. 6 axle ends turning 6 hubs.


And that is as gentle as it comes, case closed


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## sublime68charge

Detroitdan;548423 said:


> I have 6 wheels, two of which can't be driven independantly of the other two they are bolted to. I have a locker which drives all of my rear wheels, but my front diff is open. So at best I have 5 wheels driving. Or 3, depending on whether you count the duals as 1 or 2 each. If I were to replace my 4x4 decals, what should I get? I think 6x6 would look cool, but until I get a front locker, I can't. So I could maybe do 5x6, or 6x5. Or even 4x5, or should it be 5x4? Or how about 5x4of6? Hope I've been helpful;>


I think you should shoot for "Seven of Nine" "from Star Trek fame"

sign me up for wanting that.

image what a Borg can due for snow removal.

and they'd be mighty nice to look at as well, but just hope that don't assimilate you.

Snow storms Be ware,

Resistance if Futile

ok ok,,

sublime out.

May be way out there now.


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## Detroitdan

Actually, a tri-axle commonly refers to a truck with one front axle, two standard rear axles (10 wheeler) and then an auxiliary "tag" axle, or in some cases an actual third rear axle. So, a tri-axle has four axles. The tri refers to the ones doing the heavy lifting. You don't count the steering axle when describing a truck chassis. So, it commercial truck terms, it goes 6 wheeler or single axle, 10 wheeler or tandem axle, then tri-axle. See, and you thought a single axle was a unicycle.
A 6x6 is an AWD (think military) having one front steering axle with power, and two rear powered axles, with single wheels at each end. AM General made a lot of them for the gub'mint. Seen european ones, too. Flightline Crash/Rescue trucks are often 6x6. Old retired military guys would pronounce it "six-buh-six".


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## jimaug87

ok ok . When I said 'triaxle' in my head I hear 3 axle. I associate tri with 3, not 4. I egt your point.


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## Humvee27

*so how many tires???*

just had to post this....how many?


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## Krieger91

Too flippin' many, that's how many.

I don't understand why somebody would call a 4-axle vehicle a tri-axle...seems oxy-moronish to me..

I mean, I understand not counting the steering axle, but still....


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## 84deisel

actually on the big trucks we don't count individual tires, we count the hubs as if the truck has super singles.This is how everyone around here bills out their trucks.

2 axles =4 wheeler (single front tire dual tire rear)
3 axles =6wheeler (single front tire dual tire rears)
4 axles=quad or a super ten
3 axle tractor + trailer= semi


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## Detroitdan

84deisel;552299 said:


> actually on the big trucks we don't count individual tires, we count the hubs as if the truck has super singles.This is how everyone around here bills out their trucks.
> 
> 2 axles =4 wheeler (single front tire dual tire rear)
> 3 axles =6wheeler (single front tire dual tire rears)
> 4 axles=quad or a super ten
> 3 axle tractor + trailer= semi


If you're using the term "wheeler", then you are counting the wheels. So a 3 axle truck would be a ten wheeler, not a six wheeler. If it does in fact have super singles, then by all means call it a six wheeler, just be prepared for people to confuse it with a two axle truck. Nobody in my neck of the woods uses that terminology. Nobody uses super singles up here either. Or, if they try them they switch back.


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## 84deisel

thats the differance between nh & the midwest we refer to hubs not tires when refering to our trucks.I am the trucking foreman here and when I bill it's either 6wheeler or semi as we dont use the 4 wheeler as a brokered truck.


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## powerjoke

84deisel;552304 said:


> thats the differance between nh & the midwest we refer to hubs not tires when refering to our trucks.I am the trucking foreman here
> .


uh.....midwest?..........no we don't (notice my location)

but i am not a "trucking foreman" i just own the truck's and i'll be damed if i am gonna send a tri-axle western star (4 axle incl steer) to a job and get paid for a "6 wheeler" (single axle)

PJ


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## Detroitdan

sounds almost like the way the tollbooths figure it by the axle. Except they charge me more for my 2 axle pickup with dual wheels than for my singe rear wheel pickups...


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## Dissociative

well, here in chicago i'd say it goes like this

dually------2 tires in front, 4 tires on 1 axel in rear
10 wheeler---------2 front, 8 tires in rear on 2 axles
tri-axle------------2 steer, 8 drive tires on 2 axles & 2 supporting tires on pivot axle
quad axle---------same as above only has 2 axles 2 supporting tires each that pivot
tractor--------semi....duh
trailer---------duh

although the ups tractors here are single rear axles with 4 drive tires total...so i guess they are "dually's"... lol


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