Four wheel/all wheel drive

All wheel drive(AWD) VS. Four wheel drive(4WD)

 FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD)
• referred to as four-by-four or 4×4, this system’s main distinction is that it’s typically used on
vehicles designed and built to handle the unpaved wilderness. This includes rugged trucks
and SUVs such as the Jeep Wrangler, Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and the Toyota Land Cruiser.
• it’s a system that sends power to all four wheels equally and without vectoring
(controlling the division of power delivery between the wheels or axles), meaning
each wheel will spin at the same constant rate as all the others. Power flows from
the engine, through the transmission, and into a device known as a transfer case that
divides it between the front and rear axles.
• The equal split of power is great for maneuvering through tough and low-traction
situations, but it isn’t very friendly on the pavement. Driving a four-wheel drive car
on solid ground can make simple actions like turning around in a tight street very
difficult, because the wheels are no longer in sync.
Most modern 4WD systems are “part-time” and at the
flick of a switch four-wheel drive can be engaged

• Imagine yourself doing a u-turn. In a four-wheel drive car,

the inside wheel has to turn more slowly than the outside
wheel, which is covering more ground. You might hear a
rubbing noise or feel the car hopping when you approach full
lock. This is why most 4WD systems are part-time systems
that can be disabled. The car operates in two-wheel drive in
normal conditions to improve on-road drivability, but still
offers four-wheel traction when you need it.
 What about part-time vs. full-time?

• Most modern four-wheel drive vehicles are equipped with a part-time system,
meaning they operate in two-wheel drive mode in normal driving conditions. The
driver can engaged the four-wheel drive system by flicking a switch, pressing a
button, or yanking on a center console-mounted lever in low-traction situations.
• Some 4x4s feature a transfer case with multiple settings, like 4-Low or 4-High. 4-High
limits and vectors available power to the wheels so you can move quickly over
slippery surfaces (up to about 60 miles per hour). To get the most available power,
however, you’ll want 4-Low, which means 4WD with low-range. This low-range
gearbox is for low-speed maneuverability, such as rock crawling or getting unstuck,
and is only for such conditions.
You really don’t want to go too fast in 4WD-Low because
things will start breaking, and your trip will start getting
expensive.

• To avoid complexity, a word of advice: You really don’t want to go too fast in 4WD-
Low because things will start breaking, and your trip will start getting expensive.
Most newer vehicles with part-time systems have an automatic deactivation when the
vehicle goes beyond a certain speed to avoid this damage, but older trucks typically
do not.
• Part-time four-wheel drive systems generally feature locking and unlocking
differentials. Between each axle sits a differential that compensates for wheels
spinning at different rates. By locking a differential at a front or rear axle, you are
inhibiting any slip from occurring at the axle, forcing each wheel at said axle to turn
at the same rate.
• Full-time four-wheel drive systems typically don’t come with a two-wheel
drive (2WD, or 4×2) mode, so the system is active all the time. It sends
power to the four wheels at the same times with limited-slip capabilities.
This system is becoming increasingly obsolete, because a part-time system
makes more sense for most consumers. Most drivers don’t need four-wheel
drive all the time.
• Older trucks, such as 1990s Toyota Land Cruisers, have full-time systems.
They come with an additional center differential to enable limited slip for
better drivability on the road, and the system handles power distribution
on its own.
 All-wheel drive (AWD)

• All-wheel drive is a much more recent innovation, and it’s a little bit more
complicated, but also considerably more user-friendly. It crops up on everything from
supercars like the Audi R8 to grocery-getters like the Buick Encore. While a four-
wheel drive system tries to send as much power to the four wheels as equally as
possible for maximum traction, all-wheel drive is all about varying the amount of
power sent to each wheel, either mechanically or electronically.
• All-wheel drive is often associated with road-going vehicles, such as sedans, wagons,
crossovers, and even some larger SUVs. Crossovers like the Honda CR-V, the Toyota
RAV4, andthe  Mazda CX-3 tend to fall under the “car” category while SUVs like the
Chevrolet Tahoe and the Toyota 4Runner fall under the “truck” category.
• All-wheel drive is similar to the part-time four-wheel drive system we just described, except
it’s used on cars and crossovers. It’s also completely automated. The system is constantly
active, and it needs no activation or input from the driver to work. Most newer all-wheel drive
systems send power to a primarily axle, either the front or the rear, and transfer power away
from the slipping wheels when they detect a loss of traction. This helps improve fuel economy.
To quote Subaru’s ad campaign, all-wheel drive “transfers power from the wheels that slip to
the wheels that grip.”
• All-wheel drive is becoming increasingly common in performance applications. The 
Mercedes-AMG E63 is a perfect example. It is now sold only in AWD in the United States
because its 600-plus-horsepower output can overwhelm the rear wheels if they try transferring
it to the pavement on their own. Even when we aren’t talking about tire-scorching
performance cars, splitting power evenly means added stability in all types of weather.
 All-wheel drive does have some clear
advantages over 4WD.

• AWD isn’t quite as robust as 4WD, and it can’t match the acute power delivery
necessary for low-speed off-roading like rock crawling. The maintenance and
complexity of these systems can also get extraordinarily expensive, but ensuring they
function as intended is crucial to your safety.
• All-wheel drive does have some clear advantages over 4WD, though. These days,
computers are involved in most AWD systems. Sensors on each wheel monitor traction,
wheel speed, and several other data points hundreds of times per second. An engine
control unit (ECU) analyzes traction conditions and decides which wheel receives
power. This type of system, usually called torque vectoring, appears on everything from
the Subaru WRX to the Dodge Charger. Torque vectoring has allowed massive
improvements in handling and all-weather capability.
 Electrified all-wheel drive

• Many electric vehicles (like the Jaguar I-Pace and the Audi e-tron) use what’s called
a through-the-road all-wheel drive system.
• Each axle gets its own electric motor so the four wheels are always powered but
there’s no mechanical connection between the front and the back of the car. This
improves traction and performance while helping clear up passenger space in the
cabin because there’s no need for a transmission tunnel.
• Some plug-in hybrid vehicles use a blend of technologies to achieve all-wheel drive.
Take Volvo’s XC90 T8, for example. The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine spins the front
wheels while an electric motor mounted over the rear axle spins the rear wheels. It’s
front-wheel drive when the four-cylinder works on its own, rear-wheel drive in
electric-only mode, and all-wheel drive with both power sources up and running.
• Automakers are getting serious about electrified cars, so these through-the-road all-
wheel drive systems will become more common in the coming years.
 So, which do I want?
• Ultimately, the system you choose largely depends on your driving needs and where
you live. Four-wheel drive is your best bet if you plan on using your vehicle off-road
and in difficult terrain on a regular basis. It’s normally found on SUVs and pickup trucks
that boast the durability to match the ruggedness of a four-wheel drive system. For
most people, however, all-wheel drive makes more sense.
• In the sort of winter road conditions most drivers experience, a modern all-wheel drive
system that responds instantly and automatically is good enough. Additionally, all-
wheel drive vehicles normally have a better weight distribution, which improves
traction and performance.
• You might not need either, though. If you live in an area where winter is mild at worst,
you’d only benefit from having four powered wheels a couple of times a year. We
recommend keeping your vehicle simple and cheap, sticking to two-wheel drive, and
investing in a good set of winter tires.
 Components of a Four-wheel-drive System
• The main parts of any four-wheel-drive system are the two differentials (front and rear) and the
transfer case. In addition, part-time systems have locking hubs, and both types of systems may
have advanced electronics that help them make even better use of the available traction.
• Differentials A car has two differentials, one located between the two front wheels and one
between the two rear wheels. They send the torque from the driveshaft or transmission to the
drive wheels. They also allow the left and right wheels to spin at different speeds when you go
around a turn.
• Transfer Case This is the device that splits the power between the front and rear axles on a
four-wheel-drive car. The transfer case on a part-time four-wheel-drive system locks the front-
axle driveshaft to the rear-axle driveshaft, so the wheels are forced to spin at the same speed.
This requires that the tires slip when the car goes around a turn. Part-time systems like this
should only be used in low -traction situations in which it is relatively easy for the tires to slip.
On dry concrete, it is not easy for the tires to slip, so the four-wheel drive should be disengaged
in order to avoid jerky turns and extra wear on the tires and drivetrain.
• Some transfer cases, more commonly those in part-time systems, also contain an
additional set of gears that give the vehicle a low range. This extra gear ratio gives
the vehicle extra torque and a super-slow output speed. In first gear in low range,
the vehicle might have a top speed of about 5 mph (8 kph), but incredible torque is
produced at the wheels. This allows drivers to slowly and smoothly creep up very
steep hills.
• Locking Hubs Each wheel in a car is bolted to a hub. Part-time four-wheel-drive
trucks usually have locking hubs on the front wheels. When four-wheel drive is not
engaged, the locking hubs are used to disconnect the front wheels from the front
differential, half-shafts (the shafts that connect the differential to the hub) and
driveshaft. This allows the differential, half-shafts and driveshaft to stop spinning
when the car is in two-wheel drive, saving wear and tear on those parts and
improving fuel-economy.
• Manual locking hubs used to be quite common. To engage four-wheel drive, the
driver actually had to get out of the truck and turn a knob on the front wheels until
the hubs locked. Newer systems have automatic locking hubs that engage when the
driver switches into four-wheel drive. This type of system can usually be engaged
while the vehicle is moving.
• Whether manual or automatic, these systems generally use a sliding collar that locks
the front half-shafts to the hub.
• Advanced Electronics On many modern four-wheel and all-wheel-drive vehicles,
advanced electronics play a key role. Some cars use the ABS system to selectively
apply the brakes to wheels that start to skid -- this is called brake-traction control.
Others have sophisticated, electronically-controlled clutches that can better control
the torque transfer between wheels. We'll take a look at one such advanced system
later in the article.