On a FWD vehicle, does only one wheel get all the power, or does one wheel get more than the other? Or do both front wheels get equal power? How exactly does it function?
2006-12-15 04:44:12 · 7 answers · asked by ara_service 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
About the same as rear wheel drive, the power from the engine goes through a transmission and then into a pair of axles, one for each front wheel. As you turn of course, one tire will be going faster so it would be free wheeling to a certain extent. Going down the road in a straight line each wheel would be getting about 50% all things being equal.
Most of the front wheel drive cars in use today use a Transaxle, which is a combination of a transmission and a rear axle, all rolled into one. You see, the old way was to have the engine drive a transmission, which sent power to the rearwheels through the differential in the rear axle. Now you have a transmission with the differential built right in
2006-12-15 04:54:25 · answer #1 · answered by oklatom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
2 wheel drive, both wheels are powered, on 4 wheel drive all four are. The differential allows the wheels on opposite sides of each axle to rotate at different speeds, which is necessary when going around curves, when the outside wheel(s) have a farther path of travel that the inside ones.
If one side has lower friction with the ground, it is liable to speed up, which causes wheel spin on that side and the vehicle doesn't move. This has been addressed with limited slip differentials.
2006-12-15 12:46:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can not say enough good things about front wheel drive . I bought a nice car because I just could not swing the price of an SUV. My little front wheel drive car is easy to control and is a bear in snow. I carpooled with I guy who had a pickup we used my car for snow and ice days because his wimpy expensive truck fish-tailed so badly. Of course I rubbed it in, I got a smirk out of him ,but only a little one. I included a web site below see advantages or disadvantages there.
2006-12-15 12:56:58 · answer #3 · answered by CAE 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Front wheel drive is each wheel gets the same amount of power.
2006-12-15 12:45:59 · answer #4 · answered by hey hows it goin 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Both front wheels share the power, but each has it's own axle, unlike the RWD. This allows one to turn faster or slower than its mate. When you turn, the outer wheel has farther to go.
2006-12-15 12:46:59 · answer #5 · answered by suzykew70 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Both front wheels gets 50%/50%
2006-12-15 12:45:55 · answer #6 · answered by aisdean 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
basically one wheel pulls.
2006-12-15 12:46:24 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋