what is a 4x4 vehicle - definition?

Answer 1

All 4 wheels are driven by the engine. Most cars are 2 wheel drive, either 'pulled' along by the front wheels or'pushed' along by the back wheels.

Answer 2

This is so argumentitive for a lot of people. A typical base model 4X4 vehicle is a modified 2WD the addition of 4WD allows torque to be distributed 50-50 front and rear 25% torque going to each wheel in 4WD and 50% going to each rear wheel in 2WD. If one wheel slips on ice for example on a normal 4WD the torque will go to the wheel that is slipping. But basically a 4X4 vehicle is modified so that all 4 Wheels can move the vehicle. Most 4WD's are part time meaning you should not use 4WD on dry pavement as drive terrain damage will result. Some vehicles have full time and part time 4WD (jeep is an excellent example of this) allowing you to put the vehicle in 4wd full time and leave it there year round if you wish due to an open center differential allowing the wheels to turn at different speeds. And also a 4WD part time for full 4WD power, and most 4WD's with part time 4WD also have 4WD low for extra pulling power and torque for heaving pulling or severe offroad use. A true 4WD would require locking differentials in the front and rear axles that would completely eliminate a single wheel from spinning on either axle. If one wheel is spinning both wheels or all 4 wheels will be spinning which greatly increases your chances of getting through that mud hole, or deep snow, or whatever you decide to drive through. When looking for a 4WD vehicle consider what you will be doing with it. If you just use the vehicle on the road in snow occasionally then a part time 4WD system would be the best as you can take the vehicle out of 4WD and its easier on gas. If you go offroad then a jeep type 4WD system allowing fulltime and part time 4wd is best as it gives you endless possibilities for use. Plus you can tow a Jeep on all 4 wheels without damage to the transmission or engine. As of right now Jeep is the only vehicle I know of that this is possible on.

Answer 3

Sorry, Jay is not correct. I have two four wheel drive vehicles
an old Landrover Discovery (a lot of my work involves off road driving) this is in permanent four wheel drive (4WD), I have a diff lock, which locks the two differentials. Landrover don't officially use "4x4" as far as I am aware.

I also have a Ford Sierra XR 4x4, this is also permanent 4WD, but has no diff locks, there is no second gear lever,
So sorry Jay, I don't know where you got that gem from
ArskElvis was most accurate in the definition that "4x4" is a meaningless expression

Answer 4

4X4 is a loosely used term. Only vehicles with locking differentials (front and back) are TRUE "4 WHEEL DRIVE".
New SUVs of today are called All Wheel Drive or AWD. It takes all of the guess work out of when to use 4 wheel drive.

Good link below to answer ALL your questions about 4x4, AWD, 6x6, etc. Good discussion question.

Answer 5

A vehicle where all 4 wheels are powered/driven by the engine or where there is an option to do so. (A car where you can switch between 2wheel drive and 4 wheel drive may still be considered a 4x4)

Answer 6

The simple answer is it means 4 wheel drive, but each number has a specific meaning. The first number tells you how many wheels it has, in this case 4. The second number tells you how many of those wheels are driven, which in this case is also 4. This rule can be applied to various wheel combinations, especially on commercials. For example you can get a 8x4 lorry. This would mean it has eight sets of wheels but only 4 wheels are being driven. The other 4 wheels would normaly be connected to the steering axle. You can also get 4x2 ( your average car ), 6x4, 6x6 and so on. hope this is clear enough for you.

Answer 7

a 4x4 is a vehicle ( truck,suv,or even a full size van) fitted with a transfer case,and driveline capable of transmitting drive power to all four tires simultaneously in a straight line ( in a turn a factory 4 wheel drive system will dis engage 4 wheel drive,unless vehicle is equipped with a limitedslip /locker/ anti-spin differential ) it does this to prevent overstressing the driveline and causing a failure.

Answer 8

A vehicle that has 4 wheels in total and that 4 wheels have drive power running to them. If you got 6 wheels and 4 wheel drive you have A 6X4 for example.

Answer 9

As everyone says, it means all 4 wheels are driven, in sports cars (Audi Quatro, Ford Sierra XR 4x4) Superb cornering ability is the result.

Until Ford added 4WD Sierra to it's XR range, all four wheel drive cars were referred to as "4WD" whether sports or off road
Ford had the XR2, Fiesta, the XR3 Escort and the XR4 Sierra, then they made the 4WD version, they added X4 to designate its four wheel drive status ie XR4x4.
Thus people started to call all 4WDs "4x4", so although the expression itself is actually meaningless when you analyse it thats how it originated

Answer 10

To answer your question, it means a 4-wheeled vehicle, with drive to all four wheels.

Your average car is a 4x2.

A 6-wheeled truck, for example, might be a 6x2, or a 6x4.