What's the difference between 4 wheel drive and 2 wheel drive? Appreciate the answer?

Answer 1

There are actually 3 types of drive-trains in the automotive world. #1 There is 2 wheel drive which is when only 2 of the 4 wheels on the vehicle are powered by the motor, the other 2 just roll. It can be either front 2 wheel drive (for small-medium cars such as eclipse, grand-am etc) or rear 2 wheel drive for big cars (such as lincoln town cars, corvettes, vipers, and what are referred to as "2 wheel Drive" trucks which are garbage unless you live ina city and never EVER take it off the road) you have #2 4 wheel drive which you find on trucks and SUV's where the engine powers all 4 wheels via a machine attached to the transmission called the transfer case. In this configuration, 4 wheel drive is for use when the vehicle is stuck in heavy snow, mud, or very loose terrain. and #3 you have AWD or All Wheel Drive which you find on cars like subarus and the Saturn VUE, it works like 4WD except it's when the vehcle is not made ot go off road, but adds additional power to the other 2 wheels when road conditions warant.
Now 4WD and AWD vehicles usually travel in 2WD until the other option is selected by button or a smaller gear shifter located on the floorboard. It enacts the transfer case which puts the power into the other 2 wheels. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Actually a 2 wheel drive uses one wheel to drive and a 4 whell drive uses 2 wheels to drive(one in front and one in the rear). However if you put a locker in either case 2 wheel will spin in a 2 wheel and and all 4 will spin in a 4 wheel drive.

Answer 3

It basically speaks for itself, but 2 wheel drive is when (depending on what type of vehicle) either the fron 2 or back 2 spin. In 4 wheel drive, all the wheels are turning independently. In almost every case, 4 wheel drive can get you out of a rough situation. (mud, snow, sand, etc.)

Answer 4

2 wheel drive- two wheels move the car (either the front or rear)

4 Wheel Drive- All four wheels more the vehicle (most you can switch between two and four wheels)

All wheel drive- the wheels that have the best grip move the car (computers and such determine which will help the most and those wheels get the most power)

Answer 5

4 wheel drive vehicles (also called All Wheel Drive or AWD) use all four wheels to move the car = Better Traction and Control

2 Wheel Drive = Either the front wheels OR the rear wheels act as the drive wheels to move the car.

FYI: Rear Wheel Drive cars have poor traction in snow and heavy rain, since they "push" the car, BUT Front Wheel Drive car offer better traction since they "pull" the car.

Answer 6

A two wheel drive car is just as the name implies.

Two wheel drive or 2WD describes vehicles with a drivetrain that allows two wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously.(Either front or rear.)

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 ("four by four"), all-wheel drive, and AWD are terms used to describe a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously. Better traction .e.g. if one wheel slips or loses contact with a suface, there is still power going to the other 3 wheels and you still stay in contact with the driving surface.

Answer 7

well 2 wheel drive only the front or rear wheels will turn depending on if it is front or rear wheel drive.4 wheel drive front and rear wheels will push or pull the vehicle

Answer 8

Motorbikes, scooters are two wheel drive and jeeps, cars are four wheel drives

Answer 9

Two wheels

Answer 10

This is my limited understanding of the difference.

Two wheel drive...
The driver controls two ... front and back. (Hene only one gear stick.)

Four wheel drive
The driver controls four... each wheel is independently controlled, thus affording greater manouverability in off road conditions. (Hence the two gear sticks)