4WD vs. AWD

  • Thread starter Thread starter StarDriftMunny
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If its a truck, I know that some have part time 4WD and some have permanent. I'm not sure if that will make a substantial difference but I think it helps to know that. Also, AWD never stops, all the wheels keep traction. I might of worded that wrong but its from my knowledge.
 
There are many different implementations of all-wheel drive. When you say 4WD, you are typically referring to a truck or an off-roader with a lockable center differential and a low-range gearbox for off-road and low-traction use.

Most trucks with part-time four-wheel drive can't use it on the street. The front and rear tires maintain the same rotational speed because of the locked center differential (and sometimes these also have locking front and rear differentials) causing tire-scrubbing, wheel-hop, driveline binding and eventual mechanical carnage, as uninformed stupid owners who leave their trucks in 4WD while on dry pavement can attest to.

Most modern cars and trucks have full-time all-wheel drive with a clutched center differential and limited slip diffs instead of locking diffs.
 
To be in a 4WD mean's your wheel's are all independent and each wheel has it's own mind. If You get bogged in a 4WD, the wheel that is bogged will not spin anymore while your other 3 wheel's will help get You out. If You were to get bogged in a AWD all your wheels will spin no matter what and the tire that's bogged will keep digging it self in. 4WD is for off-roading while AWD is for handling hence they put it in sport's car's like audi. I used to own a constant 4WD that did not need me to manually put into 4WD and it was fantastic, it was a landrover discovery series 1 with 4 inch lift kit and 33 inch mud terrain tire's, beautiful truck.
 
To be in a 4WD mean's your wheel's are all independent and each wheel has it's own mind. If You get bogged in a 4WD, the wheel that is bogged will not spin anymore while your other 3 wheel's will help get You out. If You were to get bogged in a AWD all your wheels will spin no matter what and the tire that's bogged will keep digging it self in. 4WD is for off-roading while AWD is for handling hence they put it in sport's car's like audi. I used to own a constant 4WD that did not need me to manually put into 4WD and it was fantastic, it was a landrover discovery series 1 with 4 inch lift kit and 33 inch mud terrain tire's, beautiful truck.

did you upgrade to a Range Rover? :dopey:
 
Your lifted tire doesn't stop spinning. Your hubs are locked, hence the left and right tire on the axle spin at the same rate.

That isn't the difference between a 4WD car and an AWD car, though. That's just the difference between locking hubs and open differentials. You can have 4WD with a locked center differential, but open front and rear differentials. You can have AWD with a viscous center differential but clutch-type limited-slip differentials that achieve the same effect.

But most common AWD crossovers have open differentials front and rear, hence the tendency to get stuck once you have one tire on each axle up in the air.
 
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4WD basically means you can select 2WD or 4WD. AWD means all the wheels have power at all times. In the game you can't control the 4WD, so they are essentially the same thing.
 
Some good info, some bad info. Read this! http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/1105_4wd_vs_awd/viewall.html

Biggest difference has to do with a center differential(AWD) and the use of a center transfer case(4wd). AWD's can send power according to slip where most 4wd once enaged have a set amount of torque going to all for wheels. Obviously technology play a big part here but in a nut shell, that is what seperates the most simplelest of systems.
 
d24689
To be in a 4WD mean's your wheel's are all independent and each wheel has it's own mind. If You get bogged in a 4WD, the wheel that is bogged will not spin anymore while your other 3 wheel's will help get You out. If You were to get bogged in a AWD all your wheels will spin no matter what and the tire that's bogged will keep digging it self in. 4WD is for off-roading while AWD is for handling hence they put it in sport's car's like audi. I used to own a constant 4WD that did not need me to manually put into 4WD and it was fantastic, it was a landrover discovery series 1 with 4 inch lift kit and 33 inch mud terrain tire's, beautiful truck.

4wd is better all around. Evos and STis have it to corner better. Its known as yaw control in the evo but I don't know what subaru calls their's.
 
4wd is better all around. Evos and STis have it to corner better. Its known as yaw control in the evo but I don't know what subaru calls their's.

To be technically correct, both have all wheel drive. Four wheel drive can be disengaged, and so is not always being used. All wheel drive is always active, even on tarmac. And so, AWD is always better, as the only difference is whether they are always active or not.
 
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