How Four-Wheel Drive
Works
There are almost as many different
types of four-wheel-drive systems as there are four-wheel-drive vehicles. It
seems that every manufacturer has several different schemes for providing power
to all of the wheels. The language used by the different car makers can
sometimes be a little confusing, so before we get started explaining how they
work, let's clear up some terminology:
·
Four-wheel
drive - Usually, when car makers say that a car has four-wheel drive, they are referring to a part-time system.
For reasons we'll explore later in this article, these systems are meant only
for use in low-traction conditions, such as off-road or on snow or ice.
·
All-wheel
drive - These systems are sometimes called full-time four-wheel drive. All-wheel-drive systems are designed to function on all
types of surfaces, both on- and off-road, and most of them cannot be switched
off.
Part-time and full-time four-wheel-drive systems can be
evaluated using the same criteria. The best system will send exactly the right
amount of torque to each wheel, which is the maximum torque that won't cause
that tire to slip.
In this article, we'll explain the fundamentals of
four-wheel drive, starting with some background on traction, and look at the
components that make up a four-wheel-drive system.
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