How to differentiate RWD and FWD?

last SG · 2007-06-12T18:27:52+00:00

however, the downside of AWD is increased overall maintenance. more moving parts usually equals more chances of mechanical failure. increased in overall weig...

hao_hao SG

how to check rwd or fwd? simple …. if your car is auto, put in to D mode …. handbrakes up …. footbrakes off … step on gas a bit .. it car moves with handbrakes engaged its FWD … but of cos try it on even roads only .. i learnt it from my driving instructor … i dunno if it works for manual cars though

ceecookie SG

Hello Agger.
One thing about AWD is that its actually FWD/RWD default and when the ECU thinks that no traction than the other 2 wheels is actvated?Am i right?

Because when my family and i hit offroad trails with a bare 2L AWD(Honda CR-V),the AWD did not activate at a crucial point and we ended up stucked.

TheDream SG

I don't think that's true. I suspect you're describing a feature of "4"WD, which is available on SUVs. For passenger cars, I don't think there's such a feature Confused

TwinTurbo_Supra SG

errrr RWD will also move. Very Happy

tomsss SG

RWD and AWD also can do the same... so what you've assumed is not correct.

The easiest way, to visually tell whether the car is a FWD or RWD... is just simply go to the rear of the vehicle, bend down to see if there is an axle and 2 shafts connecting to the rear wheels. If there is, then its a RWD or maybe AWD. If you dun see anything in between the rear wheels, nothing connecting to each other, other than the suspension components... then its a FWD.

OR, turn the steering wheel, full-lock to the left or right, and then look inside the wheel wells of the front wheels. If you see any rod (which is the driveshaft) that sticks out from the centre of the wheel, going into the engine... then thats a FWD or AWD. No shaft in front = RWD.

AWD will have driveshafts both front and rear.

JerzZzzZ SG

See which way the towing truck tows the car. Very Happy

LH83 SG

Higher tendency to oversteer... esp when roads are slippery...

tomsss SG

if tow truck use flatbed how? Laughing

nyox SG

then we can assume its a 4WD. Mr. Green

tomsss SG

but i've seen a Mini Cooper on a flatbed...a GT3 on a flatbed.... Laughing

JerzZzzZ SG

then come forums ask lor. Smile

Freed0M SG

the car tends to over steer easily when u turn in at high speed.... if the tire cant girp the ground... ur car will slip

Freed0M SG

the disadvantage for FWD.... (for intense driving like racing)

as ur front wheels are the wheels tat steer the car, plus when u brake... the weight of ur car will be transfer to the front... ur tire girp will wear off faster than RWD car... Wink

outlaw-2 SG

Well, if you under the bonnet, A RWD car has the engine installed vertically while a FWD car has the engine installed horizontally. As for 4WD, it depends. The Skyline GTR had the RB26 installed vertically, so does the Lancer Evo V (Probably the only Evo with vertical engine installed)

tomsss SG

all the EVO series (from the first gen CD9A right up to the current CP9A) have their engines mounted in side-to-side transverse arrangement, so your info on the Evo V is incorrect.

And the proper term for the Skyline's engine, is that it is mounted longitudinal, meaning "north-south", where the crankshaft is oriented along the long-axis of the vehicle, front to back.

Another 4WD car with longitudinal engine was the European Ford Escort RS Cosworth, though its FWD sports model, the RS2000, had its engine mounted side-to-side tranverse (4WD of the RS2000 was also available, in the same configuration, but built in limited numbers)

g6k4 SG

FWD car can do drifing. Correct?

Fastway SG

actually it's rather simple to diff FR from FF. u check the undercarriage of the car. if u see a 'black box' bulging out frm the rear end(near the muffler), it's actually the driveshaft box. that's how the engine transmit power to rear wheels.

u see BMW n Benz de, nice nice flat flat de black box. u see those laoya lorry/van de big big round round de. lol.

TheDream SG

I thot both can? There's a famous AE86 RWD that is supposedly very good at drifting... Wink

alleggerita SG

Yes FWD car can do drifting..but RWD car will be the more natural one at drifting..here's why:

1) The only way to drift a FWD car is to use the handbrake to induce a drift..and by using the handbrake to induce a drift in a FWD car, the car will more likely lose control especially if driver is new..and once a FWD car is in a drift and the driver steps on the accelerator, the car will slowly get out of the drift instead of drifting even more..a FWD car's drift harder to control in general, though I might be wrong.. Laughing

2) RWD car easier to drift because most of the time, releasing the accelerator mid-corner will be enough to induce a drift, and once the drift sets in, step on the accelerator gently and drift will continue until driver applies enough opposite lock on the steering wheel and releases accelerator to bring the car out of a drift..RWD might sometimes be hard to control in a drift too..4WD also can drift by releasing accelerator mid-corner.. Wink

TheDream SG

Since I think most of us are not racers, I'm trying to deduce from what you have said whether FWD or RWD (or even AWD) is safer when the car skids...

Am I right to say that FWD can more easily recover from a skid? Confused

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