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All wheel drive vs. 4 wheel drive

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amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#841151
you're just lucky you didnt ask if a 1916 would fit.

Snap Crackle Bang Seriously Crusin Dubber

146 posts · joined Aug 2009 ·

#841187
Like others have said, AWD is just a marketing term.
First generation Audi quattros had separate driver controlled diff locks for the centre and rear diffs, (the rally cars tended to run without a centre diff however), which is more hard core than many "real" 4 wheel drives.
Hypothetical question: if you take a Baja and stick a Golf GTi drivetrain in the front to make it twin engine, should we call that AWD or 4wd,........ or just insane?

beetleboyjeff Custom Title Time!

1,790 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#841188
Maybe a 'bolf', or a 'gug'?
From your ole' mate Jeff

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#841193
Snap Crackle Bang wrote:Hypothetical question: if you take a Baja and stick a Golf GTi drivetrain in the front to make it twin engine, should we call that AWD or 4wd,........ or just insane?
Not an altogether original idea. Here's a BMC version. No centre diff in that baby.

what do I call my lancers? I guess they're not 2WD because they dont go anywhere with one front wheel up in the air. Neither did my kombi when pushed around corners.

MickH Hairy Gutted Sloth

3,389 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#841201
Ben386 wrote:Hmmmm.....not correct. A T25 Syncro is a FULL TIME 4WD,the coupling only changes the amount of torque/power applied to the front differential. To determin the difference between AWD and 4WD - there IS a big difference- is easy....jack up one back wheel,the car will not drive off if it is a AWD vehicle, a true 4WD vehicle will drive off powered by the front wheels...



If a VC has gone aggressive then it will drive the front wheels.If it is functioning properly and there is no difference in rear and front wheel speed then there should be no torque applied to the front,Is this not correct?
No. There will be some torque applied at all times,more when its really needed. I should give Stan a ring.....1916 has more power than the 2.1 wasserdripper....😂
tssnq.com.au

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#850198
grinderman wrote:I was under the impression that an AWD normally receives its power to either the front wheels ( ie; vw transporter,honda crv ) or rear wheels ( ie; ford territory ) UNTIL WHEEL SLIP IS DETECTED then the power is sent electronically or mechanically (syncro) to the opposite diff.
ohhh it just goes on and on and on.............😵
(removed parts of your quote)
This is how I have always understood it, AWD requires wheel slip before power transfer occurs.
AWD/4WD/4x4 as far as I'm aware has nothing to do with off road capability, simply a drive train principle.
Each can be tailored to the coditions the 'vehicle' is intended to be used in.

AWD in action


Incidently MickH, the VW syncro system was used equally in golf's, Passat's and T4 tranporters, and continues on today in the 4-motion. It's the suspension, ground clearance and diff lock option that determins it's ability in rough conditions, not the drive type.

Here's some more fun:

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#850207
Interesting posts. There may have been technical differences between '4WD' and 'AWD' in the early days, but as a few people have noted the differences have become blurred by marketing and nowadays they're probably the same thing in most cases.

* There is no such thing as a VW 'T25' - the 1979-92 third-generation Transporter ('Vanagon' to Americans) is the T3. It comes from confusion with the 'Model 25' on the VIN, which refers only to the van body. The T3 pickup is a 'Type 24'. BOTH are T3s.

* The previous VW 'syncro' system and the current '4Motion' are not the same thing.

* Both Audi's 'quattro' system and Volkswagen's '4Motion' systems refer to their trademarks, NOT to any particular design or layout. For example, Volkswagen's transverse engine layouts use a Haldex traction system (eg Golf R, Tiguan, Caddy, T5 Transporter, some Passats), while longitudinal layouts (older Passat, Phaeton, Amarok) use Torsen centre diffs. The Touareg uses a third design, by Borg Warner. ALL three systems are called '4Motion'. VW no longer uses the old 'syncro' visous coupling system. Likewise, the original 1981-87 Audi quattro system is totally different from the current Torsen systems; in fact there have been SIX different 'generations' of quattro design. They only share the 'quattro' marketing name. To add to the confusion, there has been considerable sharing of systems between VW and Audi, particularly on the Passat, Touareg and Phaeton models. In all cases, VWs are called '4Motion' and Audis are 'quattro'. Even Skoda and SEAT have shared VW/Audi layouts, with their OWN names.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quattro_(four_wheel_drive_system)

I was going to suggest that VW fits 4WD/AWD to the Golf R as it has 195 kW (in Europe) and that may be too much for FWD alone. BUT - the Scirocco R uses the same motor but is only FWD. Likewise the coming Beetle R will be FWD only (and same 195 kW).

VW made a twin-engine Scirocco prototype in 1981, and used the technology for a Golf Rallye twin-engine race car for Pikes Peak. There are a number of converters that make twin-engine Golfs today - here's a 600 kW one in South Africa for example:

http://www.cartorque.co.za/0118.htm

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Kuchster Insano Dub Head

762 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#850214
I've looked at subaru awd as i was looking to buy an outback and this is how i understand the awd to work.

It is mainly a fwd, however power is applied to both front and back at all times.
when more power is required at the opposite end, it it applied.
there are 2 wheels turning at the same time on the car, never 4.
if bogged, the subaru awd will always spin the stuck wheel and not the easiest wheel such as a commodore open wheel diff will always spin the easiest so you can never get out of a boggy situation.

Is this the same system for t3 syncro?
Kuch's Laser Cut Products
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azzatron Seriously Crusin Dubber

152 posts · joined Feb 2011 ·

#850240
Differences between AWD and 4 wheel drive = marketing.

Two different phrases describing the same thing essentially. It's semantics.
The phrases don't describe any fundamental operational difference, as each "system" can be built to replicate the other easily enough. People may attach technical differences to each system post hoc, but at it's core both labels describe drive going through each wheel. Nothing more than that.
All wheel drive is marketed at people who like the thought of having a car with "extra" traction and road handling without having to contend with a jacked up lumbering offroad behemoth. 4 wheel drive is marketed at people who like the feeling that their car can drive through rivers and over mountains of mud (and people in AWD cars).
__my '65 1500s notch project__

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#850349
AWD = more diffs, more weight, more mechanical resistance and more fuel needed to drive
4WD = even bigger [more] diffs, even more more weight, more resistance to everything (going, stopping and turning), more fuel and... more chance of rolling over. 😂

What AWD does mostly is encourages people to drive faster on wet days... 👎
"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#850351
awd/4wd teaches people that driving though flooded creek beds is safe and easy.
awd/4wd teaches people going to the snow that chains are for pussies. (a thought sponsored by rule makers)
Much like ABS teaches people that 1 car length gap is plenty.

donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#850379
pete wood wrote:AWD = more diffs, more weight, more mechanical resistance and more fuel needed to drive
4WD = even bigger [more] diffs, even more more weight, more resistance to everything (going, stopping and turning), more fuel and... more chance of rolling over. 😂

What AWD does mostly is encourages people to drive faster on wet days... 👎
Glad you said "mostly" when driving my Forester I have no urge to drive faster just because it is AWD, however I did find out when entering a roundabout on a wet road that the AWD definatly saved me from having a problem when the clown in the other lane tryed to take over my spot on the road, any "normal" 2WD (rear) would have given me some real drama. 😬

awd/4wd teaches people that driving though flooded creek beds is safe and easy.
awd/4wd teaches people going to the snow that chains are for pussies. (a thought sponsored by rule makers)
Much like ABS teaches people that 1 car length gap is plenty.


Hmmm I do wonder where these ideas come from, no way it can teach you that something that is not safe IS safe, it may lead fools into THINKING it's safe but they would soon find out differently.
Chains? well AWD would make the going easyer but lets drive to the conditions and if chains are required then on they go, simple.
One car gap is heaps, if your parked. 😂
I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!