AWD (just a discussion)

[leopard]

What can we suggest to a friend who drives in dirty road? He need a vehicle that accommodates some speed of driveability in asphalted road while the site of the project was placed somewhere in the remote area. Currently he drives a 4WD Ford Ranger.

We and mostly people only know 4WD help much in mud bath, so what superiority of an AWD (all wheel drive) can offer to replace the 4WD's tasks?

[Rollo]

Um, most cars have 4 wheels, therefore AWD is 4WD. Perhaps it should be more correctly termed "Permanent 4WD".

Two questions:
1. What sort of ground clearances do you need?
2. How rough is the terrain? Are we simply dealing with loose gravel or deep ruts?

A big 4WD comes with extra-utility at the price of reduced manueverability and increased running costs. Where I work, a Toyota LandCruiser is a very common sight but totally wasted as most of them (98% never ever leave the black top) but if you employ such a vehicle to run across deserts, it's totally within its element.

[leopard]

it's also called permanent 4WD

He drives trough various pathway from asphalted road, soil road which consists of clay, sandy, and muddy road. Once it turns to the part where the wheels gain less grip to the ground than it switched manually to 4WD. This inefficiency might cause him forget to unleash the 4WD and it accumulates to the differential gear damaged. Wondering that the AWD can solve this problem out.

[Zico]

Is he having a problem with damaging his differential by selecting 4wd mode manually while still moving? if so, Yes, it would.. alternatively he can stop before selecting 4wd like he really should.

Many modern cars ie the Golf R32 that are described as 4wd, use only 2wd until wheelspin is detected then automatically switch to 4wd. I guess this falls in between the two types. I think Volvo. VW and the new Alfa Q4 all use this type.

[leopard]

What makes it impractical is the need to stop while switching back to 2WD, he might also do that while moving but I think it feel like switching gear from 5 to 1, will enhance the gear diff damaged.

There are several different version of technology about AWD. Probably those automatically switch from 4WD to 2WD and vv are the newest version of AWD.

[airshifter]

Some of the newer full time and part time AWD systems are much more capable than in the past, but still often lack the brute traction that 4WD vehicles can when properly equipped.

Most people rarely need a real 4 wheel drive system with locked or limited slip differentials, they simply need a little more traction than an open differential 2 wheel drive system has.

Some of the electronic lockers work really well, but you are still limited to using them with certain systems.

[Zico]

Most people rarely need a real 4 wheel drive system with locked or limited slip differentials, they simply need a little more traction than an open differential 2 wheel drive system has.

Spot on.. I'd choose an LSD equipped 2wd car over a 4WD for use in occasional snow anyday.. The penalties in weight and fuel consumption for a 4wd are something Id much prefer to avoid, not to mention their general understeering tendancies, Id only ever buy one if I was a farmer or had to do serious off-roading regularly.

Limited slip diff in a 2wd would make it great fun to drive in all conditions, pretty good traction, enough to cope with all but the most extreme conditions, gets the vote from me..

[leopard]

Agree, for general use of street car 2WD always preferable, any feature like LSD would be another additional value to the car. In this hiking price of fuel using daily a 4WD didn't sound wise ... unless your company pay the bill ...

[Daniel]

Some of the newer full time and part time AWD systems are much more capable than in the past, but still often lack the brute traction that 4WD vehicles can when properly equipped.

Most people rarely need a real 4 wheel drive system with locked or limited slip differentials, they simply need a little more traction than an open differential 2 wheel drive system has.

Some of the electronic lockers work really well, but you are still limited to using them with certain systems.
Good suspension and independant rear suspension are also good things. My dad was trying to move a caravan on his front lawn with his van which has a live rear axle and it was just spinning the wheels. Pulled the 30 year old 504 out of the garage (it has independant semi-trailing arms at the back) and it moved the caravan no probs even though it probably only has half the power of the van :)

Caroline's Legacy is AWD of course and I think it has a rear LSD as standard. The only time I've felt that it's better than my 406 is when I have to do a hillstart on a steep hill near us. So much wheelspin it feels like I'm leaving half my tyres on the road :angryfire I guess if it makes you feel safer that's good :)

[airshifter]

Both suspension types have their advantages and disadvantages as well though. The serious off roaders rarely mess with anything other than a solid axle, for reasons of stability and extremes of articulation in the really tough stuff. Some of the new stuff purpose built for off roading extremes has IRS, but is well beyond what someone could use on the road, or for that matter afford in a lot of cases.

[leopard]

Slightly behind on this after found testimony said that these days 4WD cars like Strada Triton offers 'shift on the fly' a feature to enable car shifted up and down from two and four wheel drive while the car is in motion. The system even works at some speed up to 100 mph.

[Hazell B]

Land Rover Discovery.
There is no other vehicle anywhere in the world to rival it for off and on road general use, economy and ease.

And that's from somebody who said she wouldn't have a Discovery given a few years ago :p : Changed to one under pressure and now wouldn't hesitate to say it was as good off road in almost any situation as a Land Rover 90 or 110, plus far better on road. Did thirty to the gallon on average, including towing large weights, was a doddle to get bits for and very easy to park and drive in busy cities. The 90 and 110 Land Rovers are heavier on fuel, slow as hell and only really better off road on things like Army training courses and dangerous terrain.

Got a 300 Series Discovery now, which isn't quite as roomy for the driver as any other model, and a Range Rover. I'd choose the Disco every time if working on anything worse than a bit of mud or squidgy grass.