Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Please note that it is not permitted to have referral links posted in your signature. Keep these links contained in the appropriate forum. Thank you.
https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules
https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules
Ice!!
Options
-
19-12-2009 12:08pm#1
Comments
-
-
-
-
4WD in wintery conditions is a bit of a treacherous affair.
Because all four wheels are driven, on bad surfaces you will keep going quite a bit longer than a 2WD as the torque from the engine is divided by four instead of two. This means the little grip there is might just be enough not to spin the wheels whereas a 2 WD would already be slipping.
When the grip finally goes, the picture changes dramatically though.
On a 2WD you have two spinning wheels with no traction and two other wheels that (as long as you don't apply the brakes) still have some road holding. This means the driven axle starts spinning but the other one still keeps its original direction (for a short instance) and if you're lucky you can catch the car from spinning out of control.
On the 4WD when traction is lost, it goes on all four wheels. You're going straight from full control to no control at all (excluding controlled drifts from this scenario:D). To add to this, most 4WD systems have some internal friction that effectively locks up the sliding wheels ...so even hitting the clutch might not always restore traction/contact.
In some situations you actually have to accelerate a 4WD in order to get back control and that is somewhat counter-intuitive when you're sliding towards a wall or a ditch
And then there would be the other thing that 4WD drivers tend to forget ...while you might be better off going uphill in a 4WD, on the downhill section 4WD offers very little advantage over a 2WD ...because on the brakes all vehicles are 4WD.0 -
4WD in wintery conditions is a bit of a treacherous affair.
Because all four wheels are driven, on bad surfaces you will keep going quite a bit longer than a 2WD as the torque from the engine is divided by four instead of two. This means the little grip there is might just be enough not to spin the wheels whereas a 2 WD would already be slipping.
When the grip finally goes, the picture changes dramatically though.
On a 2WD you have two spinning wheels with no traction and two other wheels that (as long as you don't apply the brakes) still have some road holding. This means the driven axle starts spinning but the other one still keeps its original direction (for a short instance) and if you're lucky you can catch the car from spinning out of control.
On the 4WD when traction is lost, it goes on all four wheels. You're going straight from full control to no control at all (excluding controlled drifts from this scenario:D). To add to this, most 4WD systems have some internal friction that effectively locks up the sliding wheels ...so even hitting the clutch might not always restore traction/contact.
In some situations you actually have to accelerate a 4WD in order to get back control and that is somewhat counter-intuitive when you're sliding towards a wall or a ditch
And then there would be the other thing that 4WD drivers tend to forget ...while you might be better off going uphill in a 4WD, on the downhill section 4WD offers very little advantage over a 2WD ...because on the brakes all vehicles are 4WD.
First post here in a while IMO which has genuinely been educational, informative and well written.0 -
Advertisement
-
-
-
Advertisement