Fuel economy...4x4 engaged vs not
11-25-2010, 11:46 PM
#31
Senior Member
a 4x4 truck handles completely different than a front wheel drive car so thats a useless comparison. the mistake most poeple make in the winter trying to take turns is they mash the brake and crank the wheel and the front wheels just skid and you will slide right through the corner. that wont happen if you let off the brake and feather the throttle a little, not floor it, just feather it and it will pull you around the corner. go try it sometime.
in 4wd, it will push in comparison, not pull you through.
11-26-2010, 01:09 AM
#32
BAMF Club
I've tried it several times and I get the same result. you try it sometime, go around the corner in 2wd and the front wheels will stay put and steer you through and if you are good you can get the rear to come around just right and you can do a full corner without turning the wheel very much
in 4wd, it will push in comparison, not pull you through.
in 4wd, it will push in comparison, not pull you through.
how fast are you going? is there ice underneath? after 10 years of driving in Alaska I realize there are a lot of variables that affect the road conditions. I've had an Escort, a 2wd F150, and a 4wd F150, while also driving our Town Car a significant amount. The 2wd F150 pushes through corners, the 4wd sticks them. The escort (fwd) would also push through corners because when the tires are spinning, they don't steer.
11-26-2010, 01:50 PM
#33
Senior Member
Are you driving in snow? how fast are you going? is there ice underneath? after 10 years of driving in Alaska I realize there are a lot of variables that affect the road conditions. I've had an Escort, a 2wd F150, and a 4wd F150, while also driving our Town Car a significant amount.
The 2wd F150 pushes through corners, the 4wd sticks them. The escort (fwd) would also push through corners because when the tires are spinning, they don't steer.
how fast are you going? is there ice underneath? after 10 years of driving in Alaska I realize there are a lot of variables that affect the road conditions. I've had an Escort, a 2wd F150, and a 4wd F150, while also driving our Town Car a significant amount. The 2wd F150 pushes through corners, the 4wd sticks them. The escort (fwd) would also push through corners because when the tires are spinning, they don't steer.
11-26-2010, 03:11 PM
#35
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
I've tried it several times and I get the same result. you try it sometime, go around the corner in 2wd and the front wheels will stay put and steer you through and if you are good you can get the rear to come around just right and you can do a full corner without turning the wheel very much
in 4wd, it will push in comparison, not pull you through.
in 4wd, it will push in comparison, not pull you through.
11-27-2010, 01:21 AM
#36
Senior Member
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Sometimes logic is simply out of grasp.
Rear wheels PUSH you straight. The friction of the front wheels cause you to go around a corner, but not without a lot of forces going in directions that aren't the way you want to go.
Front wheels PULL you in the direction that they are pointed - the only 'bad' forces are mitigated by rolling rear wheels.
It fails all logic, reasoning, and physics to think powered rear wheels will get you through a corner better than all four (or at least 1 rear and 2 front) powered wheels. Can you fish tail around and swing the rear end? absolutely.. but that doesn't mean it corners 'better'... it just means that when the rear wheels lose traction, they do the same thing that the fronts do when they lose traction (continue to travel in the direction they were originally moving.. inertia)
Now, you might have a debate if it was 4wd vs. fwd. Far too many variables here to have a definitive answer.
Rear wheels PUSH you straight. The friction of the front wheels cause you to go around a corner, but not without a lot of forces going in directions that aren't the way you want to go.
Front wheels PULL you in the direction that they are pointed - the only 'bad' forces are mitigated by rolling rear wheels.
It fails all logic, reasoning, and physics to think powered rear wheels will get you through a corner better than all four (or at least 1 rear and 2 front) powered wheels. Can you fish tail around and swing the rear end? absolutely.. but that doesn't mean it corners 'better'... it just means that when the rear wheels lose traction, they do the same thing that the fronts do when they lose traction (continue to travel in the direction they were originally moving.. inertia)
Now, you might have a debate if it was 4wd vs. fwd. Far too many variables here to have a definitive answer.
Last edited by schaibaa; 11-27-2010 at 01:23 AM.
11-27-2010, 03:40 AM
#38
BAMF Club
11-27-2010, 11:52 AM
#40
Senior Member
Sometimes logic is simply out of grasp.
Rear wheels PUSH you straight. The friction of the front wheels cause you to go around a corner, but not without a lot of forces going in directions that aren't the way you want to go.
Front wheels PULL you in the direction that they are pointed - the only 'bad' forces are mitigated by rolling rear wheels.
It fails all logic, reasoning, and physics to think powered rear wheels will get you through a corner better than all four (or at least 1 rear and 2 front) powered wheels. Can you fish tail around and swing the rear end? absolutely.. but that doesn't mean it corners 'better'... it just means that when the rear wheels lose traction, they do the same thing that the fronts do when they lose traction (continue to travel in the direction they were originally moving.. inertia)
Now, you might have a debate if it was 4wd vs. fwd. Far too many variables here to have a definitive answer.
Rear wheels PUSH you straight. The friction of the front wheels cause you to go around a corner, but not without a lot of forces going in directions that aren't the way you want to go.
Front wheels PULL you in the direction that they are pointed - the only 'bad' forces are mitigated by rolling rear wheels.
It fails all logic, reasoning, and physics to think powered rear wheels will get you through a corner better than all four (or at least 1 rear and 2 front) powered wheels. Can you fish tail around and swing the rear end? absolutely.. but that doesn't mean it corners 'better'... it just means that when the rear wheels lose traction, they do the same thing that the fronts do when they lose traction (continue to travel in the direction they were originally moving.. inertia)
Now, you might have a debate if it was 4wd vs. fwd. Far too many variables here to have a definitive answer.
Front wheels turny and slippy and makey no turny around corner. Front wheels not drivey and not slippy roll nicely and steer vehicle around corner.
This logic you are talking about should apply with your "theory" on a FWD vehicle, it should actually be even better considering there are no rear wheels to push you straight. If you turn the wheels and give it gas, it should pull you right around the corner! Does it? No.