Fwd Sucks Why??

[lexdiamondz10304]

Just asking the pros and cons on fwd..

 

[maxmk8]

here is what is known

FWD is better in snow, hands down
FWD has "torque steer"

RWD is superior in terms of acceleration because weight is better distributed.

This is my opinion
FWD is MUCH easier to drive and control than RWD.
FWD can save weight due to the lack of differential (built into the tranny) and driveshaft
FWD burnouts are LAME!

 

[SoonerLS]

Just asking the pros and cons on fwd..

FWD is cheaper to manufacture; the drivetrain can be installed as a single assembly, unlike the RWD drivetrain. Simpler assembly = cheaper assembly.

FWD has some advantages in loose/slick situations (eg, snow and dirt/gravel), because the weight is concentrated over the wheels responsible for both propulsion and directional control.

FWD generally has less HP loss in the driveline, thanks mainly due to the extra rotating mass in the driveshaft of RWD cars.

It's also easier to do a brake stand in an FWD car; no line locks, just set the parking brake and stand on the gas.

FWD has packaging benefits; the typical transversely-mounted engine doesn't require as long of an engine compartment (from nose to firewall) as the typical longitudinally-mounted RWD engine. This allows for simplified crumple zones and expansion of the passenger compartment (what Chrysler calls "cab-forward design").

From a performance standpoint, RWD has some significant handling advantages; it's much easier to alter (in a positive way) the directional stability of an RWD car. If you need to cut the turn a bit sharper, you can use throttle-induced oversteer: step on the gas and swing the tail-end out.

It's also much easier to achieve 50/50 Front/Rear weight distribution in an RWD package. Balance is good thing from a handling perspective.

RWD also has an advantage in launching: FWD cars transfer weight away from the drive wheels on launch, which sharply limits the power that they can transmit to the ground. Spinning wheels look cool, but that's a whole bunch of wasted energy. (That's why the top dragsters (Funny Cars and Top Fuel) are exclusively RWD.)

AWD has some advantages over both FWD and RWD, but they're generally offset by the heavier weight and greater driveline losses of the AWD systems.

Generally, RWD setups can handle more power and torque than FWD setups. In addition to the ability to transmit power to the ground, there are also packaging restraints in the FWD transaxle; RWD transmissions have more available space for the gusseting and heavier components required to handle higher HP and torque.

RWD cars also normally have shorter turning radii; FWD cars are limited by the half-shafts delivering the power to the front wheels; their joints can only go so far from 180 degrees before they'll lock up and stop rotating. In my T-Bird SC, which was by no means a small car, I could start in the parallel parking slot on one side of a two-lane street and pull a U-turn to go the other way in one continuous forward motion (and I'm fairly certin that my LS will do the same). My SHO would require a multi-point turn to accomplish the same maneuver.

 

[JES_LS]

Well that's a can of worms.
Without trying to start a war, There are a couple of issues that make fwd a poor choice in a performance vehicle.

1. Traction limitations. In a front wheel drive car you are asking the front tires to 90% of the work. The subaru add has it right for fwd. Why use only two wheels when you have 4.
That means that accelerating/braking and turning are all done with the front tires. That is a awful lot of load on two small contact patchs.The comment that a frontwheel drive turns better in the snow is BS, put for tires on any RWD car with decent balance and it will drive just fine in the snow.
Now a rwd car splits the inputs to the front and back. The best vehicle for sharing the load among all the wheels is a AWD.

2. dynamics, When you accelerate, weight transfer occurs and the front tires loose traction while the rear tires gain it. If you unload the drving tires, they spin, why do think that most professional racing, FWD is nearly non existant.

The only two things that front wheel drive has going for it are cost and design opportunities. It costs less because there is a transaxle, not a transmission, driveshaft and rear axle. Also on smaller cars it is easier for the designers to package the fwd since there is no hump in the floor.

But finally a larger percentage of the general public is figuring out that FWD is not the best and demanding RWD or AWD (just look at almost all the minivans, the are available in AWD, so people are comming to their senses).

Give me a car like the LS good weight balance and RWD, put good tires on it for the general conditions and guess what I'll be save in it. If it came down to completely rebuilding an older car with rwd or buying a brand new fwd, I'm getting out my tools.

 

[Kelleyo]

Well that's a can of worms.
Without trying to start a war, There are a couple of issues that make fwd a poor choice in a performance vehicle.

1. Traction limitations. In a front wheel drive car you are asking the front tires to 90% of the work. The subaru add has it right for fwd. Why use only two wheels when you have 4.
That means that accelerating/braking and turning are all done with the front tires. That is a awful lot of load on two small contact patchs.The comment that a frontwheel drive turns better in the snow is BS, put for tires on any RWD car with decent balance and it will drive just fine in the snow.
Now a rwd car splits the inputs to the front and back. The best vehicle for sharing the load among all the wheels is a AWD.

2. dynamics, When you accelerate, weight transfer occurs and the front tires loose traction while the rear tires gain it. If you unload the drving tires, they spin, why do think that most professional racing, FWD is nearly non existant.

The only two things that front wheel drive has going for it are cost and design opportunities. It costs less because there is a transaxle, not a transmission, driveshaft and rear axle. Also on smaller cars it is easier for the designers to package the fwd since there is no hump in the floor.

But finally a larger percentage of the general public is figuring out that FWD is not the best and demanding RWD or AWD (just look at almost all the minivans, the are available in AWD, so people are comming to their senses).

Give me a car like the LS good weight balance and RWD, put good tires on it for the general conditions and guess what I'll be save in it. If it came down to completely rebuilding an older car with rwd or buying a brand new fwd, I'm getting out my tools.

:iconcur:

One thing to consider with FWD is wether the engine is transverse or longitudinal. Transverse will usually have more weight forward and is sometimes very hard to work on (try getting to the rear plugs). They also have to have a transaxle which is harder to make very strong because of its limited size.

Most of the AWD (like Audi's) are longitudinal FWD with a shaft going to a transfer case and rear diff. That is why Audi's handle better than transverse, logitudinal has better weight distribution.

 

[JES_LS]

:iconcur:
Most of the AWD (like Audi's) are longitudinal FWD with a shaft going to a transfer case and rear diff. That is why Audi's handle better than transverse, logitudinal has better weight distribution.

The only audi's I have ever driven were quatto model, so I cannot answer how their fwd versions handle, but then again if the car has the motor installed NS, and yet is only fwd is kinda like buying only half the car (Audi Lite)??

 

[Dartastic]

Easier to push then to pull if ya ask me! :invasion:

 

[Jim Henderson]

I have driven front and rear wheel drive in snow, ice and rain etc.

I think the only time I thought FWD had some effect was in normal acceleration through thick slushy snow and mud. In rain or ice it has been my experience that FWD actually may be a disadvantage since they will spin like crazy if you are trying to turn and accelerate.

I had a 96 RWD sports sedan which I drove many times when the roads were slick as heck. The key was gentle application of brakes and gas. I was moving around on big fat tires(bad on ice) just fine while many FWD cars were stick or sliding.

My 4WD truck also does fine most of the time on snow and ice and only on occasion do I need to engage 4WD.

I drove a RWD rental car in Colorado during some severe ice and snow. I didn't know any better and just drove around very carefully but with absolutely no problem.

The biggest problem with any wheel drive is stopping and none of the types really have an advantage in my experience. The key as I said is gentle brakes, gas and also steering. No sudden movements.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

[Kelleyo]

The only audi's I have ever driven were quatto model, so I cannot answer how their fwd versions handle, but then again if the car has the motor installed NS, and yet is only fwd is kinda like buying only half the car (Audi Lite)??

What I was trying to say is that Quattro is basically a longitudinal FWD with power sent to the rear wheels.

In other words they started with FWD and added RWD as opposed to RWD and adding FWD.

IMHOP this is the only way to do it. I had 3 SHO's and an Escort GT. Thought they were great till I got the LS and realised what I was missing...

 

[BBoyd]

I don't know many technical facts like others have posted, but I have owned a fwd vehicle and if those cv axles ever go bad, they are kind of expensive and definately a hassle to replace. My fwd car had about 120K on it when I had to have the cv's replaced. Had the car back in high school got it because it was cheap, so it really sucked when I had to come up with $450 to have those axles replaced. I guess its not really that big of a deal, but its something to think about if your talking about an older fwd vehicle.

 

[Black87LSC]

I've driven a good number of cars, and I notice fwd's are notorious for wheel-hop. The only fwd car that I have driven that didn't have any wheel-hop was my 87 LeSabre. RWD all the way!!! If you have good driving skills, RWD is easy in the snow. I was driving my 90 LSC in the snow with my buddy, we were on a straightaway... I was in 3rd doing about 30 mph, and I kicked it down into 2nd, got the car almost COMPLETELY sideways, countersteered and straightened it right back out. I thought my buddy was gonna put his feet through the dashboard and his fingers through the seat!!! :steering

1 more vote for RWD!!!

 

[beboswell]

Had a '97 Grand Prix GTP (the supercharged version) that was FWD and plenty quick. After a couple of easy mods added about 30 more HP the torque steer was nearly unmanageable. Not to mention the fact that when the front tires are spinning, you can't steer.
Ever wonder why they put rear spoilers on a front drive car???????
Any of you Honda guys with those giant spoilers on your trunks got the answer???

 

[Motts]

Had a '97 Grand Prix GTP (the supercharged version) that was FWD and plenty quick. After a couple of easy mods added about 30 more HP the torque steer was nearly unmanageable. Not to mention the fact that when the front tires are spinning, you can't steer.
Ever wonder why they put rear spoilers on a front drive car???????
Any of you Honda guys with those giant spoilers on your trunks got the answer???

at least my wing on my civic isnt horrible.. :N