4WD v. AWD - Simple explanation, please (1 Viewer)

[TheIronSheik]

My boss and I were trying to figure out what the difference is, since we both have AWD cars. After bumbling through some sentences where we pretended we knew the differences, we both admitted we don't know much about cars and looked it up online. But everything we looked up was like a 5 page explanation, that didn't really make much sense.

Can someone explain the difference in extremely simple terms? Explain it to me like I'm an idiot who would break a lawnmower engine if I needed to change the blade.

TIA

TIS

 

[Random]

My assumption has been that 4x4 is something you can turn on/off, AWD is always on.

 

[belljr]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

 

[KCitons]

My assumption has been that 4x4 is something you can turn on/off, AWD is always on.

The way I've always understood it. 4x4 puts equal power to all four wheels. AWD is more sophisticated and can distribute power to wheels as needed.

 

[StrikeS2k]

If only there was a place you could google for answers to questions such as this.....

https://www.google.ca/search?q=4wd+vs.+awd&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=vyjJVJfoMc74yQT7uIC4Dg

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/whats-the-difference-between-four-wheel-drive-and-all-wheel-drive/

 

[sbonomo]

My assumption has been that 4x4 is something you can turn on/off, AWD is always on.

Done. Thread over. Some all wheel drives do not have a "low range" gear box. something like a land rover which is all wheel drive has both high and low.

 

[sbonomo]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

 

[belljr]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

 

[TheIronSheik]

If only there was a place you could google for answers to questions such as this.....

https://www.google.ca/search?q=4wd+vs.+awd&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=vyjJVJfoMc74yQT7uIC4Dg

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/whats-the-difference-between-four-wheel-drive-and-all-wheel-drive/

Maybe you should read my original post. You don't even need to use Google to see it.

 

[TheIronSheik]

So AWD is always on, but it can distribute more power to which ever wheel needs it? Is that the consensus here?

 

[StrikeS2k]

If only there was a place you could google for answers to questions such as this.....

https://www.google.ca/search?q=4wd+vs.+awd&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=vyjJVJfoMc74yQT7uIC4Dg

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/whats-the-difference-between-four-wheel-drive-and-all-wheel-drive/

Maybe you should read my original post. You don't even need to use Google to see it.

The link I provided is one page long and in very simple terms. It was one of the first links that came up when I did a google search. Personally, for technical things I prefer to find a more "official" source than some guy on an internet message board. I thought I was being helpful, and just teasing you a bit. My apologies.

 

[belljr]

So AWD is always on, but it can distribute more power to which ever wheel needs it? Is that the consensus here?

more or less. 4x4 newer ones are better with power distribution but the theory is equal distribution where awd is equal but can move power where need be

 

[VA703]

So AWD is always on, but it can distribute more power to which ever wheel needs it? Is that the consensus here?

the newer smarter awd cars yes

 

[sbonomo]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

 

[Koya]

So AWD is always on, but it can distribute more power to which ever wheel needs it? Is that the consensus here?

Basically, but that does not actually help give better traction when all wheels are needed in bad weather. The difference is when there is 4 wheel drive (like a Jeep), you can't make tight turns on dry pavement with 4wd engaged because they left and right front tires are working at the same revolution and not adjusting for inside / outside radius.

 

[sbonomo]

So AWD is always on, but it can distribute more power to which ever wheel needs it? Is that the consensus here?

Typically there is a 60/40 split between the rear and front of the vehicle. The "power" distribution comes from a tracktion control mechanism defined by the computer. This is a combination of your abs and engine control management. If you get into a situation where there is no traction you actually need an after market device called a "locker" to manage the power. For 99% of your needs the factory system will be more than sufficient.

 

[TheIronSheik]

If only there was a place you could google for answers to questions such as this.....

https://www.google.ca/search?q=4wd+vs.+awd&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=vyjJVJfoMc74yQT7uIC4Dg

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/whats-the-difference-between-four-wheel-drive-and-all-wheel-drive/

Maybe you should read my original post. You don't even need to use Google to see it.

The link I provided is one page long and in very simple terms. It was one of the first links that came up when I did a google search. Personally, for technical things I prefer to find a more "official" source than some guy on an internet message board. I thought I was being helpful, and just teasing you a bit. My apologies.

I clicked on your first link and it was to Google. I didn't even bother clicking on the second. I like asking questions here because I can ask follow up questions.

 

[belljr]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

Yes I've never been off roading . That's why jeeps are still 4x4. I'm not going to argue this. Me towing , going through mud, super deep snow, plowing snow I'll drive 4x4 low everytime



eta ftr I'm sure newer cars awd are much better than 10 years ago. But for pure traction I still say 4x4

 

[TheIronSheik]

The one guy at work said that AWD was just normal driving except when the car needed it. That didn't sound right, especially since my AWD car gets worse gas mileage then the non AWD version of it.

 

[belljr]

The one guy at work said that AWD was just normal driving except when the car needed it. That didn't sound right, especially since my AWD car gets worse gas mileage then the non AWD version of it.

that's is wrong and why you do get worse mileage. It is also why some awd cars you have to change all the tires if you get a flat midway through a tire life

 

[StrikeS2k]

The one guy at work said that AWD was just normal driving except when the car needed it. That didn't sound right, especially since my AWD car gets worse gas mileage then the non AWD version of it.

I believe a lot of AWD cars will send nominal power to the secondary wheels (typically the rear) unless sensors suggest they need to send more. That's the nice thing about computerized systems. They can adjust on the fly. So it could be true that the car is basically in a "normal" mode most of time but kicks in to a full on AWD mode as needed, and it could still get worse gas mileage than a non AWD version of the same vehicle. The AWD is never fully turned off.

 

[TheIronSheik]

The one guy at work said that AWD was just normal driving except when the car needed it. That didn't sound right, especially since my AWD car gets worse gas mileage then the non AWD version of it.

that's is wrong and why you do get worse mileage. It is also why some awd cars you have to change all the tires if you get a flat midway through a tire life

Someone mentioned this when I was talking about buying my car. How do I know if this is a thing with my car?

 

[sbonomo]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

Yes I've never been off roading . That's why jeeps are still 4x4. I'm not going to argue this.Me towing , going through mud, super deep snow, plowing snow I'll drive 4x4 low everytime

well you said off roading, not working - I will take a tractor to clear snow, a semi to tow, and a tracked vehicle for snow. I thought we were talking about off roading. I guess if we are talking about the mudd bogging where those idiots put tactor wheels on the trucks you might have me. Let go to moab or rubicon and see who does better "off roading". I will take a discover, landcruiser, d90, jeep, etc anyday over a silverado...

 

[sbonomo]

The one guy at work said that AWD was just normal driving except when the car needed it. That didn't sound right, especially since my AWD car gets worse gas mileage then the non AWD version of it.

that's is wrong and why you do get worse mileage. It is also why some awd cars you have to change all the tires if you get a flat midway through a tire life

Once again you are wrong. The reason you get worse gas milleage is due to the dual drive lines that are being powered. This also adds to wheel wear, etc. No idea what you are talking about with changing tires due to a flat?????????

 

[[icon]]

I was going to come in here and offer guidance but as soon as I saw sbonomo was posting I knew everything was under control

 

[belljr]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

Yes I've never been off roading . That's why jeeps are still 4x4. I'm not going to argue this.Me towing , going through mud, super deep snow, plowing snow I'll drive 4x4 low everytime

well you said off roading, not working - I will take a tractor to clear snow, a semi to tow, and a tracked vehicle for snow. I thought we were talking about off roading. I guess if we are talking about the mudd bogging where those idiots put tactor wheels on the trucks you might have me. Let go to moab or rubicon and see who does better "off roading". I will take a discover, landcruiser, d90, jeep, etc anyday over a silverado...

i edited my postt. I still say pure traction 4x4 but jeep Rubicon is not awd unless that changed. I was think of 4x4 jeep vs awd land cruiser. But enough car nerd fights

 

[FreeBaGeL]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

Yes I've never been off roading . That's why jeeps are still 4x4. I'm not going to argue this.Me towing , going through mud, super deep snow, plowing snow I'll drive 4x4 low everytime



eta ftr I'm sure newer cars awd are much better than 10 years ago. But for pure traction I still say 4x4

The deep snow is my only experience, living in Northern Utah.

Just a few weeks ago I went snowshoeing and started pulling into the trailhead parking lot. Guy in a pickup with 4wd on the side of the road waved my down and told me not to pull in there as he'd just spent hours trying to get out. I went in anyway. It was my Subaru Outback, a Jeep WJ, and an SUV. SUV got stuck. Jeep made it out fine but it took him a little work, dug in a bit a few times. When we left, I just backed out and drove out of there like we were parked on pavement. Barely even noticed.

 

[sbonomo]

The one guy at work said that AWD was just normal driving except when the car needed it. That didn't sound right, especially since my AWD car gets worse gas mileage then the non AWD version of it.

I believe a lot of AWD cars will send nominal power to the secondary wheels (typically the rear) unless sensors suggest they need to send more. That's the nice thing about computerized systems. They can adjust on the fly. So it could be true that the car is basically in a "normal" mode most of time but kicks in to a full on AWD mode as needed, and it could still get worse gas mileage than a non AWD version of the same vehicle. The AWD is never fully turned off.

There is a cool video on youtube where they cut a portion of a differential and a gear box off so you can see how they work while in use. Power is being distributed through both mechanism always. see my earlier post to see how the "tracktion control works.

 

[glock]

So AWD is always on, but it can distribute more power to which ever wheel needs it? Is that the consensus here?

Basically, but that does not actually help give better traction when all wheels are needed in bad weather. The difference is when there is 4 wheel drive (like a Jeep), you can't make tight turns on dry pavement with 4wd engaged because they left and right front tires are working at the same revolution and not adjusting for inside / outside radius.

Okay- just picked up a 2012 Liberty and was afraid something was wrong here. Trying to make a fairly tight turn into my (uphill) driveway after just coming up the hill that is my block and I encountered this. Can I damage anything when trying??

 

[belljr]

The one guy at work said that AWD was just normal driving except when the car needed it. That didn't sound right, especially since my AWD car gets worse gas mileage then the non AWD version of it.

that's is wrong and why you do get worse mileage. It is also why some awd cars you have to change all the tires if you get a flat midway through a tire life

Once again you are wrong. The reason you get worse gas milleage is due to the dual drive lines that are being powered. This also adds to wheel wear, etc. No idea what you are talking about with changing tires due to a flat?????????

What? I agree with 100% what you said. AWD have both drive lines always engaged.

Some AWD if your tires are say 30k on them and one flats they suggest not replacing only that 1 tire, due to the way the computer figures crap out

 

[Ignoramus]

Here's what wikipedia says:

4x4

Four-by-four (4×4) refers to the general class of vehicles. The first figure is normally the total wheels (more precisely, axle ends, which may have multiple wheels), and the second, the number that are powered. Syntactically, 4×2 means a four-wheel vehicle that transmits engine power to only two axle-ends: the front two in front-wheel drive or the rear two in rear-wheel drive.

4WD

Four wheel drive (4WD) refers to vehicles that have a transfer case, not a differential, between the front and rear axles, meaning that the front and rear drive shafts will be locked together when engaged. This provides maximum torque transfer to the axle with the most traction, but can cause binding in high traction turning situations. They are also either full-time or part-time 4WD selectable. 4WD is not intended for high speeds without a limited-slip mechanism.

AWD

All wheel drive (AWD) or "permanent multiple-wheel drive" refers to a drive train system that includes a differential between the front and rear drive shafts. This is normally coupled with some sort of anti-slip technology that will allow differentials to spin at different speeds, but still maintain the ability to transfer torque from one wheel in case of loss of traction at that wheel. Typical AWD systems work well on all surfaces, but are not intended for all consumers.

So transfer case = 4WD, differential = AWD according to that.

And the HMMWV we drove in the military is AWD and is pretty decent off-road.

 

[sbonomo]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

Yes I've never been off roading . That's why jeeps are still 4x4. I'm not going to argue this.Me towing , going through mud, super deep snow, plowing snow I'll drive 4x4 low everytime



eta ftr I'm sure newer cars awd are much better than 10 years ago. But for pure traction I still say 4x4

The deep snow is my only experience, living in Northern Utah.

Just a few weeks ago I went snowshoeing and started pulling into the trailhead parking lot. Guy in a pickup with 4wd on the side of the road waved my down and told me not to pull in there as he'd just spent hours trying to get out. I went in anyway. It was my Subaru Outback, a Jeep WJ, and an SUV. SUV got stuck. Jeep made it out fine but it took him a little work, dug in a bit a few times. When we left, I just backed out and drove out of there like we were parked on pavement. Barely even noticed.

Honestly, snow is primarily ride height and tires. My land rover will go anwhere because i have mud and snow tires and i have over 8" of total lift. I have seen subaru's go where everyone was getting stuck.

 

[[icon]]

I will take a discover, landcruiser, d90, jeep, etc anyday over a silverado...

Yep.

This is kinda right in sbonono's wheelhouse, BTW

Land Rovers can go from AWD to fully locked 4WD by way of locking center and axle differentials. Wranglers are always locked F/R at the transfer case when 4WD is enganged, then differentials are lockable to varying degrees (selectable/torque-activated/limited-slip).

There are some pickup trucks that do okay offroad (TRD Tacomas, Dodge Power Wagons, etc), but very few will match the suspension and wheelbase advantages of a Land Rover or Wrangler in truly challenging terrain.

 

[StrikeS2k]

The one guy at work said that AWD was just normal driving except when the car needed it. That didn't sound right, especially since my AWD car gets worse gas mileage then the non AWD version of it.

I believe a lot of AWD cars will send nominal power to the secondary wheels (typically the rear) unless sensors suggest they need to send more. That's the nice thing about computerized systems. They can adjust on the fly. So it could be true that the car is basically in a "normal" mode most of time but kicks in to a full on AWD mode as needed, and it could still get worse gas mileage than a non AWD version of the same vehicle. The AWD is never fully turned off.

There is a cool video on youtube where they cut a portion of a differential and a gear box off so you can see how they work while in use. Power is being distributed through both mechanism always. see my earlier post to see how the "tracktion control works.

I never said it wasn't putting power to everything always. I said that most of the time the "secondary" wheels are getting nominal power. And this is true:

Despite the “All” terminology, cars with basic AWD still typically send the majority of power only to one axle. For example, in the case of the Porsche 911, only 5% is typically pushed to the front axle while 95% is directed to the rear. In these cases, a series of sensors monitor wheel slip and automatically shift power to wheels where there is no slippage, without any action need from the clueless driver screaming Katie Perry at the top of their lungs.

During normal driving, the RAV4 defaults to front-wheel-drive for improved fuel economy while still sending power to rear wheels during turns for improved cornering and driving performance (up to a maximum of 45% rear and 55% front torque distribution.)

http://gearpatrol.com/2013/03/29/four-wheel-drive-vs-all-wheel-drive-everything-you-need-to-know/

 

[belljr]

I will take a discover, landcruiser, d90, jeep, etc anyday over a silverado...

Yep.

This is kinda right in sbonono's wheelhouse, BTW

Land Rovers can go from AWD to fully locked 4WD by way of locking center and axle differentials. Wranglers are always locked F/R at the transfer case when 4WD is enganged, then differentials are lockable to varying degrees (selectable/torque-activated/limited-slip).

There are some pickup trucks that do okay offroad (TRD Tacomas, Dodge Power Wagons, etc), but very few will match the suspension and wheelbase advantages of a Land Rover or Wrangler in truly challenging terrain.

I didn't mean to side track. I agree with this. I was thinking traction only. I was putting a Wrangler into the 4x4 truck category.

Carry on

 

[[icon]]

Just a few weeks ago I went snowshoeing and started pulling into the trailhead parking lot. Guy in a pickup with 4wd on the side of the road waved my down and told me not to pull in there as he'd just spent hours trying to get out. I went in anyway. It was my Subaru Outback, a Jeep WJ, and an SUV. SUV got stuck. Jeep made it out fine but it took him a little work, dug in a bit a few times. When we left, I just backed out and drove out of there like we were parked on pavement. Barely even noticed.

I'm guessing this had to do with the Jeep not being locked. Unlocked 4WD is really just 2WD.

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

My truck has both.

I use 2WD when the roads are good/clear.

I use AWD when there's some risk of ice or a lot of rain, but I want to get better mph than 4WD

I use 4WD High when there's a lot of snow and its worth burning the extra fuel.

I use 4WD Low when I'm pulling people out of a ditch.

 

[sbonomo]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

Yes I've never been off roading . That's why jeeps are still 4x4. I'm not going to argue this.Me towing , going through mud, super deep snow, plowing snow I'll drive 4x4 low everytime

well you said off roading, not working - I will take a tractor to clear snow, a semi to tow, and a tracked vehicle for snow. I thought we were talking about off roading. I guess if we are talking about the mudd bogging where those idiots put tactor wheels on the trucks you might have me. Let go to moab or rubicon and see who does better "off roading". I will take a discover, landcruiser, d90, jeep, etc anyday over a silverado...

i edited my postt. I still say pure traction 4x4 but jeep Rubicon is not awd unless that changed. I was think of 4x4 jeep vs awd land cruiser. But enough car nerd fights

You are still wrong - I will speak to Land Rovers because that is what i know best. My "all wheel" drive landrover has an option of locking the center diff either in high or low. This is a distict advantage over any other vehicle whether 4x4 or AWD. Please do some research before you start making blanket statements. I have done both trail experiements along with the mechanics behind it. Sounds like you have a gut feeling.

 

[[icon]]

I will take a discover, landcruiser, d90, jeep, etc anyday over a silverado...

Yep.

This is kinda right in sbonono's wheelhouse, BTW

Land Rovers can go from AWD to fully locked 4WD by way of locking center and axle differentials. Wranglers are always locked F/R at the transfer case when 4WD is enganged, then differentials are lockable to varying degrees (selectable/torque-activated/limited-slip).

There are some pickup trucks that do okay offroad (TRD Tacomas, Dodge Power Wagons, etc), but very few will match the suspension and wheelbase advantages of a Land Rover or Wrangler in truly challenging terrain.

I didn't mean to side track. I agree with this. I was thinking traction only. I was putting a Wrangler into the 4x4 truck category.

Carry on

I've followed you in car threads and you definitely know your stuff (moreso than me). I was clarifying more for those reading than for you

 

[glock]

Just a few weeks ago I went snowshoeing and started pulling into the trailhead parking lot. Guy in a pickup with 4wd on the side of the road waved my down and told me not to pull in there as he'd just spent hours trying to get out. I went in anyway. It was my Subaru Outback, a Jeep WJ, and an SUV. SUV got stuck. Jeep made it out fine but it took him a little work, dug in a bit a few times. When we left, I just backed out and drove out of there like we were parked on pavement. Barely even noticed.

I'm guessing this had to do with the Jeep not being locked. Unlocked 4WD is really just 2WD.

In a '12 Liberty with 2wd, 4wd and 4wd Low...??

 

[sbonomo]

Here's what wikipedia says:

4x4

Four-by-four (4×4) refers to the general class of vehicles. The first figure is normally the total wheels (more precisely, axle ends, which may have multiple wheels), and the second, the number that are powered. Syntactically, 4×2 means a four-wheel vehicle that transmits engine power to only two axle-ends: the front two in front-wheel drive or the rear two in rear-wheel drive.

4WD

Four wheel drive (4WD) refers to vehicles that have a transfer case, not a differential, between the front and rear axles, meaning that the front and rear drive shafts will be locked together when engaged. This provides maximum torque transfer to the axle with the most traction, but can cause binding in high traction turning situations. They are also either full-time or part-time 4WD selectable. 4WD is not intended for high speeds without a limited-slip mechanism.

AWD

All wheel drive (AWD) or "permanent multiple-wheel drive" refers to a drive train system that includes a differential between the front and rear drive shafts. This is normally coupled with some sort of anti-slip technology that will allow differentials to spin at different speeds, but still maintain the ability to transfer torque from one wheel in case of loss of traction at that wheel. Typical AWD systems work well on all surfaces, but are not intended for all consumers.

So transfer case = 4WD, differential = AWD according to that.

And the HMMWV we drove in the military is AWD and is pretty decent off-road.

The unimog's are also unbelievable. I have seen those things, with a 4 cylinder, do things on trails i would never attempt.

 

[ClownCausedChaos2]

My wife and I were just having this discussion last night.

 

[glock]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

Yes I've never been off roading . That's why jeeps are still 4x4. I'm not going to argue this.Me towing , going through mud, super deep snow, plowing snow I'll drive 4x4 low everytime

well you said off roading, not working - I will take a tractor to clear snow, a semi to tow, and a tracked vehicle for snow. I thought we were talking about off roading. I guess if we are talking about the mudd bogging where those idiots put tactor wheels on the trucks you might have me. Let go to moab or rubicon and see who does better "off roading". I will take a discover, landcruiser, d90, jeep, etc anyday over a silverado...

i edited my postt. I still say pure traction 4x4 but jeep Rubicon is not awd unless that changed. I was think of 4x4 jeep vs awd land cruiser. But enough car nerd fights

You are still wrong - I will speak to Land Rovers because that is what i know best. My "all wheel" drive landrover has an option of locking the center diff either in high or low. This is a distict advantage over any other vehicle whether 4x4 or AWD. Please do some research before you start making blanket statements. I have done both trail experiements along with the mechanics behind it. Sounds like you have a gut feeling.

What do you know of the TOD system that the 2000 Isuzu Trooper had going on? I went through everything with that truck and never had an issue at all.

 

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Just a few weeks ago I went snowshoeing and started pulling into the trailhead parking lot. Guy in a pickup with 4wd on the side of the road waved my down and told me not to pull in there as he'd just spent hours trying to get out. I went in anyway. It was my Subaru Outback, a Jeep WJ, and an SUV. SUV got stuck. Jeep made it out fine but it took him a little work, dug in a bit a few times. When we left, I just backed out and drove out of there like we were parked on pavement. Barely even noticed.

I'm guessing this had to do with the Jeep not being locked. Unlocked 4WD is really just 2WD.

In a '12 Liberty with 2wd, 4wd and 4wd Low...??

I don't believe a 2012 Liberty came with locking differentials. Absent a locking or limited slip differential, the vehicle will sent 100% of power to any tire that loses traction. Theoretically if you have one front and one rear tire slipping (in air, on ice, etc) you could see a situation where the other tires (which may have traction) sit idle... which can be maddening.

 

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The unimog's are also unbelievable. I have seen those things, with a 4 cylinder, do things on trails i would never attempt.

Gear reduction, wheelbase, light-weight, good driving = fun stuff.

 

[belljr]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

Yes I've never been off roading . That's why jeeps are still 4x4. I'm not going to argue this.Me towing , going through mud, super deep snow, plowing snow I'll drive 4x4 low everytime

well you said off roading, not working - I will take a tractor to clear snow, a semi to tow, and a tracked vehicle for snow. I thought we were talking about off roading. I guess if we are talking about the mudd bogging where those idiots put tactor wheels on the trucks you might have me. Let go to moab or rubicon and see who does better "off roading". I will take a discover, landcruiser, d90, jeep, etc anyday over a silverado...

i edited my postt. I still say pure traction 4x4 but jeep Rubicon is not awd unless that changed. I was think of 4x4 jeep vs awd land cruiser. But enough car nerd fights

You are still wrong - I will speak to Land Rovers because that is what i know best. My "all wheel" drive landrover has an option of locking the center diff either in high or low. This is a distict advantage over any other vehicle whether 4x4 or AWD. Please do some research before you start making blanket statements. I have done both trail experiements along with the mechanics behind it. Sounds like you have a gut feeling.

Ok first I said in general . Second I'll admit my car technology is dated and your off road experience is way above me. In my head I was not thinking trails. I was also putting a Jeep in a 4x4 truck category . I was purely thinking "working" as you put it.

There is plenty of research that says technically 4x4 is better. Sure that may be outdated and old.

But I will bow out now

 

[sbonomo]

4wd or 4 x4 uses a transfer case. You can turn off the 4wd and go to 2.

awd is always on more or less.

4wd is technically better for off road and extreme conditions.

4wd can't be used in all conditions because of the way it operates turning is tough.

awd differentials account for this

This is not true. Land rovers, land cruisers, etc are all wheel drive.

I'll put a 4x4 truck against a land Rover for off road ing every time

then you have never been off roading before....I will take that challenge any day of the week. The wheel base alone on a standard truck completely limits what you are able to do. Not to mention terrible suspension set up and lack of gearing.

Yes I've never been off roading . That's why jeeps are still 4x4. I'm not going to argue this.Me towing , going through mud, super deep snow, plowing snow I'll drive 4x4 low everytime

well you said off roading, not working - I will take a tractor to clear snow, a semi to tow, and a tracked vehicle for snow. I thought we were talking about off roading. I guess if we are talking about the mudd bogging where those idiots put tactor wheels on the trucks you might have me. Let go to moab or rubicon and see who does better "off roading". I will take a discover, landcruiser, d90, jeep, etc anyday over a silverado...

i edited my postt. I still say pure traction 4x4 but jeep Rubicon is not awd unless that changed. I was think of 4x4 jeep vs awd land cruiser. But enough car nerd fights

You are still wrong - I will speak to Land Rovers because that is what i know best. My "all wheel" drive landrover has an option of locking the center diff either in high or low. This is a distict advantage over any other vehicle whether 4x4 or AWD. Please do some research before you start making blanket statements. I have done both trail experiements along with the mechanics behind it. Sounds like you have a gut feeling.

Ok first I said in general . Second I'll admit my car technology is dated and your off road experience is way above me. In my head I was not thinking trails. I was also putting a Jeep in a 4x4 truck category . I was purely thinking "working" as you put it.There is plenty of research that says technically 4x4 is better. Sure that may be outdated and old.

But I will bow out now

fair enough, if you are on the west coast you are welcome to come to an event some day....you will have a whole new respect for the hobby And what some of the vehicles are capable of..

 

[Dentist]

So what if I need my SUV just for getting groceries and hauling my boat and some occasional snow days here in KC and I have no intention of ever off-roading if I can possibly avoid it.... AWD ok?

 

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So what if I need my SUV just for getting groceries and hauling my boat and some occasional snow days here in KC and I have no intention of ever off-roading if I can possibly avoid it.... AWD ok?

Yep!

 

[playin4beer]

Both will STILL put you in the ditch if you are driving too fast for conditions......