‫بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬

PalestinePolytechnic University
College of Engineering Department of Engineering
Mechanical
Automotive Systems Technology
Assignment 3

All Wheel Drive (AWD) Vehicles VS Four Wheel Drive

(4WD) Vehicles , what is the difference?
Dr- Mohammed Qawasmi
Ayman Sweity
205028
7/12/2023
 Table of Contents

 Introduction..……………………………………….................….
 Typesandconfigurations………………....................
 Principle of operations,……………………………......…
 Modes of operation..........................................
 Fueleconomy.,..................................................
 References.,.....................................................
  Introduction:
The difference between four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive lies mainly in the principle
of operation. The four-wheel drive system sends power to the front and rear wheels
equally, while in the all-wheel drive system it distributes different power to each wheel
depending on the driving mode and the road the car is traveling on, and this is not the
only difference between There are other differences between the two systems, some of
which we will mention to you:

 The AWD system works automatically and cannot be disconnected, while the four-wheel
drive system can be disconnected and turned on only when needed.
 The 4WD system is limited to off-road cars only, while the AWD system can be found in
all categories of cars, whether sports or family.
 The 4WD system gives better performance than the AWD system when driving off-road .
 The 4WD system cannot be used in all driving conditions, while the AWD system is
suitable for use on all types of roads and all driving conditions.
 The AWD system is more complex than the 4WD system.
 An AWD system costs more than a 4WD system.
 The AWD system consumes more fuel than the 4WD system.

• Types and configurations:

Don't get confused by abbreviations that manufacturers use: "AWD" is not necessarily a full-
time all wheel drive, "4WD" is not just for off-road vehicles.

just four types of all wheel drive systems exist:

 Part-time all wheel drive

 Full-time all wheel drive
 Automatic all wheel drive
 Selectable all wheel drive

 Part-Time All Wheel Drive

This is a "temporary" all wheel drive system. In normal driving conditions, just one axle
(the rear axle normally) is driven. In slippery conditions, another axle is engaged by the
driver, whether by a lever or a button. This type of all wheel drive does not have a
center differential - when all wheel drive is engaged, the front and rear driveshafts are
mechanically connected and rotate at the same speed.When a vehicle is turning, front
wheels travel greater distance than rear wheels.
The all wheel drive mode on a vehicle with part-time all wheel drive should only be used
on surfaces with low traction (mud, snow, ice, sand), for short periods, and at low
speeds. When driving on such surfaces, the transmission windup is eliminated by
slipping of the wheels.

 Full-Time All Wheel Drive

This is a permanent all wheel drive or permanently engaged all wheel drive system. All
wheels are powered at all times. The vehicles with full-time all wheel drive are equipped
with a center differential that lets each wheel travel different distances while turning.
This type of all wheel drive can be used both on and off road. In slippery conditions, the
center differential can be locked, whether manually or automatically, depending on the
vehicle.

When a manual center differential lock (available on off-road vehicles and some SUVs) is
engaged, the transmission's behavior is similar to part-time all wheel drive, i.e. the front
and rear driveshafts rotate at the same speed. The use of full-time all wheel drive with
locked center differential is limited to surfaces with low traction.

Some vehicles (Land Rover Discovery II, pre-xDrive BMW X5) do not have a locking
center differential, but are equipped with an electronic traction control system (known
as Electronic Differential Lock - EDL) on all four wheels. This electronic system detects
slipping wheels by reading ABS sensors, then it applies brakes to slipping wheels and
torque gets transferred to the wheels that have traction. While it performs well on
slippery roads, the system cannot compete with a real mechanically
locking differential when driving off-road.

 Automatic All Wheel Drive

This is an "on-demand" all wheel drive system. Under normal driving conditions, only
one axle is powered. When wheel slipping occurs (the driving driveshaft rotates faster
than the driven driveshaft), a multiplate hydraulic clutch, viscous coupling, or other
similar traction control device locks and engages another axle. Torque gets transferred
to another axle. As soon as difference in front and rear axle speeds is eliminated, the
device unlocks and the vehicle goes back into two-wheel drive mode.

The difference between the traction devices that are used in full-time all wheel drive
and automatic all wheel drive systems is that the device used in automatic all wheel
drive system replaces the center differential.

Advanced electronically controlled all wheel drive systems can be proactive and lock the
traction control device even before wheels start to slipthe need for all wheel drive is
determined inreal time based on the information that is collected from various sensors .
 Selectable All Wheel Drive

In this category falls the Mitsubishi Pajero(Montero) with its Super Select transmission,
Jeep Grand Cherokee with SelecTrac transmission, and a few other off-road vehicles.
Mitsubishi, for example, has transmission that is similar to the one used in full-time all
wheel drive vehicles, but with two-wheel drive possibility. In Mitsubishi, the driver can
choose between the 2wd mode, 4wd mode with automatic distribution of torque
via viscous coupling (vehicle behaves just like the one with full-time all wheel drive),
4wd with locked differential (behaves like part-time all wheel drive) and 4wd with low
gearing (low range part-time all wheel drive).

 Principle of operations:

 four-wheel drive

The system design can differ from vehicle to vehicle where it is installed. The
common elements are: a transfer case, a propeller shaft, front and rear
wheel differentials, and axle shafts.
The transfer case distributes engine torque between the axles. A low range gear is
often mounted in its housing. This gear is used when it’s necessary to significantly
increase the torque coming from the engine. Depending on the type of 4WD, the
front and the rear axles can be connected in different ways. A sliding collar is
installed on cars with part-time 4WD. It can be engaged by a button which activates
an electric motor or by a lever. In a certain position, the collar engages the
corresponding gears, thus rigidly connecting the axles. As a result, they start rotating
at the same speed, regardless of road traction.limited slip differential or an open
differential. The latter can be locked either electronically or mechanically. This makes
it possible to redistribute the engine torque to the wheels with better traction.

 All-wheel drive

Center differential in AWD vehicles:

All vehicles use differentials. These are units with gears, connected to the output shafts
that turn the wheels, which let the wheels turn at different speeds. Whenever you turn
a corner, the outside wheel has to travel farther than the inside wheel. The differential
allows it to turn faster to make it around.

Power distribution in AWD systems:

On any AWD vehicle, when power needs to be moved around, how much is available
depends on the system. Many only go as high as 50/50 front to rear, but some can
 transfer as much as 100 per cent to the front or back as necessary. From there, some of
them – mainly sportier vehicles – can also distribute power between the left and right
wheels.

 Modes of operation:

All Wheel Drive is generally found in cars, vans or crossover sport utility vehicles
(SUVs). It indicates that the transfer case is distributing power evenly to both the front
and rear axle of the vehicle at all times. On-demand Four Wheel Drive means that for
regular driving the transfer case is distributing power to just either the front or rear
axle as in a two wheel drive vehicle , and the 4WD feature has to be engaged by the
vehicle's operator in order to have all four wheels powered.

 Fuel Economy

In truth, the type of drive system (4WD vs. AWD) has less to do with differences in fuel
economy than other factors in the design of the vehicle. 4WD vehicles often are larger
and heavier and they have bigger engines and heavier-duty transmissions than AWD
vehicles, all of which negatively affect fuel economy for 4WD vehicles .

Consider a front-wheel-drive (FWD) vehicle with traction and stability control systems
rather than 4WD or AWD. In most situations, a modern FWD vehicle can be driven as
safely as any AWD/4WD and will yield better fuel economy because of lighter weight
and less complexity.

 References;
1. (https://ackodrive.com/car-guide/awd-vs-4wd/#:~:text=Contents-,AWD,-vs.
%204WD%3A%20What%E2%80%99)
(https://www.awdwiki.com/en/all+wheel+drive+explained/#:~:text=confused
%20by%20abbreviations-,that%20manufacturers,-use%3A%20%22AWD%22%20is
.)
2. )https://qse.co.il/catsubview.aspx?id=125#:~:text=%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84-,
%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9,-
%D8%B5%D9%85%D9%85%D8%AA%20%D8%AF
%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9%20%D8%B5%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A9 (
3.( https://itstillruns.com/5speed-shiftable-automatic-transmission-
5935842.html#:~:text=%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%BA%D9%8A
%D8%B1%D8%A9%20%D8%A3%D9%88%20%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A8%D
8%A7%D8%AA-,%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9,-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A
%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A
%D8%A9%20(SUVs
)