FWD Vs. RWD!!!!!!!

[91notchback]

Acceleration
Accelerate with near full power in a front-wheel drive car and you'll quickly notice the resulting effect of rearward weight shift. The front tires will likely lose traction and spin – even on clean, dry pavement. By contrast, hard acceleration in rear-wheel drive cars increases the rear wheels' grip on good road surfaces because of the rearward weight shift.


Braking
Stopping ability is enhanced by the superior weight distribution of RWD. With the rear wheels carrying a greater percentage of the car's weight load than on a front-wheel drive car, they can apply more braking force to the road and help shorten stopping distances. Since RWD contributes to even tire wear, it is more likely that tires on a RWD car will have greater tread depth. Unless tires on a FWD car are rotated religiously, the front tires may become worn and less effective in braking.



Responsive Cornering
Near equal weight distribution helps give front and rear wheels more balanced traction. This balance gives neutral handling characteristics that make cornering maneuvers easier. Rear-wheel drive's more equal weight distribution also aids handling agility through a lower moment of inertia. FWD cars usually have higher moments of inertia, contributing to understeer and sluggishness in cornering. As a result, RWD cars feel more responsive, lighter, and more nimble.




Balanced Force Distribution
With FWD, both steering and propulsion forces tax the front tires' slip-resistance during cornering. That's part of the reason why FWD cars tend to understeer or plow forward, changing directions less quickly than the turning angle of the front wheels. Since RWD separates the tasks of cornering (front wheels) and propulsion (rear wheels), it more equally distributes the traction-threatening forces to all four wheels.



Torque Steering
Torque steering is a negative side-effect of FWD caused by the delivery of power to the wheels that steer the car. During acceleration in a curve or from a standstill, the force of torque steering can pose a hazard by changing the direction of the front wheels unless the driver is alert and can exert counteractive force on the steering wheel. RWD does not exhibit torque effect because the engine is isolated from the steering gear.

Longer Wheelbase
RWD allows a longer wheelbase and a more forward positioning of the front wheels. The longer wheelbase provides better handling while the forward position of the wheels reduces the possibility of the front spoiler scraping on dips.



No CV Joints
FWD cars have four CV (constant velocity) joints connecting the engine to the front wheels. In comparison, RWD cars use universal joints which wear out much slower than CV joints.



Summary

RWD pros:
Fore-aft weight distribution more balanced. Braking performance enhanced. Tire wear more even. Cornering easier, more responsive. Lighter than AWD configuration for better acceleration and cornering performance and better fuel-efficiency. Better hard acceleration performance on good surfaces than with FWD. Better cornering ability because steering and propulsion are applied at separate axles. Greater agility because of lower resistance to changes in direction (lower moment of inertia). Longer wheelbase for smoother ride. Absence of torque steering effect common with FWD. No CV joints to replace.

FWD pros:
Good traction during mild acceleration on slippery surfaces. Lighter weight helps fuel-efficiency. Interior room enhanced by lack of longitudinal driveshaft. Less expensive to manufacture.

AWD pros:
Traction enhanced on all road surfaces under all weather conditions. Faster acceleration "off the line" due to all wheels driving. Better road grip during cornering in adverse weather or slippery road conditions.


sorry integralover was saying how much better FWD is and i could not send him this dirrectly. im not trying to affened you for having a FWD car

[CivicSpoon]

You forgot to mention that with a FWD car you can step on the gas in a corner where as with a RWD car you have to tap the gas for most of the way or else the rear will spin out (loose traction). And FWD cars are better in the winter because it pulls the car, where as the pushing of the RWD car will cause the car to slip easier (lose traction easier). But a RWD car is better in general for racing, because it's gets the power to the ground better by pushing instead of having to pull the weight of the car with a FWD car. But is a RWD car better for doing autocross/SCCA type events? Not always, just ask CivicSiRacer.

[91notchback]

Originally Posted by CivicSpoon

You forgot to mention that with a FWD car you can step on the gas in a corner where as with a RWD car you have to tap the gas for most of the way or else the rear will spin out (loose traction). And FWD cars are better in the winter because it pulls the car, where as the pushing of the RWD car will cause the car to slip easier (lose traction easier). But a RWD car is better in general for racing, because it's gets the power to the ground better by pushing instead of having to pull the weight of the car with a FWD car. But is a RWD car better for doing autocross/SCCA type events? Not always, just ask CivicSiRacer.

yeah when you geton it around the corrner your frunt end will push out unless you are not going at the turn fast enough. and it wont pull the car in the winter it causes you tires to loose traction in the frount and there fore you have no steering wheels getting traction. FWD was desined for the only reasion of being cheeper to manufacture and they could feed to the public that it was new tecnoligy that was far superor. thats why car makers are going back to RWD.

[SiGNAL748]

And why this thread is in the Integra forums?

...we will never know.

[CivicSpoon]

Originally Posted by 91notchback

and it wont pull the car in the winter it causes you tires to loose traction in the frount and there fore you have no steering wheels getting traction.

That's only partly true, I've driven 2 FWD cars and 1 RWD car in the winter before. And the RWD definently sucked ass in the snow, fish-tailed like crazy. Where as the FWD car wasn't nearly as bad. I mean when I first learned to drive it was at the beginning of winter, and within the first month I was driving 30mph and spun out in a 360. That was from lack of driving skills (and no snow tires); and it was the rear tires losing grip and not the front. But the point is if you know how to drive a RWD and FWD car, a FWD car is better in winter (snow and ice) than RWD hands down. And anyone I've met in my state (NY) have all told me the same thing. And I understand the idea that no traction in the front means you can't steer with a FWD car, but if your rear tires in a RWD car can't get grip then you're not going anywhere anyways (except in a circle). No matter RWD or FWD the rear tires are the first tires to lose grip in the ice and snow, unless you're a moron and gunning it in tall ass snow with a FWD car; but it's common sense not to do that.

[integralover]

Originally Posted by 91notchback

sorry integralover was saying how much better FWD is and i could not send him this dirrectly. im not trying to affened you for having a FWD car

i have to say sorry that was not me that said that. we had a guy on here a day ago immitating a few of us and i was one of the lucky one's. i don't know too much on this topic so i usually sit back and read. sorry but that was not me. and the reason you could not send me anything is b/c you were actually sending it to the other guy who is now banned. he mad ehis name very similar to mine but capitalized a few letters and coppied my sig to make it look like me. but he is gone now. hopefully.

['97SLVRBullet]

Originally Posted by integralover

i have to say sorry that was not me that said that. we had a guy on here a day ago immitating a few of us and i was one of the lucky one's. i don't know too much on this topic so i usually sit back and read. sorry but that was not me. and the reason you could not send me anything is b/c you were actually sending it to the other guy who is now banned. he mad ehis name very similar to mine but capitalized a few letters and coppied my sig to make it look like me. but he is gone now. hopefully.

well you are gonna be pissed at me cause I followed that little shit around and posted after him, not realizing sometimes it was you.

[91notchback]

yeah alot of RWD do do really bad in the snow but if you have a car with a decient f/w weight balance like a 325is or just put alittle wight in the back i would have to disagree on witch is better in snow condisions. pluse the amount of understeer in FWD in snow is unbeliveabole.

[Moppie]

Originally Posted by 91notchback

sorry integralover was saying how much better FWD is and i could not send him this dirrectly. im not trying to affened you for having a FWD car

Niether is better than the other, and starting a thread bashing one type useing a pile of completely false information will not make things better.



The integalover your refering to is also a troll who is being delt with by the moderators, starting threads to fight with him, or replying to his silly annoying posts does not help the situation. Like all trolls if you ignore them will go away.

And DO NOT confuse the troll with the real IntegraLover (there are at least 2) who is a respected member.


Thread closed.

If you want to learn more about FWD vs RWD vs AWD I suggest a forum search in the enginering technical forum.