There are a lot of options to consider when buying a car. What color, what options, car or truck, engine size, manual or automatic—and the list goes on. There is another choice to make that most people don’t consider, and that’s the drivetrain. The drivetrain is how many wheels are moving on the vehicle. Do you want four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive? All-wheel drive is the least popular choice of the three, but it might be the best of the bunch. We’re here to answer the question, “How does all-wheel drive work?”

What Is All-Wheel Drive?

All-wheel drive means there is power going to all four wheels on the vehicle, but it differs from four-wheel drive in an important way. To be called “all-wheel drive,” a vehicle must have power to all four wheels, but the wheels must be allowed to move at different speeds concurrently. If the vehicle has a transfer case it means that when both axles are receiving power, they are forced to spin at the same rate of speed. That’s what four-wheel drive does. The driver decides when to activate four-wheel drive, and the on-board computer decides when to activate all-wheel drive. All of this means better and more stable acceleration and better traction in bad weather conditions like rain or snow. All-wheel drive is a performance upgrade over two- or four-wheel drive.

How Does All-Wheel Drive Work?

All-wheel drive works in a very similar way to four-wheel drive with some small differences. All-wheel drive cars either have a center differential or one on the axle. How the engine is mounted determines what kind of differential there is. A center differential acts like one on either axle. It allows one side to slip and the other side to get more power. This keeps the wheels moving and prevents the driver from losing control. From the center differential, one drive shaft goes straight back to the rear differential while another runs to the front. If the vehicle doesn’t have a center differential, the engine sends power to a transaxle. Instead of sending all the power to the wheels under the engine, some is sent to a differential on the opposite axle via a driveshaft. RNR Tire Express has the latest designs for wheels and affordable tires in Florence, SC. Come see what we have today.