- What is up everybody it's Gels from Fitment Industries
and boy oh boy do we have a topic for you today.
But before we get into all that I just wanted to
let you know that we have another giveaway going on
this month, I know surprise surprise.
And believe it or not it's not for a set of wheels.
But however, it is for a full set of B.C. Racing coilovers.
That's right, we're giving away suspension,
because, you know, wheels, tires, and suspension.
Like always, the easiest way to enter is to pick up
a shirt at fitmentindustries.com.
We are ahead of this so I am wearing the conage shirt
from last month, but you'll want to check it out.
We'll put a link down in the description below.
But you know the drill, if you don't,
well then I don't know what is going on.
Either you're new, which if you are then hello, welcome
or you usually just skip the intro to these videos and
if you do then how dare you.
I know you might want to skip tutorial island but
you might be missing out on a lot of good information.
Like, maybe how to win a free set of coilovers.
Or how to smith some armor. I don't know.
Anyway, let's crack into today's episode of the
build sheet where we are going to be going over
front wheel drive, versus rear wheel drive
versus all wheel drive.
(upbeat music)
All righty then, so let's go ahead and talk about the
elephant in the room, get it out right away.
First, and talk about the drive train that
everyone seems to get really heated about,
and defensive about, and that is
going to be front wheel drive.
Now even though this is considered wrong wheel drive
for quite a few of you out there,
it does have its advantages.
However, let's go through the not so decent stuff
first, just rip it off like a bandaid.
Now, obviously front wheel drive right,
all the power from the engine goes to the front wheels.
When it comes to performance vehicles,
weight distribution can be quite a factor into
how a car will handle especially in the corners.
With most front wheel drive platforms having
all the drivetrain sitting right in front of the driver,
can locate a lot of that weight that is
normally distributed throughout the vehicle in
one central area which is right over the front axle.
Now its going to become a little tricky when
going into a corner at a higher than normal rate.
Other downsides include little things that we
like to call understeer and torque steer.
With front wheel drive cars, you have front wheels
doing two jobs a once, you have them steering
and you have them applying the power to the ground.
You have more than likely experienced understeer in
some point of our time of driving.
If not during performance driving then definitely
during wet or snowy road conditions.
Basically its when you turn the wheel to turn the
car around the corner and your sitting there,
with the wheel turned and your going straight,
wondering why that curve is coming up faster than normal.
On the other hand, torque steer which is arguably
one of the more fun reasons to own a front wheel
drive car, is when the car decides to pull one way,
either to the left or to the right during a
hard acceleration. Now, why is that you might say?
Well (kids cheering) I'm glad you asked.
When looking at front wheel drive cars,
you'll notice that the transmission is
usually offset, to either one side of the engine bay,
causing the driveshafts of
each of the two wheels to be different lengths.
Now, because of this, we usually see a higher amount of
torque being sent to one side of the car versus the
other side, usually the side with the shorter driveshaft,
causing torque steer.
However, this can actually be counteractive with
the introduction of what is known as an intermediate
shaft, to bring those driveshaft lengths
to more of an equal length.
Well, right, I mean that's pretty common, you know,
just part of owning a front wheel drive car,
but what are some of the benefits?
Well, for one, front wheel drives usually offers a
bit better traction over its rear wheel drive counterpart.
Especially when it comes to rain and snow.
For the most part, front wheel drive cars are
cheaper to manufacture, which leaves to a
cheaper price tag, due to the less amount of
work that it takes to actually install a
front wheel drive drivetrain versus a
rear wheel drive or even an all wheel drive drivetrain
on the assembly line, and it includes fewer parts as well.
All that paired with better fuel efficiency is why
we see so many front wheel drive cars on the market today.
And part of the reason why cars such as Honda Civic,
and everything related to it, had done so well
previously within the car scene.
Moving on the the second option of the
everlasting drivetrain argument we have the
classic and simple, rear wheel drive.
Now, it should come as no surprise that the rear wheel drive
platform is usually the go to for any performance
oriented vehicle nowadays.
Usually competing head to head with all wheel drive.
However, the rear wheel drive platform as been
held at the throne of the preferred drivetrain
set ups for enthusiasts for quite some time.
Now, do I agree with that?
Am I here to tell you that you need to buy a
certain type of drivetrain over the other?
I'm just here to give you the information you need
to come up with a solid judgment for your next move.
And for you to drop it in the comments below
so you can argue with someone else who thinks
completely different with you, and I'll just sit back
and watch it 'cos it's a lot of fun.
Anyway, the rear wheel drivetrain has been around
since the dawn of automobiles.
They are simple, and rugged, and they are the
go to choice for manufacturers are
looking at creating a sport oriented vehicle.
One of the main advantages that you get with a
rear wheel drive over let's say a front wheel drive car,
is that it creates a better balance throughout the
entire vehicle, like we touch with the
front wheel drive cars in having all their weight
over the front axle, adding a rear differential,
and driveshafts and moving the transmission back a
little farther, help carry that weight throughout
the rest of the car.
Plus you get to do a lot cooler things,
you know, like drifting, without having to put lunch trays
under your rear tires, that was a video that I remember
surfacing not too long ago.
It was like front wheel drive cars just put lunch
trays in your rear wheels and you'll slide all around and
it looks hilarious. Plus the burnouts look cooler,
and no longer is it under steer, but now its
over steer, and that is all fun and games until
you hit the hard winters of Wisconsin.
With your rear wheel drive car,
and you're sliding, all over the place.
But hey, I can survive multiple winters,
in a nine hundred dollar E36 on some bald(beep) tires,
you'll be fine seriously, just get some winter tires,
throw the old sandbags in the trunk,
and you'll be ready to rock.
Which brings us to option number three.
The all wheel drive drivetrain.
Which we have come to love in cars such as the
Evo and the WRX and a whole spew of
Audis throughout the years.
Even though peers will argue that the only
true performance platform relies I'm putting,
powered down, to only the rear tires, all wheel drive
cars have been catching up quick in the eyes of
the public over the last decade.
This is truly due to the advancement in the
all wheel drive systems that we have seen
come out in the last few years.
When they were first introduced,
they were kind of iffy, they were kind of like,
hit or miss, and they suffered severely from
things such as under steer similar to
front wheel drive cars.
However, when our lovely Mitsubishi's and
Subaru's started evolving they soon became
very competitive with their rear wheel drive rivals.
All wheel drive offers quite a bit of
reason to go with it versus front wheel drive or
even rear wheel drive.
Launching, put it in power down to all tires to
ensure a crisp launch, cornering speed and
if you didn't think I was going to mention it,
you're crazy, but guess what,
they handle absolutely amazing in the snow.
I know, crazy right? The only one downside being that
they are a little bit heavier than most
rear wheel drive and front wheel drive counterparts.
This just means you have a lot more going on.
You have more differentials, you have more drivetrain,
you have more drive axles, you got a whole bunch of
stuff going on underneath the car that
adds a little bit more weight.
And one thing to note with that too is
if something goes wrong, it can be a
little more expensive to repair.
Which also adds on to the initial manufacturing costs of
most all wheel drive cars.
So now we've reached the end and you're probably sitting
there like, 'that's great' you know, but what is
the answer to the question of like,
'what's the best drivetrain?' And honestly,
I can't sit here and tell you that there is
and exact answer to that question.
You see, it all comes down to what you,
as a driver require from your car.
If you're looking for something that is going to
get you some pretty decent gas mileage for
usually not an absurd amount of money,
that is still going to offer some decent driving
experience then front wheel drive is
probably going to be your answer.
If you're looking to create a track monster and
absolute drift missile or like to do some crazy
burnouts and (beep) like that, rear wheel drive is
going to be your answer.
However, if you're looking for something that
to drive year-round through all the seasons,
through all the weather, through all that kind of
stuff, offers fantastic all day weather capabilities,
still still take it to the track every now and then,
or maybe just create an absolute rally machine,
all wheel drive is going to be your answer.
Now, the true answer lies with the driver and
what they need from their car.
Each platform has its own shining point and
each does at least one thing better than the other.
So let us know what your thoughts down in
the comments below, if you believe that there is
a top dog when it comes to drive trains then
don't forget that we have a giveaway going on
for the month of August and of course,
don't forget to subscribe Wheels, Tires, Suspension
FitmentIndustries.com
I'm Gels, we'll see you later. Peace.