Rear wheel

Rear Wheel Drive Cars
There are many benefits of rear wheel drive cars, but these come at a cost of driver safety. Experienced drivers do not face these problems though, and the number of people that prefer rear wheel drive cars is constantly rising today.
Rear Wheel Drive Cars
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Most of the automobiles that are prevalent in the market today are manufactured with front wheel drives (FWD). This is a trend that has risen towards the end of the 20th century, as most cars of the 20th century were manufactured with rear wheel drives (RWD). There are plenty of reasons for this paradigm shift from FWD cars to rear wheel drive cars, but in the last couple of years, car manufacturers are shifting towards rear wheel drive cars once again. Read more about the history of cars.

The primary difference between FWD cars and rear wheel drive cars is the set of wheels that the engine controls. In RWD cars the engine is placed at the front end of the car, and the set of wheels that are powered by the engine are the rear wheels. This layout is commonly referred to as the front-engine rear-wheel drive layout, or the FR layout. Any motorcycle that you see on the road follows this layout, as it is the rear wheels that are powered by the engine. Read more about the various car parts.

Emergence of FWD Cars
There are plenty of reasons why rear wheel drive cars were replaced by front wheel drive cars, and the primary reason was that of car safety. Car manufacturers and drivers began to realize that the driving experience can be much safer if the car is fitted with a front wheel drive. The majority of the weight of the car is on the front wheels in the front wheel drive, and as a result of this the car tends to go straight, similar to an arrowhead that places the head at the front tip of the shaft. It still holds true that if a car skids or goes out of control, a front wheel drive enables the driver to regain control of the car easier and faster, thus avoiding car crashes. If a person does not know how to drive rear wheel drive cars properly, there's a high chance that he will be unable to regain control of the car if it slides, as at least half of the weight is on the rear side resulting in the car rotating. Learn about other car problems.

Despite these obvious safety concerns, most luxury cars, and even racing cars for that matter are endowed with rear wheel drives. The explanation for this is that since the weight of the car is almost equally distributed between the front and the back, there is greater balance while the car is in motion. This makes the car easier to handle, and lends a dynamism to its movement that cannot be experienced with front wheel drive cars. If the car needs to be stopped suddenly, rear wheel drive cars are far more superior to FWD cars as well. Read more on automobile safety ratings.

Disadvantages of Rear Wheel Drive Cars
Many car enthusiasts are firmly against RWD cars, and point out the following reasons for their inherent dislike of such vehicles.

* Since the engine is in the front, the transmission shaft that connects to the rear wheels have to travel under the entire length of the car's body. This increases the overall weight of the vehicle.
* Only someone who knows how to drive rear wheel drive cars can handle the vehicle effectively. Average drivers find it difficult to maneuver these cars.
* These cars are more expensive than FWD cars. This is due to the higher cost of assembly, owing to the presence of a long transmission tunnel that connects the engine to the rear wheels.
* On wet surfaces like snow, rain, gravel etc. these cars are tougher to navigate, as the car is being powered from behind, like a push, vis a vis a FWD car, where the engine acts like it is pulling a vehicle.
* Many people also complain about the lack of interior space and leg room in RWD car. This is again due to the presence of the transmission tunnel under the body of the car, running from the engine to the rear wheels.

Advantages of Rear Wheel Drive Cars
Along with these factors, there are other reasons why many people prefer to drive RWD cars.

* Since all the auto parts are spread out over a wide area, the repair and maintenance costs of RWD cars are relatively lower. Their repair does not require complicated disassembly and uses lesser specialized tools.
* Since the front wheels are concentrating on the steering, more power can be applied to the rear wheels and the vehicle on a whole under dry conditions. Since the force is lesser on the front wheels, more friction can be utilized towards steering.
* Under heavy and sudden braking, the car stops smoothly since the weight is evenly divided between the front and the rear of the vehicle.
* There is no presence of 'torque steer' in RWD cars, vis a vis FWD cars. The presence of this effect in FWD cars causes the car to shift slowly towards the right side at high speeds, owing to the difference in length of the shafts that connect the engine to the wheels.

How to Drive a Rear Wheel Drive Car in Snow
Driving rear wheel drive car in snow is a skill that can be acquired only through practice and caution. It is definitely more dangerous to drive a RWD car in snow than a FWD car, but for someone who is aware of how to drive rear wheel drive cars, this is no big feat. Just adhere to the following guidelines and you will do just alright.