So is my 04 sti awd or 4x4?
Is a evo awd or 4x4?
What is the difference?

cheers andy .

 

Imprezas are AWD.
They are very similar but I think the main difference is, with AWD, the car is powered by all four wheels permanently. 4x4 is same but you can switch it so that only two wheels are powered, hence increasing the torque.

 

wat about landys then lol there constant 4wd

 

a rose by any other name would smell as sweet

or summat

 

Cheers everyone .

 

My Dad's "N" reg Defender isn't. You have to engage it manually. Otherwise it's just RWD.

 

4x4 is a notational form that states there are 4 wheels and 4 driven wheels! Similarly 4x2 is 4 wheels and 2 driven wheels or even 6x4 is a vehicle with 6 wheels where 4 wheels are driven. A motorbike would be 2x1.

AWD means ALL wheel drive, that is all wheels on a vehicle are driven, so 4x4 is AWD as is 6x6 or 2x2.

4WD means there are 4 driven wheels regardless of the number of wheels. So 4x4 or 6x4 are both 4WD.

Add the word "permanent" to any of the terms and it means that the wheels are always driven. Alternatively "part-time" would indicate that the drive changes.

In summary, a scooby is Permanent AWD/4WD/4x4.

Soft roaders and the like that switch from 2WD to 4WD would be more accurately specified as 4x2+2 or part-time AWD.

 

Lol, you sure that's not the diff lock!

 

Oops I'm a bit of thicko then! I was thinking about when you have to get out and turn the dials on the front hubs and fiddle with the 'box etc. Gives it a max speed of about 30mph!

I'll get my coat...

 

Al,

I'll have you know that there are some very capable 'soft roaders', my Mitsubishi Pajero is 4x2+2, but all that means is that you can disengage the front drive by pneumatic means, equalling better fuel economy, and for everyday use, you do not need the 4x4 engaged which really isn't important for normal conditions.

I know you were probably meaning the likes of Vitaras etc though which do not have the multitude of gear settings

 

Your dad will have 'Free Wheeling Hubs' then or better known as FWH

 

 

early Landies WERE 2wd with a selector to engage the front wheels
and THEN there's diff lock
...and freewheel hubs

 

Thats true, our Santafe is 2wd until you press the button then it is 4wd until about 30mph then it goes automatically to 2wd, although it is not that fuel efficient but it works well.

 

Now i know thanx for all your help.

andy .

 

Me too. I have obviously got my Dad's old early 1970's Land Rover mixed up with his newer 1990's one. The 1970's one was clearly running just RWD for the vast majority of the time, whereas the newer one must have permanent drive to all 4 wheels.

 

Many lump a certain group of viecheles EVOS, TTs ect as AWD - when in fact they all work in different ways. With many in effect being 2WD most of the time untill the computers detect that they are getting out of shape.


A traditional scoob for example permanent AWD - with a viscous center diff 50/50 rear front split - all four wheels permanently driven

Other systems such as Haldex are front wheel bias - only pushing more to the rear when they detect a certain angle of slip. Or using braking and so on

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a detailed page from a thread about Haldex and Torsen with a little reference to scoobs as well - for those that are interested. (alot more to this thread I cant access - you would need to search for it - even input from the chap or the chaps son that invented these systems at one point - If I remember)

VWvortex Forums: Haldex vs. Torsen

 

Thats pretty much it

These days AWD and 4x4 is just branding to say all wheels can be driven; it doesn't really mean anything about the method of how those wheel are driven, just that all of them can be driven.

Range Rovers have been permanent four wheel drive since its introduction in 1970. But with a manual diff lock, later versions went to a viscous coupling, like an Impreza, before going to an electrically actuated diff lock and then onto torsion units (like Audi A4/A6/A8 Quattro), and now the later Land Rovers use a electronic actuated clutch packs, like eDCCD Imprezas, or Haldex. Well, it is made by Haldex. So thats pretty much all four-wheel drive technologies rolled into a line of cars all branded as 4x4s

Imprezas are also permanent four wheel drive, but said not to be a 4x4: Using the argument that Range Rovers have a low range gear. BUT Imprezas Outbacks and Legacy Outbacks also have a low range gear option too!