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Drive wheel
 
 
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A drive wheel is a wheel
Wheel

A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines....
 in an automotive vehicle
Vehicle

Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks....
 that receives power
Power (physics)

In physics, power is the rate at which mechanical work is performed or energy is transmitted, or the amount of energy required or expended for a given unit of time....
 from the powertrain
Powertrain

In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air....
, and provides the final driving force for a vehicle. A two-wheel drive
Two-wheel drive

Two wheel drive or 2WD describes vehicles with a drivetrain that allows two wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously....
 vehicle has two driven wheels, and a four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a Powertrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously....
 has four.

A steer wheel is one that turns to change the direction of a vehicle. A trailer wheel is one that is neither a drive wheel nor a steer wheel.

Drive wheel configurations
Two-wheel drive
Two-wheel drive

Two wheel drive or 2WD describes vehicles with a drivetrain that allows two wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously....

For four-wheeled vehicles, this term is used to describe vehicles that are able to power at most two wheels, referred to as either front or rear wheel drive.






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Encyclopedia


A drive wheel is a wheel
Wheel

A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines....
 in an automotive vehicle
Vehicle

Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks....
 that receives power
Power (physics)

In physics, power is the rate at which mechanical work is performed or energy is transmitted, or the amount of energy required or expended for a given unit of time....
 from the powertrain
Powertrain

In a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air....
, and provides the final driving force for a vehicle. A two-wheel drive
Two-wheel drive

Two wheel drive or 2WD describes vehicles with a drivetrain that allows two wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously....
 vehicle has two driven wheels, and a four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a Powertrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously....
 has four.

A steer wheel is one that turns to change the direction of a vehicle. A trailer wheel is one that is neither a drive wheel nor a steer wheel.

Drive wheel configurations


Two-wheel drive
Two-wheel drive

Two wheel drive or 2WD describes vehicles with a drivetrain that allows two wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously....


For four-wheeled vehicles, this term is used to describe vehicles that are able to power at most two wheels, referred to as either front or rear wheel drive. The term 4x2 is also used, to denote four total wheels with two being driven.

For vehicles that have part-time four wheel drive
Four Wheel Drive

The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive or just FWD, was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich....
, the term refers to the mode when 4WD is deactivated and power is applied to only two wheels.

Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a Powertrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously....
 or All-wheel drive


Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 ("four by four"), all-wheel drive, and AWD are terms used to describe a four-wheeled vehicle
Vehicle

Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks....
 with a drivetrain that allows all four wheel
Wheel

A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines....
s to receive power from the engine
Engine

An engine is a mechanical device that produces some form of output from a given input.An engine whose purpose is to produce kinetic energy output from a fuel is called a Wiktionary:prime mover; alternatively, a motor is a device which produces kinetic energy from a preprocessed "fuel" ....
 simultaneously. While many people associate the term with off-road vehicle
Off-road vehicle

An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of off-roading on and off Pavement or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads and a flexible suspension , or even caterpillar tracks....
s, powering all four wheels provides better control on slick ice and is an important part of rally racing
Rallying

Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars....
 on mostly-paved roads.

Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive

Front-wheel drive is a form of Internal combustion engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only....


Front-wheel drive (or FWD for short) is the most common form of engine
Engine

An engine is a mechanical device that produces some form of output from a given input.An engine whose purpose is to produce kinetic energy output from a fuel is called a Wiktionary:prime mover; alternatively, a motor is a device which produces kinetic energy from a preprocessed "fuel" ....
/transmission
Transmission (mechanics)

Using the principle of mechanical advantage, transmissions provide a speed-torque conversion from a higher speed motor to a slower but more forceful output or vice-versa....
 layout used in modern passenger car
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
s, where the engine drives the front wheel
Wheel

A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines....
s. Most front wheel drive vehicles today feature transverse engine
Transverse engine

A transverse engine is an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the length of the vehicle. This is also sometimes called an east-west engine....
 mounting, where as in past decades engines were mostly positioned longitudinal
Longitudinal engine

In automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine, also sometimes known as a north-south engine, is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....
ly instead. Rear-wheel drive was the traditional standard and is still widely used in luxury cars and most sport cars. Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a Powertrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously....
 is also sometimes used. See also FF layout.

Rear-wheel drive

Rear-wheel drive (or RWD for short) was a common engine
Engine

An engine is a mechanical device that produces some form of output from a given input.An engine whose purpose is to produce kinetic energy output from a fuel is called a Wiktionary:prime mover; alternatively, a motor is a device which produces kinetic energy from a preprocessed "fuel" ....
/transmission
Transmission (mechanics)

Using the principle of mechanical advantage, transmissions provide a speed-torque conversion from a higher speed motor to a slower but more forceful output or vice-versa....
 layout used in automobile
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
s throughout the 20th century. RWD typically places the engine in the front of the vehicle, but the mid engine and rear engine layouts are also used.

See also

  • Drive sprocket, the powered sprocket on a tracked vehicle