Brake Repair: Are Four Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive Vehicles the Same?

Jul 21
08:14

2011

Andrew Stratton

Andrew Stratton

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Are there any significant differences between these two driving systems? In addition, are brake repair operations the same between the two? Read on to learn more.

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The four wheel drive vehicle makes many people automatically think that if they own one they can drive well in the snow,Brake Repair: Are Four Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive Vehicles the Same? Articles go off road on sand dunes, and drive with ease through muddy mountain back roads. In many cases this is true, but not always wise. Is an All Wheel Drive vehicle going to give the driver the same capabilities? Is brake repair different on these vehicles than on 2-wheel drive vehicles? 

A 4-wheel drive or a 4x4 vehicle is one that is powered by a drive train that allows all four wheels to get power at the same time. Sometime coined as off-road vehicles or SUV’s, this system usually allows for better traction on many different types of driving surfaces. It usually refers to large passenger vehicles where the driver can switch from two wheel drive to four wheel drive manually when driving conditions allow. 

Vehicles that are labeled All Wheel Drive or AWD are those vehicles that cannot be manually switched depending on the road surfaces. They are in 4-wheel drive all the time. It can be used when the road surface is dry because it has what is referred to as a center differential so that both axles can rotate at a different speed, so that the wheel hop, driveline binding, and other issues that cause problems for the 4WD are not there. Sometimes a driver can lose traction because the special traction controls that exist on the 4WD are not put on the AWD vehicles. 

Unfortunately those companies who manufacture and sell these AWD and 4WD vehicles do use the term interchangeably, so it is hard to know exactly what you are getting if you do not know the terms and the differences between the two different types of vehicle drive train systems. 

Though traction varies by vehicle, when braking on ice, there is really no difference between the braking systems on a 4-wheel drive vehicle and a 2-wheel drive. The only real difference would come if you get stuck in the snow after slipping off the road. If you have 4-wheel drive, you have a better chance on getting out after being stuck. You can also help someone else out of their sticky situation if you have a towing system on your 4-wheel drive. This kind of usage, however, does cause more wear and tear on the brakes, which results in more frequent brake repair. 

Because of this extra wear and tear on your 4-wheel drive vehicle, you may need to get brake repairs done more frequently, and when you do have that brake repair done you want to make sure that you are going to a mechanic who specializes in 4-wheel drive repairs and that he will use the highest quality brake parts when performing your brake repair.