Your Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle and Brake Repair

Sometimes when a person owns a four-wheel drive vehicle they think that their traction automatically is okay on the snow and ice, they will have traction to drive on sand dunes, and drive on muddy mountain terrain. Most of the time, they can, but it is not often very smart. Can an All Wheel Drive vehicle do the same thing? How is brake repair different on the two types of vehicles?

If a car is considered to be an All Wheel Drive or AWD, the driver cannot change it manually depending on road conditions. These vehicles are driving in 4-wheel drive at all times. Because of its center of differential and its ability for the axles to rotate at different speeds, the wheel hop, and the driveline bending make it easier for the All Wheel Drive vehicle to drive better on dry road surfaces. These are what cause problems for the 4-wheel drive. However, there are special controls for traction on 4-wheel drive vehicles that are not often on AWD vehicles, so it is easier for AWD vehicle to lose traction.

Often considered to be off-road vehicles, the 4-wheel drive is one that all the wheels get power all at once. It is because of this specialized power train that the four-wheel drive vehicle is able to get better traction on most surfaces. Usually 4WD vehicles are larger vehicles and the driver can manually switch between four wheel drive and two-wheel drive according to road conditions.

Dealers often interchange the two, so knowing exactly what you are getting can be difficult. That is why it is so important to know what you can about the two different drive trains and how they work. This is important so that you know how your vehicle will respond in various driving conditions.

Any time that you brake on slippery roads there is really no difference between the two types of vehicles because any vehicle will slip in the right conditions. The major difference may be what happens if you slip off the road and get stuck in the snow. You may have a better chance on getting out if you are driving a 4 wheel drive and you can also help pull others out of the ditch if you have a winch and a towing system on your 4WD vehicle. If you do this often enough, however, your brakes will get worn faster and need brake repair more often.

With this extra wear and the need for more frequent brake repair you will want to go to a mechanic that you can trust who specializes in 4-wheel drive vehicles because you want brake parts that are specific to your vehicle type.

Before purchasing your vehicle, make sure you do the research so that you know exactly what you are buying before you leave the car lot. Because of the differences between the AWD and the 4WD it is important to know what kind of limits and abilities will be before you sign the papers on it.