Inertia means that something stays in the state that it is in. So something moving continues to move, unless acted upon by an outside force. The front of your car lifting up due to acceleration is simply weight transfer because your car has a force moving it forward, and it's center of gravity "resists" in the opposite direction, so the car lifts up in front.
It allows for the tires to stay at peak friction in an even manner, rather than just the front doing all the work. The front already has most of the braking, and all of the turning. Adding power to this means it needs even more friction. If the rear has this, the front tires can keep more friction without having to devote some of the friction to acceleration. Check out my video entitled "traction circle" should help with this topic.
Check out my video on stability control, I explain the difference. And the reason is because if you're going to wreck you want to hit the front of your car rather than smash the side, where there's not as large of a crumple zone.
@NicksCorvetteMan Yeah, I should actually. There's a lot of interesting phenomena with rear engine rwd cars. Very good braking, excellent acceleration, but a large resistance to turning.
@ThisIsNotSharyn Spoilers create a weight that isn't really there. So in a corner, the force from the spoiler pushing down doesn't mean more mass is resisting the turn, it just means you'll have more friction to overcome it. So a spoiler on any car can make it capable (with the right tires, suspension, etc..) of greater than 1g turns. Bad side of a spoiler? Constant drag, and around the city you're never going fast enough for it to do anything.
@dTosified Certainly seems like the logical next step for AWD and 4WD. Was thinking about torque steer as well. Was hoping to stay away from the GT-R, it's so mind blowing that vehicle, but it'd make a good topic nonetheless. When I finally man up I'll attempt to explore their ingenious engineering haha.
Yes, a spoiler on a FWD car can be useful. Perhaps I should make a video on downforce. When you increase downforce, you increase the friction of the tires and the ground, so the maximum speed you can corner, accelerate, and decelerate increases. But when you see someone with a giant spoiler on a 96 hp civic, it's just for show, as they will not be experiencing speeds high enough to grant the spoiler worthy, and many times they'll be on basic all-season tires.
Powered oversteer; the rear tires lose lateral grip and slide out because under acceleration some of the grip is used for pushing the car forward. FWD vehicles do not experience this problem in the same fashion.
RWD vehicles can understeer just as easily as FWD vehicles while cornering without applying an acceleration load on the tires. So it's not necessarily an advantage over FWD. Also, most vehicles are engineered to understeer so that if the car loses control it hits the object in its path with the front of the car (much greater crumple zone) rather than the side.
wow.. All of these videos are great. I am the proud owner of a Scion FRS which is rear wheel drive car. I noticed that you listed fishtailing as a con when really it should be a pro.. why? because its so much godamn fun!
Well, an FR-S can drift like a champ because of it's design. However, if you have a RWD car that is a lot fatter and not as good handling *cough* Dodge Challenger *cough* fishtailing is really bad since the car can't recover as easy due to momentum. This will lead to spin outs, crashes and possibly flips. So it really depends on the car and how your driving it (track vs. highway) that decides if fishtailing is bad or good.
How far you've come, this is old school compared to your latest videos. I'm on the hunt for info on drivetrains and what could possibly be causing my buzzing noise on my Fiat 124. Have a new engine so it's not the engine. Looking at wheel and drivetrain bearing next.
Well, don't be pressured into doing something foolish. That said, a RWD car is more likely to oversteer if you're on the gas in the turn, where as a FWD vehicle will understeer which is a bit more safe. And since you said you have a pickup, I wouldn't test your limits.
Oversteer is not a function of rear wheel drive it is a function of the a number of things but in steady state it is primarily based on your front and rear axle slip angles. I dont know if I would put oversteer as a "negative" for RWD vehicles
I did not hear it in the video, but Iguess front wheel drive has added complexion in that the driven wheels have to be able to turn freely for steering while getting torgue. I always immagened that to be hard to do. I guess those mechanisms would need to be quite heavy to withstand massive torgue of sports cars and trucks. Right?
I forgot to ask. Does this means it applies to he 4wd also? That is front wheel steering but this time both front and rear wheel obtain the power from the transfer case?
For a "racecar" or someone who is trying to get the most out of a sportscar absolutely, rwd is better. But as far as daily commuting and economical reasons, fwd cars are pretty ideal. Oversteer can also be very dangerous. More than understeer, as he has explained.
Hi, I want to make sure my concept is correct after watching your video. So I want to ask is it the steering wheel still at the front? Which means the front wheel will turn while the rear wheel does not turn but instead giving power to front wheel?
I am curious to know if you would be willing to do a video explaining overdrive systems in both automatic and manual transmissions as well as single and double overdrive
Do you think buying a car with RWD as a new driver is a good idea? Because my friend suggested it when I asked what type of car I should get...... I get the feeling he thinks it's a pro too lol. But I'm not sure it's the safest thing after watching your video. Thanks!
Hello, I have a question about the purpose of the centering sleeve on the front end of the driveshaft, as is in BMW and Mercedes. A lot of threads claim that the sleeve support the operation of the flex disc and worn sleeve can cause vibration. My opinion is that the worn centering sleeve can not cause vibration by itself since it is stationary in relation to gearbox and driveshaft flanges. I think that apart from the centering function the sleeve serves as a safety measure in case of flex disc failure. I think that In case of flex disc (or guibo) failure the centering sleeve will prevent falling down of the driveshaft and secure it into place for safe stop of the vehicle. Am I right? Thank you :)
Got it, perhaps you should do a video on aerodynamics of a car and aspects such as spoilers, diffusers etc and how it would affect performance and at what speeds :)
hi there, i'm not sure but i got ask do u have any video explaning the limited slip diferential? i mean, mechanically becau sa what it does i just don't see how :s thanks :)
I get what you're saying about power to the back wheels being an unforeseen hazard, but I think he might have been getting at the unscientific "positive" involved with loosing said lateral grip :D
I really hope soo! it's something i would really love to know how it works u are great btw! i just started watching your videos yesterday and i now understand so many things now!
This is a pretty stupid question, but when you accelerate quickly, does the front of the car lift up and the weight transfers to the back because of inertia?
The reason is I have a pickup and I weigh more than a car and I was wondering if weight has anything to do with corner entry and carrying speed through the corner.
I wouldn't say over steer is a con, maybe fish tailing on a launch. oversteer is really good for those long bends, rwd is the best sports drive train for road.
Can you do a video on the Ford Focus RS's RevoKnockle system that all but eliminates torque. That car is. FWD car that produces 300hp and 300+lbs/trq. But I think its not used as much do to cost.
My friend has a FWD car, he takes his corners semi fast. I go kind of slow. and he asks me to go a bit faster through corners through the town. I have a RWD truck. is this a good idea to take corners like a FWD car? thanks
Yeah, however a FWD car will always understeer in a high speed corner. Like for instance in auto racing. You watch a RWD and FWD car drive around a track and they will take a much different racing line. Engine in the middle, RWD is the best layout for a car. Cost you alot of space though. Which is why your average car is not laidout like that.
Most RWD cars I see have the engine in the front (keywords being 'that I see'). Is this why a spoiler on a RWD car is common? So air can create downforce on the back of the car and can thus help keep the back of the car on the ground giving it traction? Also, why would a spoiler on a FWD car be bad? If the engine is in the front, won't a spoiler help keep the back-end down, thus creating better weight distribution?
ok i think we have had enuf of fwd. chevy chevette into the future. eco engine 1.6L.current engine fuel and electrical systems technology. 100 to 150 hp. 5spd auto trans or cvt. 2 or 4 door. struts all round. adjustable camber in the front. rack and pinion steering. this car would sell like wildfire. GM should be the first to do this.
Inertia means that something stays in the state that it is in. So something moving continues to move, unless acted upon by an outside force. The front of your car lifting up due to acceleration is simply weight transfer because your car has a force moving it forward, and it's center of gravity "resists" in the opposite direction, so the car lifts up in front.
It allows for the tires to stay at peak friction in an even manner, rather than just the front doing all the work. The front already has most of the braking, and all of the turning. Adding power to this means it needs even more friction. If the rear has this, the front tires can keep more friction without having to devote some of the friction to acceleration. Check out my video entitled "traction circle" should help with this topic.
Check out my video on stability control, I explain the difference. And the reason is because if you're going to wreck you want to hit the front of your car rather than smash the side, where there's not as large of a crumple zone.
I like how you're concern in safety and not saying that rwd cars are very capable of drifting.
Missed the most important part imo smh
@NicksCorvetteMan Yeah, I should actually. There's a lot of interesting phenomena with rear engine rwd cars. Very good braking, excellent acceleration, but a large resistance to turning.
These videos seriously have helped me out with college thanx bro your a genius
Happy to hear it!
Me to brother,after so many years :D
@ThisIsNotSharyn Spoilers create a weight that isn't really there. So in a corner, the force from the spoiler pushing down doesn't mean more mass is resisting the turn, it just means you'll have more friction to overcome it. So a spoiler on any car can make it capable (with the right tires, suspension, etc..) of greater than 1g turns.
Bad side of a spoiler? Constant drag, and around the city you're never going fast enough for it to do anything.
@dTosified Certainly seems like the logical next step for AWD and 4WD. Was thinking about torque steer as well. Was hoping to stay away from the GT-R, it's so mind blowing that vehicle, but it'd make a good topic nonetheless. When I finally man up I'll attempt to explore their ingenious engineering haha.
@CookingFunt I have not. Looked it up real quick. Seems cool, possibly a more rugged method for a CV joint.
Yes, a spoiler on a FWD car can be useful. Perhaps I should make a video on downforce. When you increase downforce, you increase the friction of the tires and the ground, so the maximum speed you can corner, accelerate, and decelerate increases. But when you see someone with a giant spoiler on a 96 hp civic, it's just for show, as they will not be experiencing speeds high enough to grant the spoiler worthy, and many times they'll be on basic all-season tires.
Hey EngineeringExplained, I am really enjoying your mini-lectures. Keep up the good work.
@KatoomDriver17 Thanks, glad to hear it!
Powered oversteer; the rear tires lose lateral grip and slide out because under acceleration some of the grip is used for pushing the car forward. FWD vehicles do not experience this problem in the same fashion.
Yes, you steer the front tires, and the rear tires put the power down from the engine. The front wheels do not put any power down.
RWD vehicles can understeer just as easily as FWD vehicles while cornering without applying an acceleration load on the tires. So it's not necessarily an advantage over FWD. Also, most vehicles are engineered to understeer so that if the car loses control it hits the object in its path with the front of the car (much greater crumple zone) rather than the side.
wow.. All of these videos are great. I am the proud owner of a Scion FRS which is rear wheel drive car. I noticed that you listed fishtailing as a con when really it should be a pro.. why? because its so much godamn fun!
Well, an FR-S can drift like a champ because of it's design. However, if you have a RWD car that is a lot fatter and not as good handling *cough* Dodge Challenger *cough* fishtailing is really bad since the car can't recover as easy due to momentum. This will lead to spin outs, crashes and possibly flips.
So it really depends on the car and how your driving it (track vs. highway) that decides if fishtailing is bad or good.
Thanks man, you're a great help to a lot of people. Keep up the good work!
How far you've come, this is old school compared to your latest videos. I'm on the hunt for info on drivetrains and what could possibly be causing my buzzing noise on my Fiat 124. Have a new engine so it's not the engine. Looking at wheel and drivetrain bearing next.
Well, don't be pressured into doing something foolish. That said, a RWD car is more likely to oversteer if you're on the gas in the turn, where as a FWD vehicle will understeer which is a bit more safe. And since you said you have a pickup, I wouldn't test your limits.
Front Engine, Rear-Wheel drive cars, PERFECT for fun. Why I bought a 240SX haha
Always, no worries!
You are correct.
Oversteer is not a function of rear wheel drive it is a function of the a number of things but in steady state it is primarily based on your front and rear axle slip angles. I dont know if I would put oversteer as a "negative" for RWD vehicles
I did not hear it in the video, but Iguess front wheel drive has added complexion in that the driven wheels have to be able to turn freely for steering while getting torgue. I always immagened that to be hard to do. I guess those mechanisms would need to be quite heavy to withstand massive torgue of sports cars and trucks. Right?
One correction to this video, you put oversteering in the Cons sections, i believe it belongs in the Pros :)
Cons for safety, pros for fun. :)
I forgot to ask. Does this means it applies to he 4wd also? That is front wheel steering but this time both front and rear wheel obtain the power from the transfer case?
For a "racecar" or someone who is trying to get the most out of a sportscar absolutely, rwd is better. But as far as daily commuting and economical reasons, fwd cars are pretty ideal. Oversteer can also be very dangerous. More than understeer, as he has explained.
Hi, I want to make sure my concept is correct after watching your video. So I want to ask is it the steering wheel still at the front? Which means the front wheel will turn while the rear wheel does not turn but instead giving power to front wheel?
I am curious to know if you would be willing to do a video explaining overdrive systems in both automatic and manual transmissions as well as single and double overdrive
Do you think buying a car with RWD as a new driver is a good idea? Because my friend suggested it when I asked what type of car I should get...... I get the feeling he thinks it's a pro too lol. But I'm not sure it's the safest thing after watching your video. Thanks!
+Jasmine Aguilera Just get a miata. They're so shit that you won't even notice you're moving.
Help it corner better? Sure.
Hello, I have a question about the purpose of the centering sleeve on the front end of the driveshaft, as is in BMW and Mercedes. A lot of threads claim that the sleeve support the operation of the flex disc and worn sleeve can cause vibration. My opinion is that the worn centering sleeve can not cause vibration by itself since it is stationary in relation to gearbox and driveshaft flanges. I think that apart from the centering function the sleeve serves as a safety measure in case of flex disc failure. I think that In case of flex disc (or guibo) failure the centering sleeve will prevent falling down of the driveshaft and secure it into place for safe stop of the vehicle. Am I right? Thank you :)
Got it, perhaps you should do a video on aerodynamics of a car and aspects such as spoilers, diffusers etc and how it would affect performance and at what speeds :)
Can you elaborate on this a little bit, so is a spoiler on a FWD car useful or not ?
Check out the FAQ's on my website for a detailed answer (link in description).
Have you heard of the Thompson Coupling EngineeringExplained? What do you think about it if you have?
Nice video man, you know your mechanics, thanks for sharing!
hi there, i'm not sure but i got ask
do u have any video explaning the limited slip diferential? i mean, mechanically becau sa what it does i just don't see how :s
thanks :)
I get what you're saying about power to the back wheels being an unforeseen hazard, but I think he might have been getting at the unscientific "positive" involved with loosing said lateral grip :D
I really hope soo! it's something i would really love to know how it works
u are great btw! i just started watching your videos yesterday and i now understand so many things now!
This is a pretty stupid question, but when you accelerate quickly, does the front of the car lift up and the weight transfers to the back because of inertia?
Apart from tire wear, what's the advantage of splitting the tasks between front and rear?
That's great! Glad to hear it. If you need any extra help, or more info, you can check out my website. howdoesacarwork(dot)com.
Cheers!
what factors contribute to understeer i.e heavy engines, fwd etc
so essentially under steer is when the front wheels lose traction and can't turn?
The reason is I have a pickup and I weigh more than a car and I was wondering if weight has anything to do with corner entry and carrying speed through the corner.
Sometimes in race track Front engine and RWD Oversteer is better if you are a good driver it actualy may help while cornering , it also adds Style xD
you've got a bright future ahead!
I wouldn't say over steer is a con, maybe fish tailing on a launch.
oversteer is really good for those long bends, rwd is the best sports drive train for road.
please do a video on how mid engine rwd works ( manual transmission)
Can you do a video on the Ford Focus RS's RevoKnockle system that all but eliminates torque. That car is. FWD car that produces 300hp and 300+lbs/trq. But I think its not used as much do to cost.
Thx for you ever very informative videos :-) - Everything's so clear now :-)
Can you explain how a transverse AWD vehicle works?
Nice, thanks for making this video!
My friend has a FWD car, he takes his corners semi fast. I go kind of slow. and he asks me to go a bit faster through corners through the town. I have a RWD truck. is this a good idea to take corners like a FWD car? thanks
Hi did you have a pass exam paper to show me i would like to understand more on chassis systems?
hey wud you pls make one on cold air intake.
Yeah, however a FWD car will always understeer in a high speed corner. Like for instance in auto racing. You watch a RWD and FWD car drive around a track and they will take a much different racing line. Engine in the middle, RWD is the best layout for a car. Cost you alot of space though. Which is why your average car is not laidout like that.
Most RWD cars I see have the engine in the front (keywords being 'that I see'). Is this why a spoiler on a RWD car is common? So air can create downforce on the back of the car and can thus help keep the back of the car on the ground giving it traction?
Also, why would a spoiler on a FWD car be bad? If the engine is in the front, won't a spoiler help keep the back-end down, thus creating better weight distribution?
please do a video of how mid-engine
Where did you learn all of this?
what is the suitable transmission system for the RWD ?
u forget to add udnersteering on fwd hehe
btw awesome videos !
Why does the weight transfer to the back of the car under acceleration?
Can you explain 4 wheel drive please.
Would adding a spoiler to a Lamborghini Aventador help it or no ?
oversteer = pro :p
Keep it going dude!
I think the oversteer/fishtailing is a pro not a con! :D
I don't, but one day I shall! (Who knows when though haha)
Thanks for this video. Got to know more about my Cars. ;-)
Thanks for the answer. Now I am clear about it.
Thanks a lot... Can a fwd suv perform on offroad?
well depends where
Awesome vids man! Now how about AWD? and 4WD? :D
And differential bias controls like Nissan's GT-R Torque distribution or Subaru's STi DCCD? :D
@teraintegra89 Just need time!
which is better FWD or RWD when going up an incline? and why?
chepuri Goutham 4WD is better I think in that case
ok i think we have had enuf of fwd. chevy chevette into the future. eco engine 1.6L.current engine fuel and electrical systems technology.
100 to 150 hp. 5spd auto trans or cvt. 2 or 4 door. struts all round. adjustable camber
in the front. rack and pinion steering. this car would sell like wildfire. GM should
be the first to do this.
Haha this is true!
Fish trailing is an advantage for the drifters.
very helpful
RWD is good because skids are fun
Alrights thank u very much for the answer.
Why are vans and SUVs like and Escalade or an Expedition RWD when not 4WD?
Evan Lloyd Better for towing, probably some other reasons.
ok so in tires, which makes tires last longer if properly rotated of course
I consider fishtailing a good thing.
Are RWD setups more reliable? Do they last longer mileage wise?
mek672 no
the front wheels are connected to what ?
Free Spirit he draw a line just to make sure that the front tires r not floating around 😂
Is it true all v8s are rwd?
No, engine layout doesn't determine drivetrain, however, most V8's will likely be rwd.
some old landrovers are v8s and they are awd
There are a certain generation of Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Impala that are FWD that have V8s. Hello torque steer!
Oversteer is a good thing! Not a disadvantage...
What about a rear engine, front wheel drive vehicle?
zoggin Kinda wanna see that too,
Oversteer imo is good
I love rear wheel drive cars. I wouldn't have it no other way.
Thanks
and there are a few different ways to do 4wd (Nissan gtr vs Audi vs Mitsubishi evo)
2:50 thats just fun :)
I6's are nice engines...
best for drifting
your disadvantages are advantages 😂
COMMING here after grand tour guys said FWD/RWD so many times
also RWD is easier to service isn't it?
Another pro is lighter weight over all in the car.