FROM: hillbilly@hillside.net (Hillbilly) SUBJECT: Re: 4wd vs AWD DATE: Thu, 20 May 1999 08:44:13 GMT ORGANIZATION: International Brotherhood Of Hillbilly's NEWSGROUPS: rec.autos.4x4 On Thu, 20 May 1999 00:43:57 GMT, ddempsey@voyager.co.nz (DJ) wrote: :On thisWed, 19 May 1999 12:43:19 -0400,This Serf Larry Margolis : Did scribe: : : :>> >I don't know about all Subarus, but at least in the case of mine ('87 RX :>> Turbo) :>> >you're wrong. All 4 wheels are driven at all times. In normal operation, :>> >the left front & right rear are paired, and the right front and left rear :>> >are paired. There's a switch to lock the center differential, which :>> causes :>> >all 4 wheels to be driven at the same speed, and a secondary shifter to :>> >change between high and low range on the 5-speed. :>> :>> There is no 'pairing' of wheels when the center diff is open, :> :>I could swear I remember reading this somewhere, but I just dragged out my :>owner's manual and it doesn't say anything about this. :> :>My main point, though, was that contrary to what someone wrote above, my :>Subaru definitely does have all 4 wheels driven. :Well as a long time Subaru driver I know that on MY legacy Turbo with :two Viscous couplings (centre/rear) and it is three wheel drive at :best (two rear one front) and if there is no slippage it can be one :wheel drive.... I thought that was the case. I drove a Legacy for a whole day one my job and it was pretty obvious that it had to have significant slippage before more than one wheel started to engage. If I spun just a little I could feel a surge going to other wheels when they kicked in. FROM: Larry Margolis SUBJECT: Re: 4wd vs AWD DATE: Wed, 19 May 1999 13:18:50 -0400 ORGANIZATION: IBM Global Services - Remote Access Mail & News Services NEWSGROUPS: rec.autos.4x4 Willem-Jan Markerink wrote: > > In article <3740EDF1.31E97F8D@ibm.net>, > Larry Margolis wrote: > >Till Kuehner wrote: > >> Right now I have a 91 Cherokee 2x4. I am going to replace this with > something > >> that can direct power to more than two wheels. And just imagine me > buying a new > >> vehicle, thinking it was 4wd, only to find out later that it really is > AWD.... > >> Just kidding. > > > >Not funny - I bought a new Expedition thinking it was AWD, only to find > out > >it's just 4WD. :-( > > Shouldn't this be the ultimate proof that such badges are worthless? Nope - that was my fault. Expedition has a dashboard selector for: 2H - A4WD - 4H - 4L I had assumed that "A4WD" was AWD (all wheel drive), when it's actually automatic 4WD (senses when the wheels slip and switches into 4WD automatically). There's a noticeable lag between when the slip happens and when it clicks in, so I don't have the sense of security driving on slightly slippery roads that I do with my Subaru. (I hate it when I'm on the highway and the road keeps changing between dry and wet or lightly dusted with snow - never know what to do.)