What is a Drivetrain | How Drivetrains Work

Figure 1: Drivetrain

The drivetrain as shown in Figure 1 is a mechanical system with-in a motor vehicle which
connects the transmission to the drive axles. A typical drivetrain contains a series of parts,
working together to transfer the rotational power produced by the car engine, all the way to
your wheels moving the car. You may have come across the word “powertrain” before.
Powertrain is often used in the same because, the powertrain incorporates drivetrain. When
trying to explain “what powertrain is”, powertrain encompasses EVERYTHING involved
with the: car engine, transmission/transaxle, and the drivetrain. Drivetrain components are
separate from the engine components but closely involve transmission components.

What are the different Drivetrains?

There are four (4) common drivetrain arrangements as shown in Figure 2: Front-Wheel
Drivetrains (FWD), Rear-Wheel Drivetrains (RWD), Four-Wheel Drivetrains (4WD), and
All-Wheel Drivetrains (AWD).

Figure 2: All-Wheel Drive, Four-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive

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I. What is FWD

(i) Drivetrain Assembly

(ii) Transaxle
(iii) Transfer Case
(iv) Front Drive Axle
(v) Constant Velocity Joints

II. What is RWD?

(i) Front Engine Rear Wheel Drive

(ii) Types of Driveshafts
a. Hotchkiss Driveshaft
b. Torque Tube Driveshaft
(iii) Universal Joint (U-Joint)
(iv)The Differential
(v) Rear Engine Rear Wheel Drive

III. Differences Between FWD and RWD

(i) Front Wheel Drive Pros and Cons:

a. FWD Pros:
b. FWD Cons:
(ii) Rear Wheel Drive Pros and Cons:
a. RWD Pros:
b. RWD Cons:

IV. What is 4WD

 4WD Settings Highs and Lows

V. What is AWD

VI. All Wheel Drive vs 4 Wheel Drive

(i) Differences between AWD and 4WD

(ii) AWD vs 4WD: Which is Better

VII. Drivetrain Advancements

 Traction Control

What is FWD:
In the auto industry, FWD meaning refers to Front-Wheel-Drive. This is where the front
wheels of an automotive vehicle will have the engines power to pull the vehicle into motion.
The creation of the front-wheel-drivetrain dates back to the 1920s, where a government
branch named CAFÉ (corporate average fuel efficiency) stumbled upon this inversely
innovative drivetrain. The Front Wheel Drivetrain demonstrated early on its ability to
generate increased miles-per-gallon, especially in small cars. Many cars on the road today are
front-wheel drive, instead of the rear wheels powering movement, the front wheels do.

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Drivetrain Assembly

A great way to identify a front wheel drive vehicle is when you open up the hood of your
vehicle and see the engine runs horizontally and not vertically as shown in Figure 3. This is
called a “transverse engine” placement. This is where all the components of the front wheel
drivetrain — transmission, differential, and drive shafts — are in the front of the car. In order
to fit all these components in the front, engineers arranged to place the engine sideways in the
car.

The traverse engine setup enhances power delivery to the front wheels, due to having the
motor’s weight directly over the driven wheels; which improves vehicle acceleration and
traction control on harsh road conditions. Weight distribution also plays into FWD’s
advantage for corner/turning manoeuvrability.

Figure 3: Front Wheel Drivetrain, Traverse Engine Placement

Transaxle

Consequently, you don’t need a long drive shaft that runs the length of the car to transfer
torque to move the wheels. So, instead of a transmission, most front-wheel drivetrain
vehicles will have a transaxle. A transaxle as shown in Figure 4 combines the transmission
and differential into one single unit. While most cars that use transaxles will mount them
right next to the engine, some sports cars –with rear located engines– use transaxles on rear-
wheel drive trains for even weight distribution.

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 Figure 4: Transaxle

Transfer Case:

For Front Wheel Drive vehicles, the component mounted behind the trans-axle is the transfer
case as shown in Figure 5– a separate gearbox that directly connects to the front drive axle —
purposed for sending power to the wheels.

Figure 5: Transfer Case, Chain Drive, Gear Range

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For the rest of the drivetrains: RWD, AWD, and 4WD the transfer case is connected to the
transmission. However its functions are the same, its job is to send power directed to the
driveshafts. Majority transfer cases offer two gear ratios, for a High and Low range. Although
many vehicles still have a manually engaged transfer case, several now offer electrically
activated engagement

This is done with gears, hydraulics, or a chain drive. On some vehicles, such as four-wheel-
drive trucks or vehicles intended for off-road use, this feature is controlled by the driver. The
driver can put the transfer case into either “two-wheel-drive” or “four-wheel-drive” mode.
The transfer case also synchronizes the differentiating rotations of the front and rear wheels.

Front Drive Axle

A vehicle’s drive axle is the component that connects the two wheels in the front, along with
the two wheels in the rear. An automobile’s front drive axle is the central shaft purposed for
transferring torque from the transfer case to the wheels. The front drive axle is split axle into
two half axles with differential and universal joints. Each half axle is connected to your car
wheels by a constant velocity (CV) joint. The CV joint allows the wheels to move freely
and keeps your car’s body in balance.

Constant Velocity Joints

Since all the components of the drivetrain are in the front of the car, fwd cars don’t need long
drive shafts to transfer torque to the wheels. Instead, a half-shaft connects from the transfer
case to the wheel assembly. In place of U-joints, half-shafts connect the transaxle and the
wheel assembly with constant velocity joints as shown in Figure 6, or CV-joints for short.
CV-joints use a ball bearing mechanism to reduce friction and allow for the more complex
wheel movements used in front-wheel drive cars — remember, front-wheel drive cars not
only have to move the car forward but also steer it left and right.

Figure 6: Constant Velocity Joint, CV-Joint

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The front wheel drive system was incredibly useful since the majority of all vehicles harness
their engines in the front. So it was simple for engineers to connect the engine assembly to
the front wheels with a couple of short drive axles. The most desired aspect of the FWD
system is its fuel economy. Due to its compact design, this drivetrain reduces the vehicle’s
overall weight and eliminates most energy losses. Front wheel drivetrains don’t have a long
heavy driveshaft that requires separate differentials, this makes delivering power to the front
wheels, from the engine much more efficient.

What is RWD:

Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) as shown in Figure 7 is the classic drivetrain; for the longest time
rear drive was basically the only optimal drivetrain system for many years. Rear wheel drive
is the first and longest existing drivetrain that is still used today on many cars and most
trucks. This is because the RWD drive arrangement provides multiple benefits when
compared to the front-wheel-drive.

Front Engine Rear Wheel Drive: FE-RWD

Typically associated with a parallel mounted engine where transmission is bolted directly to
it. This component combination sends power via a driveshaft to the differential unit at the
rear axle.

Figure 7: Rear Wheel Drivetrain

Driveshaft Types:

Rear-wheel-drive cars require a driveshaft. To accommodate it, there must be an interior

hump down the middle of the passenger cabin. For vehicles with RWD, the transmission is
attached to the rear of the engine to a connecting flywheel. The transmission takes the
spinning movement “torque” from the engine’s crankshaft and passes it along to the
driveshaft. The driveshaft is a spinning cylindrical tube that connects to the rear of the

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transmission to the rear differential. Drive shaft designs come in two types: Hotchkiss and
Torque Tube (the driveshaft itself is enclosed in a tube).

Hotchkiss Driveshaft:

Figure 8: Hotchkiss Driveshaft

Hotchkiss Driveshafts as shown in Figure 8 are the more common drivetrain because of
their open design, meaning you can actually see the drive shaft spin beneath your car when
it’s moving. Additionally, the Hotchkiss drive shaft uses two Universal-joints, unlike torque
tubes.

Torque Tube:

Torque Tube Driveshafts as shown in Figure 9 are typically associated with older vehicles
but are commonly used with today’s trucks and SUVs. It gets its name from the driveshaft
itself being enclosed in a tube. Torque tubes connect the transmission and differential with a
U-joint.

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 Figure 9: Torque tube driveshaft

Universal Joint (U-Joint)

A universal joint’s (U-joint) as shown in Figure 10 purpose is to be the connecting point

between drive shafts, allowing them to move up and down with the suspension. This is to
keep consistent transmitted power when the drive shaft isn’t in a straight line between the
transmission and drive wheels.

Figure 10: Universal Joint

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What is the Differential:

The differential as shown in Figure 11 is the soccer-ball-sized part that sits between the two
rear wheels. A differential is the component in which a rotating driveshaft can change
direction; In a rear-wheel-drive car whose driveshaft runs the length of the car, the rear
differential conforms its power to the rear axle that runs perpendicular to the car.

Figure 11: Differential

The rear differential is needed to help aid 90-degree turns; it transfers the rotational engine
power from the driveshaft to the rear wheels. These large components generally make rear-
wheel-drive cars less fuel-efficient than front-wheel-drive vehicles due to the components
weight.

It gets its name “differential” because it allows the two rear wheels that are on the same axle
to move at different speeds. See How Differential Steering Works!

“When would my rear wheels move at different speeds?”

Video of How Differential Steering Works

A common instance is making turns around the corner or bends, so an understandable

example is when you make a RIGHT turn. In this case, your inside wheel (the passenger side)
travels less of a distance than your outside wheel (the driver side). To keep up with the inside
wheel, the outside wheel must spin slightly faster, your differential is what makes this
possible. Consequently, if there was a solid connection between both wheels, one of the
wheels would skid in order to keep the axle moving.

Rear Engine Rear Wheel Drive

Interestingly enough, there are different types of rear wheel drivetrain alternatives. One of
the most unique types of RWD cars as shown in Figure 12 is having an engine on the back-

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side of the car, along with a transmission just like FWD cars, but reversed. This is known as
Rear Engine Rear Wheel Drive.

Figure 12: Rear Engine Rear Wheel Drive, RE-RWD

This is typically seen in drag racing cars, but one of the earliest and iconic examples of this
system would be the Type-1 VW Beetle dragster known as HERBIE as shown in nFigure
13! This Punch Buggy‘s drivetrain is RWD with a rear engine.

Herbie

Figure 13: Punch Buggy Drive Train Herbie

Differences between FWD and RWD

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Front-wheel-drive systems as shown in Figure 14 tend to “die-out” much faster than rear-
wheel-drive systems. If that isn’t enough, the front wheel tire lifespan can be compromised
because of consistent weight stress, on top of the responsibility to handle all of the
acceleration and steering forces as well as much of the braking. Aside from the trans-axle,
driveshaft and rear differential, the difference between FWD and RWD are the reversed
components.

Front Wheel Drive Pros and Cons:

FWD Pros:

(i) PRO: Cheaper Vehicles, front-wheel-drivetrain systems are the cheaper drivetrain in
vehicles plays a big part in economics, which is why cheap small cars are growing in
availability.
(ii) PRO: Better Fuel efficiency, Optimal mile per gallon fuel efficiency remains the
main reason most cars today are deployed with front-wheel-drive models.
(iii) PRO: Vehicle Weight for front-wheel drivetrain’s is reduced vehicle due to less
component weight.

FWD Cons:

 CON: Torque Steer occurs during vehicle acceleration, an unequal amount of power
is distributed to the front wheels, causing the vehicle to “pull” in two directions, the
driver’s side or passenger’s side. Additionally, when it comes to turning, front-wheel-
drive vehicles turning radius is limited because all of the “powertrain and drivetrain”
components are in the front prevent the front wheels from being turned sharply.

Figure 14: Front Wheel Drive Torque Steering

Rear Wheel Drive Pros and Cons:

RWD Pros:

(i) PRO: Acceleration, Rear-wheel drive offers better initial-acceleration than front-
wheel drive because the weight is transferred to the rear of the car upon accelerating,
which boosts traction.
(ii) PRO: Braking with rear wheel drive is superior when compared to FWD vehicles.

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 (iii)PRO: Drifting, Rear-wheel drive permits expert drivers to use various techniques
to slide the rear end around corners (drifting), which is a skill most useful in
racing.
(iv) PRO: Stability and Control with rear-wheel drivetrain arrangements split the jobs of
steering and driving the vehicle. For instance, when using the gas pedal in an RWD
vehicle, the weight transfers to the rear allowing all the acceleration and weight to be
carried by the engine power. The front wheels focus on directing the vehicle,
eliminating torque steer (a common problem with FWD drivetrains). Weight
distribution is more equally balanced to each tire, which in turn provides better
steering and handling (although bad road conditions will cause a lack of traction for
RWD).

RWD Cons:

 CON: Fishtailing as shown in Figure 15 is noted to be one of the biggest problems

with rear wheel drive vehicles. Fishtailing is a vehicle handling problem which occurs
when the rear wheels lose traction, resulting in over-steer. This can be caused by low
friction surfaces when entering a turn/curve too quickly.

Figure 15: Fishtailing

What is 4WD?

A Four-wheel-drive (4WD) also known as a 4 x 4, is a vehicle with a two-axled vehicle

drivetrain capable of simultaneously providing torque to all Four of its wheels. 4WD torque
settings may be full-time or on-demand “part-time” this is usually controlled by a lever or
switch associated with the transfer case providing additional gear ranges.

When a four-wheeled vehicle is directed to supply its torque to both axles, this can be
described as “all-wheel drive” (AWD). However, “four-wheel drive” typically refers to a set
of specific components and function to its wheel-set.

4WD Settings: Highs and Lows

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Most 4WD systems low and high ranges are usually activated with a electronic switch or a
floor-mounted mechanical lever. Whether electronically or mechanically activated, the
4WD’s low setting provides a greater torque setting, purposed for pulling or climbing in an
off-road environment. The low gear setting makes it easier for descending steep slopes on
unstable surfaces without overwhelming the brakes. The default 4WD high setting is useful
for slippery on-road situations, such as packed snow, ice, sand or gravel.

What is AWD?

All-wheel-drive (AWD) refers to a drivetrain capable of providing power to all its wheels
whether full-time or on-demand much like 4WD. Except there are more forms of all-wheel
drive such as: 6×6, 8×8 both of which may be either part-time, full-time, or independent
(tesla only) all-wheel drive.

(i) AWD Part-time refers to on-demand typically where one axle is permanently
connected to the drive, the other is being connected as needed.
(ii) AWD Full-time refers to all axles are permanently connected, with or without a
differential.
(iii) AWD Independent is when the wheels are driven but not dependent on a trans-axle.
Tesla’s vehicles (Model S and Model X) are so far the only ones to use such a system.
(Figure 16 is a Model S Tesla Drivetrain)

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igure 16: Tesla Drivetrain

All-Wheel-Drive vs Four-Wheel-Drive

Both All-Wheel-Drivetrains and 4-Wheel-Drivetrains as shown inn Figure 17 introduce

greater complexity to the drive system, adding both weight and cost. This is due to the
transfer case, a drivetrain component directly associated with 4WD & AWD vehicles.

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This extra weight generally means a reduction in fuel economy, although this can be
mitigated with today’s more efficient engines, including hybrid, electric(such as the Tesla
drivetrain) and diesel options. The inclusion of AWD or 4WD to a vehicle typically raises a
vehicle’s price by about $1,500 up to nearly $4,000.

Figure 17: Part-Time 4WD, Full-Time 4WD. All Wheel Drive

What is the difference between AWD and 4WD?

For instance, those who do need more traction for their road conditions, having a vehicle
with 4WD or AWD systems offers increased traction and handling capabilities under
many circumstances. Both of these types of drivetrains are especially helpful on slick, lose or
slippery surfaces because the system can direct power to the wheels that have the most
traction. They can also help with some towing chores, such as pulling boats up wet, slippery
launch ramps.

It’s often understood that sometimes people will buy an AWD or 4WD vehicle for the
intention of occasionally bringing their vehicle off-road. Regardless that 90 percent of the
time they’ll be sitting in traffic or using the vehicle on paved roads. These people would
benefit from buying a two-wheel-drive vehicle for their daily use, and renting an AWD car or
4WD truck or SUV for their ski trips. This tactic would save them money on the price of the
car as well as overall fuel and maintenance costs.

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 Figure 16: 4WD vs AWD
Front Differential, Rear Differential, Centre Differential, Transfer Case

Despite their higher cost, systems that drive with all four wheels gives people that peace of
mind and comfort when driving on hazardous road conditions. Both 4WD and AWD have
front differentials and rear differentials. The difference between AWD and 4WD is that
4WD has a transfer case, while an AWD has a center differential. Also helping to justify
those extra costs: Vehicles with an AWD or 4WD system usually have higher resale or trade-
in values when compared to their two-wheel-drive counterparts. This is especially true in
areas where inclement winter weather and rough terrain make such systems popular. So for
most, the extra cost of a 4WD vehicle can pale in comparison, to the burden of repairing a
damage to an ill-equipped two-wheel-drive vehicle.

AWD vs. 4WD: Which Is Better?

Choosing between AWD and 4WD used to be fairly simple – one was for sports-like cars
on pavement and the other for trucks and SUVs on rugged mountain trails. Even up until
today, many car shoppers along with automakers will still adhere to these traditional principle
labels. Manufacturers tend to define the terms to suit their own model line-ups and marketing
strategies. Nevertheless, the 4WD principle still applies to vehicles intended for heavy-duty
or off-road use. AWD Partly Automatic & AWD Fully Automatic

Some AWD systems also offer torque vectoring sensors that direct engine power to the
wheels with the most traction regardless of which side they are on. AWD systems typically
are used for cars and crossovers, because of their efficiency on pavement and well-
maintained dirt and gravel roads.

The Four-Wheel Drivetrain systems also come in part-time and full-time versions that
are often found in trucks and SUVs that are designed for both on-road and off-road use. 4WD
part-time systems operate in two-wheel-drive mode until the driver/ on-board-computer
decides that it’s time for all four wheels to share the work. 4WD Full-time is just what its
name suggests, with all wheels being driven all the time.

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Drivetrain Advancements with ABS and Traction Control:

The development of anti-lock braking and traction control systems has greatly improved
the handling characteristics of two-wheel-drive systems. Additionally, for many drivers, a
two-wheel-drive vehicle with traction control is all they’ll ever need. With that said, knowing
your vehicle needs in terms of passenger and cargo capabilities will make deciding that much
easier. Although, road conditions such as terrain and weather conditions also play a huge
factor in deciding the ideal vehicle for your needs. Adding 4WD and AWD systems to a
vehicle increases overall cost in fuel efficiency because of increased weight and drag on the
drivetrain. As traction control becomes more common on both front- and rear-wheel-drive
cars, the advantages of 4WD and AWD have been reduced somewhat.

Traction Control

Although traction control is standard on most cars and trucks today, a RWD vehicle with
traction control will have a better chance to maintain control in slippery conditions. These
models are still usually at a disadvantage compared to their front-wheel-drive counterparts.

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