TYPES OF AUTOMOBILE DRIVES

The vehicle is based upon type of drive used. These are

1. Front engine rear wheel drive

2. Rear engine rear wheel drive
3. Front engine front wheel drive
4. Four-wheel drive

1. Front Engine Rear Wheel Drive

Rear wheel drive places the engine in the front of the vehicle and the driven wheels
are located at the rear, a configuration known as front-engine, rear-wheel drive
layout. In this layout a front mounted engine-clutch-gear box unit drives a beam type
rear axle supported on leaf springs through a propeller shaft with two universal joints.
With the help of coil springs, the front Wheels are independently sprung.

Advantages

a) Even weight distribution: Balanced weight distribution between the front and
the rear wheels providing good handling characteristics.
b) Large luggage space is provided behind the rear seat.
c) Maintenance and accessibility of engine, gear box is easy and the control
over the accelerator, clutch, and choke is simple.
d) Radiator cooling is natural (by air) so decreases the power required for
cooling.
e) Better braking efficiency

Disadvantages

a) Reduces back seats leg room space

b) A tunnel is needed for the propeller shaft
c) Reduces boot space
d) Heavier and more expensive
e) If stuck in mud or snow it is harder to drive away than in a front wheel drive
car
 2. Rear Engine Rear Wheel Drive

This layout consists of placing the engine, clutch and gearbox in the back. So,
taking the space of the boot. In this type of layout more than 50% of the weight is on
the rear axle. The necessity of the propeller shaft is completely eliminated. The
clutch, gear box and engine and final drive form a single unit.

Advantages

1. Excellent traction is available while climbing hills.

2. A larger passenger space is available for the given length of body.

3. Very compact and accessible power and transmission assembly is provided.

4. Lot of weight at the back improves acceleration and braking. Rear wheels and disc
brakes can be designed to take a bigger amount of braking due to the weight
distribution to the rear end.

5. Passengers are comfortable from engine noise, heat and fumes.

6. Front of the vehicle provides good visibility and by designing the body to
aerodynamic shape gives good streaming lining.

Disadvantages

1. At high speed, relatively high proportions of weight at the rear axle will make the
car unstable at speed. There is a strong tendency for the vehicle to oversteer.

2. The space at the front has to be reduced to allow for the steering lock of the front
wheel.

3. Space utilized for engine compartment is wasted.

4. Difficulties with the arrangement of the engine cooling system. Natural cooling of
radiator is not possible. Power requirement increases.

5. Compact engine, clutch and gearbox make servicing more difficult.

6. The wheels gets turn too sharply due to tendency of the vehicle to over steer. This
necessitates the turning of the steering wheel in the opposite direction to make the
correction by driver.
 3. Front Engine Front Wheel Drive

This type of arrangement provides optimum passenger space and a flat floor line
resulting in a transverse underfloor-longitudinal engine position. The propeller shaft
length is reduced or neglects the propeller shaft. Good grip with road surface due to
engine weight at front. Power required for the cooling is reduced. When the vehicle is
to be ‘steer in’ to the curve, it provides ‘under-steer’ characteristics, which is always
preferred.

4. Mid-Engine, Rear Wheel Drive

This type of engine layout places the engine between the two axles and the rear
wheels are driven. Weight is equally distributed between front and rear wheel.

Advantages

1. Good acceleration because of back weight transfer.

2. Efficient braking.

3. Neutral handling.

Disadvantages

1. When accelerating some steering is lost.

2. Require more space.

3. No back seats.

4. Difficulties with the cooling system.

5. Four Wheel Drive

In this arrangement all the four wheels of the vehicle are driven by the engine thus
making the entire vehicle weight available for traction. These four-wheel drive
vehicles are very useful on Hill station if one of the wheels is slipping or skidding
then the other axle wheel transmit the tractive force to the vehicle. The steering of
the four-wheel drive is hard to operate compared with other type of drive.

Advantages

1. Traction is nearly doubled compared to a two-wheel drive layout.

2. Handling characteristics in normal conditions can be configured to emulate to
rear wheel drive (RWD).
3. Gives sufficient power, this results in unparalleled acceleration and drivabilitv on
surfaces with less than ideal and superior engine braking on loose surfaces.

Disadvantages

1. The manufacturing cost of the vehicle is high.

2. More component and complicate transmission.
3. Increased power-train mass, rotational inertia and power transmission losses.
4. Increased fuel consumption compared to 2WD.

Rear engine, all wheel drive (4WD)

Similar characteristics as rear engine, rear wheel drive. And other additional as

Advantages

1. Better weight distribution.

2. More neutral reactions.
3. Better traction on bends and slippery road surfaces.

Disadvantages

1. Heavier.
2. More expensive and difficult to design and build.
 Front engine, all wheel drive (4WD)

Similar characteristics as the front engine, rear wheel drive Plus.

Advantages

1. Better handling capacity.

2. Better acceleration.

Disadvantages

1. It increases weight and manufacturing cost compare with front engine layouts.
2. Loss of some space in the back seat’s legs room.

Differentiate between front and rear mount engine vehicle

Front mount Engine (F), Rear mount Engine (R)

1. F: Travelling is faster and safer as compare to rear mount engine. R: Travelling is

less fast and safer than front mount engine.

2. F: This engine vehicle has good road adhesion due to large vehicle weight
carrying on driving wheel. R: This engine vehicle having less road adhesion as
compared to front mount engine.

3. F: This engine provides less passenger comfort compared to rear mount engine.
R: This engine provides better passenger comfort due to reduce noise, heat and
fumes. 4. F: It provides high floor results in more passenger space as compared to
rear engine. R: It provides less floor area result in more passenger space due to
dispensing with propeller shaft.

5. Front engine vehicles provide natural air cooling. Rear engine required powerful
fan.

6. F: In this engine as compared to the rear engine the vehicles are less affected. R:
In this engine, the rearward concentration of weight causes the vehicle more affected
by side.

7. F: Chance of wheel skidding is less. R: Chance of wheel skidding is more.

8. Front engine vehicles visibility is poor. Rear engine vehicles visibility is good.
MOTOR VEHICLE ENGINE TERMINOLOGIES