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Rear Wheel Drive Vehicles
Name: George
Status: Other
Age: 50s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
Why are all expensive automobiles Rear Wheel Drive? All
police departments use RWD vehicles. What's going on? Is a rear wheel
drive vehicle safer and more stable to drive?
Replies:
I know that one reason police cars use RWD is that they are easier to repair
after front-end accidents. Front-wheel drive autos have a lot more problems
after running into things. Police cars tend to get a lot of hard use, which
front-wheel drive cars can't handle too well.
(About five years ago, the Baltimore police department bought front-wheel
drive Ford Tauruses for patrol cars, and they did not work out very well.)
Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Director
PG Research Foundation, Darien, Illinois
When a car is accelerating, the front is lifted,
sometimes even off of the ground. RWD would allow the
powered tires to maintain in contact with the
pavement. I don't know if it is more stabled though.
I've heard of both FWD and RWD cars fish-tailing at
high accelerations.
Hope this helps
-Wil Lam
If one looks at the mechanical design of the
conventional rear wheel drive vehicle, it is clear that
the vehicle can handle larger cubic inch engines and be
able to deliver more torque to the rear wheels as
compared to the front-wheel drive vehicles. But one
must keep in mind the inefficiency of the long drive
shaft versus the more direct-drive principle of the
front wheel drive auto.
Sincerely,
Bob Trach
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Update: June 2012
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