Drive wheel

A drive wheel is a roadwheel in an automotive vehicle that receives torque from the powertrain, and provides the final driving force for a vehicle. A two-wheel drive vehicle has two driven wheels, and a four-wheel drive has four, and so-on.

A steer wheel is one that turns to change the direction of a vehicle. A trailer wheel is one that is neither a drive wheel nor a steer wheel.

Drive wheel configurations

Two-wheel drive

For four-wheeled vehicles, this term is used to describe vehicles that are able to transmit torque to at most two roadwheels, referred to as either front- or rear-wheel drive. The term 4x2 is also used, to denote four total roadwheels with two being driven.

For vehicles that have part-time four-wheel drive, the term refers to the mode when 4WD is deactivated and torque is applied to only two wheels.

Four-wheel drive or All-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 ("four-by-four"), all-wheel drive, and AWD are terms used to describe a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four roadwheels to receive torque from the internal combustion engine simultaneously. While some people associate the term with off-road vehicles - powering all four wheels provides better control, and therefore safety on slick ice, and is an important part of rally racing on mostly-paved roads.

Front-wheel drive

Front-wheel drive (or FWD for short) is the most common form of internal combustion engine / transmission layout used in modern passenger car,...
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