FWD or RWD

[MyFirst240SX]

What are the pros and cons of each? Like with accelration and top end speed.  I drive a Maxima alot and i drive my 240 alot.  SO besides the obvious torque steer what else sux about FWD?

[AceInHole]

FWD is simply easier to control in a critical condition... especially in bad weather.  The engine over the drive wheels also helps for traction in such a situation.
RWD can be controlled in a critical condition... but not ever guy/ girl off the street is going to be able to react properly in such a situation... (probably because so many cars are FWD no one really learns RWD).
Well... my .02

[MyFirst240SX]

I dont like driving in the rain sometimes in a FWD drive car when u lose traction to the front wheels thats kinda scary

[transient]

I've found my tercel to be unpredictable at times since i'm used to a RWD car. I've gotten the hang of it, but I still dont' like the way it tends to understeer rather than oversteer.
I must admit though, that it's pretty easy to do short drifts in it. Yesterday i actually made it around an entire corner. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[AceInHole]

just drove my mom's buick.... left foot braking and e-brake in snow <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>
my car can barely make it out of my driveway at this moment.... curse me for not putting the Blizzaks on earlier....

[MyFirst240SX]

Last night in my moms maxima i pulled hard around a tree on gravel and i the car went around the tree sorta like a arms would go around the center of a clock, it didn't last all that long but it was fun

[tnord]

F1 cars are RWD.......nuff said

[DuffMan]

I'm driving RWD for the first time in winter, and I find it easier than FWD in many ways. It's easy to spin the back and start to slide arround, but the front always keeps it's traction.

I even took it to parking lot with fresh fallen snow, and I couldn't make the car fully loose control. No matter what I did it was recoverable.

When a fwd car understeers there's not a whole lot you can do to make it turn more, so you brake and sometimes loose control. with my 240, there's always a way to regain traction.

[transient]

If it's a standard, hit the clutch. It will take the strain off the wheels and help regain control. You might also think of pulling the e-brake a bit. It will force more weight up front, helping traction, plus it slows you down. Be careful when doing it though. In very slippery conditions, it will slide the tail end around if you pull it too hard. Always keep the button depressed.

[DSC]

I would think doing either one of those would upset your traction even more...but I've never lost control in a fwd car so I dono.

[Nismos14]

wouldnt pressing the clutch in during a slide in any car help regain tractions along with a little tap on the brakes?

[transient]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from DSC on 1<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>3 am on Jan. 20, 2002
I would think doing either one of those would upset your traction even more...but I've never lost control in a fwd car so I dono.
</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

Well, in either case, traction is gone on your front wheels already, so you can't do much to upset it more. If you press the clutch though, the front wheels won't be connected to anything, and they'll be able to move at their own pace, thus helping them catch up with the ground and regain some traction.

AS far as the e-brake goes, yes, you do have to be very careful, but also remember that it only brakes the rear wheels of the car so it sends the weight to the front (if you're going forwards, not sideways). Using the foot brake would brake the front wheels upsetting traction even more.

(Edited by transient at 1:14 am on Jan. 20, 2002)

[Nismos14]

makes a whole bunch of sense ..... now if i could learn how to stay off the throttle mid way into a turn and save myself from slamming into the curb.... i'd be gettin somewhere

[duderiffic]

In response to your orginal question the wheel hop in some high powered front drive cars is awful!! You can't even get power to the ground, and when you do the car pulls to one side or the other (torque-steer) &nbsp;I just know this from driving my buddies 1997 Eclipse GS-T. &nbsp;He has it pretty modded (everything you can buy in bolt on) &nbsp;no turbo, no intercooler, but It still probably puts out around 230~250 and you cannot harness the power for shit!! Especially not him because he is a horrible driver!!

Think about it. &nbsp;When you gun it a car bogs right? &nbsp;Almost any car will tip backwards (some more than other) &nbsp;this robs a FWD platform of contact surface, thus reducing the amount of power put to the ground. &nbsp;When a RWD tips back the tires are just smashed to the pavement even more!!

This is just my experince with RWD vs FWD. &nbsp;I don't even wanna own FWD. &nbsp;

Jeff
1998 S14 SE

[soon2Bsilvia]

Why would you want to have your steering and power come from the same sets of tires?