What is Drive Train?

Drivetrain
 isa 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.
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?
 Thereare Four common drivetrain arrangements: Front-
Wheel Drivetrains (FWD), Rear-Wheel Drivetrains (RWD),
Four-Wheel Drivetrains (4WD), and All-Wheel Drivetrains
(AWD).
 What is FWD:
 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 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.
 Thecreation 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.
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. 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.
 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
maneuverability.
Transaxle
 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 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.
Transfer Case:
 For Front Wheel Drive vehicles, the component mounted behind the trans-axle is the transfer
case – a separate gearbox that directly connects to the front drive axle — purposed for sending
power to the wheels.
 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.
 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, 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.
 What is RWD:
 Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) 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.
 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 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 driveshafts 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 driveshafts 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.
Universal Joint (U-Joint)
 A universal joint’s (U-joint) 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.
What is the 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.
 Itgets its name “differential” because it allows the two rear wheels
that are on the same axle to move at different speeds.
 Four-Wheel Drive (4WD)

 When 4WD is engaged, the engine sends power to the

transmission, which is then split into the front and wheel axles.
The torque gets transferred to the wheels, but the wheels must
have traction on the road in order for the vehicle to move
anywhere. Otherwise the tires will merely spin as you have
probably experienced when stuck in mud or sand.
Four-Wheel Drive Advantages
 The main benefits of 4WD are traction and power. Have you
ever seen those commercials where the Jeep is climbing over
boulders and rocks? That’s 4WD in action.
 If you are climbing a steep hill or are off-roading, you will
want increased power in order to get over obstacles and climb
steep hills. While 2WD will get you over even the steepest
hills of San Francisco, if you are off-roading you will probably
want the extra power that comes with 4WD.
 4WD improves traction in dangerous driving conditions,
such as snow, ice, rocks, and other scenarios that can make
control difficult. By engaging both sets of wheels, traction
and control improves.
 Additional weight contributes to better grip on the road.
 4WD is great for those who like off-roading.
 If you frequently drive in conditions where there is low
traction, or if you enjoy off-roading, you will greatly
benefit from four-wheel drive.
Four-Wheel Drive Disadvantages
 Inmost cases, 4WD is not necessary. It uses more fuel and can also lead to
overconfidence, leading to more situations where you can get stuck. Save
money and fuel by only using 4WD when you need it.
 The main disadvantage of 4WD is added cost for purchase, maintenance,
and fuel. The extra equipment (differentials, transfer case, etc.) adds
complexity and weight to the vehicle, increasing initial market value, tire
wear, and the cost of repairs and maintenance.
 The added power and weight of 4WD and AWD systems require more
fuel, making them less efficient than their 2WD counterparts.
 Added weight improves traction and control, but it also increases the
braking distance required to make a complete stop. Lighter vehicles can
avoid collision easier than heavier vehicles.
 4WD and AWD can cause overconfidence in drivers, ironically leading to
more situations where you can become stuck.
 Although 4WD improves traction, slow down and use extreme caution on
icy, snowy, and slick roads. Overconfidence can lead to dangerous
accidents.
All-wheel drive (AWD)
 All-wheel drive (AWD) refers to a system in which a car's engine sends
power to move all four wheels. AWD, as its name indicates, sends power
to each wheel to help keep your vehicle driving better than a vehicle with
front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive on slippery, ice-covered roads.
 In reality, there are two types of AWD systems. One system, called “full-
time AWD”, is where a car powers all four wheels at the same time. The
second system has the capability of delivering power to all of the tires but
only does so when it is required. Most of the time, it runs on two-wheel
drive mode. That is the reason why the latter system is called “part-time
AWD.”