I'm having a senior moment here, as I cannot remember which of the front wheels in my 2003 Malibu is the drive wheel (i.e. the one that gets the power).
The drivers side or passenger side?
I need to know this when I get my tires rotated next time, as I want to put the tire with the most tread on that side of the car.
I believe it's the passenger side.
Steve
Yes.
Sounds more like a trolling moment to me! You ok, Brad?
Ian
Yeah I'm OK, just having a brain fart :)
As long as you realize that both front wheels are being driven...everything will be ok.
Ian
I thought for sure that only one of the front wheels got all the power in a FWD. In that case, I'll leave the tire where it is.
Wow, was that embarrassing :)
They both get power equally or you would not be able to steer it and keep it on the road. I do not know where this "one drive wheel" bussiness ever started for front or rear axle.
A open differentail sends the same torque to both wheels, it can do nothing else. A front wheel drive car with one wheel drive would pull so bad in heavy throttle that you would do be able to keep it on the road. It would change dirrection with every change in power setting. You think hitting a curb with one tire jerks the wheel or a front blow out?? Try one wheel front wheel drive.
With the rear wheel drive, non-trick differentials, it was common that, when you nailed it, one wheel would spin and the other would loaf.
I believe it had to do with the torque applied to each wheel being different, one wheel tending to lift a little and the other being pressed toward the road, as the axle tries to rotate around the gearset.
I believe the 'drive wheel' fantasy began because of this.
We cheap racers just balanced the air pressure in the rear tires to try to offset the spin.
This may well be how it started but a open diff can only send equal torque to both axles (RPM can be different but torque must and will be the same). When you nail it and one tire lightens up from axle twist, it starts to spin and once it starts to burn it taks less torque to keep burning so less power is sent to the none spinning wheel. THe spinning wheel is receiving more HP because HP is torque x RPM /5252 but they are receiving the same torque at all times.
Clearly, this idea was another misperception. There are lots of them in this, and other, industries.
could rotate oposite the drive shaft, thus forcing the left wheel into the ground, and lifting the right wheel, thus the term right wheel peel. Not an issue on a FWD car. Of course due to small differences in traction, one wheel usualy breaks free first on an FWD also. But its nothing like the old RWD solid rear axle cars...
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