Is Quatro Four Wheel Drive?
09-15-2011, 05:24 AM
#1
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Is Quatro Four Wheel Drive?
My question is, how many wheels are actually driving the car when one wheel is slipping like in mud or snow?
In a four-wheel drive, it is actually only either one-wheel drive or two-wheel drive. The wheel that looses traction will receive the power and spin. To have all four wheels driving the car you need either a locking differential or a "posi" which most four-wheel drive car do not.
Therefore, does the Audi Quatro "lock-up" and send power to both wheels (left and right)or does it function with an "open" differential? I don't think both front and rear can lock up or on dry pavement you could not get around a corner without the inside rear wheel slipping and the outside front wheel dragging.
I'm so confused!
In a four-wheel drive, it is actually only either one-wheel drive or two-wheel drive. The wheel that looses traction will receive the power and spin. To have all four wheels driving the car you need either a locking differential or a "posi" which most four-wheel drive car do not.
Therefore, does the Audi Quatro "lock-up" and send power to both wheels (left and right)or does it function with an "open" differential? I don't think both front and rear can lock up or on dry pavement you could not get around a corner without the inside rear wheel slipping and the outside front wheel dragging.
I'm so confused!
09-15-2011, 06:08 AM
#2
AudiWorld Super User
Quattro is actually All Wheel Drive (AWD). AWD is full time whereas the term 4-wheel drive is more appropriately part-time with a locking differential. Modern electronic 4-wheel drives have somewhat blurred the lines but those are essentially the semantic differences.
Quattro AWD is very sophisticated and is constantly/rapidly calculating differentials in torque provided vs. actual wheel rpm speed and making respective adjustments to optimize traction.
As you would expect there is more mechanical drag with an AWD vs. 2WD/4WD, and therefore some loss of fuel economy, but the assured traction in all driving regimes is well worth it.
Quattro AWD is very sophisticated and is constantly/rapidly calculating differentials in torque provided vs. actual wheel rpm speed and making respective adjustments to optimize traction.
As you would expect there is more mechanical drag with an AWD vs. 2WD/4WD, and therefore some loss of fuel economy, but the assured traction in all driving regimes is well worth it.
09-15-2011, 06:32 AM
#3
Short answer, for the Torsen system is a yes. Long answer, follow the link below.
http://www.autozine.org/technical_sc...d_2.htm#Torsen
The information on this site is a little outdated, but still serves its purpose in understanding various systems used by the different manufactures. Notice that the sports differential/torque vectoring and the crown gear differential is not yet mentioned on the site.
http://www.autozine.org/technical_sc...d_2.htm#Torsen
The information on this site is a little outdated, but still serves its purpose in understanding various systems used by the different manufactures. Notice that the sports differential/torque vectoring and the crown gear differential is not yet mentioned on the site.
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