VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Pushing (pulling) Wheel Question

If you're traveling down the road, say in a 41, how many tires (wheels) are pushing (pulling) at one time?

I say always one and the other is just along for the ride whilst the pushing/pulling one is engaged in doing its work. Such work switches back and forth as you travel along straight and around curves. etc.

How about if you're in four wheel drive. Is it still the same. Only one wheel out of the 4 doing any work at any one time? I say only one again.

Now, say you're going down the road in either 2 wheel drive or four-wheel drive, isn't the wheel with the least circumference the one doing all the work?

Just something to think about? I hope it wakes up in the middle of the night thinking about it.

Note: Leave posi-traction out of it for right now. I don't think that would make any difference but shelve that problem.

Hey Charlie --

My opinion here -- 2-wheel drive, either front wheel drive or rear wheel drive, one wheel doing the work.

4-wheel drive, assuming you leave out full time 4-wheel drive or symmetrical all wheel drive and other iterations, just a standard 4-wheel drive, one wheel in front and one wheel in rear doing the work.

Remember that on 4-wheel drives, front differential has a different ratio than the rear differential so as to keep you in straight line in slippery conditions, front wheels pulling slightly faster than rear rear wheels. That is the reason that it is not recommended to run in 4-wheel drive on dry hiways or hard surface roads. Will tear out transfer case in short order.

As to different tire sizes, to me, that would depend on how much weight is carried on the smaller tire for pull power.

Knowing a bit about differentials I have found that while all wheels connected to the driveline have traction they all drive but with 2 wheel drive if 1 looses traction (without positraction, limited slip or other locking device) the wheel without traction spins free and the other stops, with 4wd 1 wheel on each axle housing will spin free and other will stop.
Tony