Rwd?

[Ally_Kat]

So I'm going and scoping out some cars that are for sale in my area. Spotted one for a good price and I'm all excited until some of my girlfriends start complaining about it being RWD and how I'll die in it if the ground's wet.

Now, I love them dearly, but they know nothing about cars.

So, I ask you, car knowledgeable peeps of the Army, is RWD really that bad on wet roads? Wouldn't it be just as safe if you took it slow and did regular driving safety in bad weather? We normally don't get snow in the streets because we're the city and it either melts on the street or is plowed - so all we deal is with wet.

?

[Nickdfresh]

What car are you looking at? RWD isn't all that common, but in NYC, I can't see it being much of an issue. If you have Electronic/Dynamic/Vehicle Stability Control/Assist, it won't matter much what drive it is.

[Ally_Kat]

What car are you looking at? RWD isn't all that common, but in NYC, I can't see it being much of an issue. If you have Electronic/Dynamic/Vehicle Stability Control/Assist, it won't matter much what drive it is.

99 Mustang. Insurance isn't as bad as I thought it would be and I see a lot of other broads my age driving them in my 'hood, so I didn't think it would be that much of a "deathtrap." Actually, I was very surprised at the recent rise of female drivers of the 'stangs than guys. But, then again, maybe we're getting the better insurance deal for our age group.

I deffy do know that it'll prob feel different than the Malibu I've been driving, Maybe not size-wise. I go later this week to check it out.

[kwame k]

Here's the thing with rear wheel drive as opposed to front or all wheels. Rear wheel doesn't have the weight behind it as say a front wheel, the engine, rear wheel has a tendency to break loose because of no weight in the back. If you drive it right no worries.

For snow front wheel rocks!

[rustoffa]

RWD is more fun to spin the tires on wet roads than FWD. FWD is better for icy roads. Have you considered getting a 4WD? It'd blow people's minds if you busted out a '79 Bronco 4WD with a body lift and like 13.75 Super Swamper mud grips....like freaking charging around the village with a rebel flag on the back!!

[WACF]

I grew up on RWDs...and lots of snow and ice.

No worries.

RWD is alot more fun...but I find if it is real icy...you will recover a RWD faster and easier than a FWD.

The key is rubber...winter tires are deadly awesome...but at the very least good all seasons if you don't wanna change over every fall and spring.

But...if all you deal with is wet...damn....it would make no difference front or back.

[yah]

I drove RWD cars for most of the 80's and 90's.
Mostly big boat American cars like Buicks and Oldsmobiles, some muscle cars like a '70 Cutlass S coupe and a few Mustangs.
Load down the trunk in the winter with some weight, and make sure you have good tires on the car (all 4)
Bridgestone Blizzacs are great winter tires....try 4 of them or some Michelin snow tires.

[Little Texan]

I've driven RWD cars and trucks all my life and I've never had any problems. I don't know where your friends got their information from, but they are full of shit. That's the first I've ever heard of RWD vehicles being death traps. As long as you're not driving like a total dipshit such as driving 80+ down a wet road weaving in and out of traffic and drive safely at a safe rate of speed, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Any vehicle is a potential death trap if you drive like an idiot.

[Dan]

Make Sure You Get The Car Checked Out.

Car History Log Book Is All Good.

No Rust in Good.

Check Belts And Every-Thing.

That's My Advice.

[GAR]

I think it depends on how you drive, if you're poke thru traffic with lots of hesitations, FWD may be more suitable.

[GAR]

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 2 (2 members and 0 guests) GAR, kwame k

FUCK off Kwappy! Quit cochstalking my fucking knob every thread I go! What a fuckin' FAG..

[Igosplut]

I think it depends on how you drive, if you're poke thru traffic with lots of hesitations, FWD may be more suitable.

It wouldn't make any difference in the world with that type of driving you fucking know it all coward.

Like some have said FWD is better on slick (read: snow & ice, not rain) than RWD, so if you have no experience driving in those type of conditions (or at all) FWD is a better bet for you

But RWD is far from being a "Death trap" in the rain, and as long as you don't drive like Gargle posts ( I. E. with your head up your ass thinking you know it all) you will be fine once you get used to the limitations of your car.

If you do buy a RWD (the mustang comes to mind) grab somebody that has experience and after the first time it snows a few inches, find a large vacant flat parking lot, and have them show you how the rear breaks loose in those type of conditions. After you practice that yourself, then you'll be better prepared if/when that ever arises.

And I do agree with the statement that RWD recovers better/easier than FWD (snow/ice-wise), and even better than 4WD, just for the fact than the better traction the vehicle has the faster/farther most will go past the point of recovery to begin with. None of that helps you STOP in ice/snow conditions..

[Ally_Kat]

Thanks guys. I feel a little easier now about going to look at this car.

I have a lot of experience driving in the rain - when I was having my lessons way back when, it rained every time I got into the car & downpoured on the test. Plus, we've had damn near monsoon weather all of 2009. I was more worried about that then the snow. It usually only gets to a dusting or an inch on the sidewalk/grass. If it snows enough that the plows need to come out & there's snow on the street, that means the car needs to be dug out and I just take the bus/train at the point for the day.

I figured it would be okay, but you know how it goes in a room full of women - nag nag nag.

[Nickdfresh]

When winter hits, I would put on winter tires from the Tire Rack - Your performance experts for tires and wheels I use Blizzaks last winter on the small front wheel drive heap I currently have and the thing's like a tank in about 70 miles a day of driving...

I have driven a small pickup (Ranger) in winter and it wasn't that bad at all, and I was driving through serious shit. Don't forget to put some weight in the trunk like bags of sand...

[yah]

Ally Kat,
If you buy the Mustang; look into some all-season tires that are designed to handle rain.
Bridgestone and Michelin have good ones for that.
Also-have the rear differential("rear end") flushed out at a oil change/lube place and have that done every two yrs-it's fairly cheap to do($40.-50.)and make sure that the front-end steering parts ("front end" are lubed every time you have an oil change done.

[kwame k]

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 2 (2 members and 0 guests) GAR, kwame k

FUCK off Kwappy! Quit cochstalking my fucking knob every thread I go! What a fuckin' FAG..

I posted first, little fella!

[Ally_Kat]

like bags of sand...

[Nitro Express]

Why most cars are front wheel drive today is they are cheaper to make. That's the main reason. The only reason they are better in snow is the engine wieght is over the driving wheels. I used to own a Baja VW Bug. That thing would go anywhere including where you would get a SUV stuck. Why? The wieght was over the driving wheels and the vehicle was light. Most of your high performance cars are rear wheel drive. I used to drive a Porsche 928. It had a V8 up font and the transmission in back. Man would it corner great! That was the best of both worlds.

[Nitro Express]

I'm suprised at how many people are scared of manual transmissions today. They say they can't drive a car with one. In fact, a used car is more valuable with an automatic because that is what the market wants. The day after I had my drivers license my dad had me driving a big ass two ton truck with a stick. He now had a cheap delivery driver. Me. I also have an old Lamborghini. It's a stick of course. The new ones have this gay paddle shifting. It's more like you are driving a video game and not a car. I hate that shit.

[Nickdfresh]

Yup! Very common here, or it was until most cars went to FWD. It gives a bit more traction to the rear wheels...

[Nickdfresh]

Why most cars are front wheel drive today is they are cheaper to make. That's the main reason. The only reason they are better in snow is the engine wieght is over the driving wheels. I used to own a Baja VW Bug. That thing would go anywhere including where you would get a SUV stuck. Why? The wieght was over the driving wheels and the vehicle was light. Most of your high performance cars are rear wheel drive. I used to drive a Porsche 928. It had a V8 up font and the transmission in back. Man would it corner great! That was the best of both worlds.

I've heard that during WWII, the German equivalent to our Jeeps -called the Kubelwagen or "bucket car"- could go almost anywhere without 4WD because it was light and the rear mounted engine provided great traction...

[VanHalener]

...busted out a '79 Bronco 4WD with a body lift and like 13.75 Super Swamper mud grips....like freaking charging around the village ...

I just got wood

[Nitro Express]

You are correct. They were quite a bit lighter than the Willie's Jeep and could actually go where a Jeep couldn't they also had the advantage of being easier to get unstuck and if you had enough guys you could pick it up and carry it. Plus they were easier to make and you could produce a lot of them.

[hideyoursheep]

I assume you live in NYC?

RWD is fine.. FWD might be a pain in the ass if the roads you drive on are riddled with potholes, or if you curb it frequently. Much cheaper and easier getting alignments on RWD rides because obviously, on FWD models, the front suspension controls the steering and the propulsion.

[binnie]

As long as you aren't expecting to drive in lots of ice and snow, rear wheel drive really should't make much of a difference.

[ZahZoo]

Y'all are funny when comes to this debate... I was driving before FWD was even an option. People got around just fine on snow/ice with those old archaic RWD vehicles!! Actually a large number of vehicles today are still RWD and get around just fine...

The primary differences is weight distribution over the drive train and the handling dynamics of pushing a vehicle forward from the rear -vs- pulling it from the front. Both have distinct advantages and disadvantages in snow/ice driving... Neither is safer than the other.

FWD provides slightly better traction for straight line acceleration due to the weight of the engine sitting over the drive wheels. Cornering/turning is slightly better at low speeds and low 'G' force handling. Downside is the rear-end of a FWD car is usually significantly lighter than RWD. If you break rear wheel traction beyond a certain point it can't be controlled... actually more prone to a spinout.

RWD has slightly less traction due to weight distribution but can easily be supplimented... as other stated, bag of sand, couple bricks, etc... Cornering at most speeds can better controlled with a RWD vehicle because you can alter the speed and torque being sent to the rear and separate those dynamics from the steering in the front. FWD it's all up front and the rear of the car is just along for the ride...

Key point in the FWD -vs- RWD... 2 WD or 4WD... debate all vehicles on the road have the exact same challenge in snow & ice. 4 Wheel Stop/Braking!!!

Ally... the 99 Mustang will get you around NYC with RWD just fine. Might take some practice to learn the handling characteristics of the car to feel comfy driving in inclement weather.

I would suggest you have a trustworthy mechanic inspect the car to determine if the car is in good mechanical condition. Focus on brakes, suspension and the engine. Run a CarFax on it to see if it's had any major accidents or issues. If you are comfortable with the results and like the way the car looks and how you look in it... buy it. If not... keep shopping.

[Dr. Love]

My car is rear-wheel drive and I've died at least three times (glad I stocked up on my 1ups)

I've noticed that even on mildly wet roads my traction goes down but once you learn the car and how it handles you're fine.

[ZahZoo]

There's the key on wet roads... that pesky water reduces friction/traction. Reduce speed a little...

Another factor most people don't know or forget... if it hasn't rained for a while... the roadways build up oil and rubber. A fresh rain will lossen all that crap up and make it even more slipperier.

Tire quality has really improved the last 10 years. I would suggest to everyone that before you purchase new tires go to tirerack.com and review the available tires, testing and survey results they have. You can save yourself a lot of money and improve your vehicle's handling by shopping smart for tires. Name brands and high prices may not be your best buy for safety/performance...

[Nickdfresh]

Y'all are funny when comes to this debate... I was driving before FWD was even an option. People got around just fine on snow/ice with those old archaic RWD vehicles!! ...

I thought chariots were front-wheel drive.

[ZahZoo]

Come on Nick... geez!! I only date back this far. My 1st was a Front 16 Hoof Drive...

[Ally_Kat]

passed on the 'stang. She was beautiful and I drove her like no one's business. However, when I checked under the hood (something that I always get looks for because I have boobs), the parts were white with mold -- except for the belt that looked brand spanking new. Wouldn't ever know just by driving it, but knowing my luck stuff would have gone downhill after I drove it home.

Oh well, back to the classifieds.