Gone are the days when rear-wheel drive vehicles made up most cars, SUVs, and trucks on the road. Most modern cars rely on front-wheel drive, 4-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive powertrains.
Despite the drop in their numbers, rear-wheel drive cars remain numerous. They also offer some advantages that other drivetrain types cannot match. Some of the most coveted models continue to rely on rear-wheel drive powertrains to hit their desired performance. Thus, it can’t hurt to familiarize yourself with the capabilities of rear-wheel drive.
As its name indicates, rear-wheel drive is a powertrain distribution system where the engine drives the rear wheels only while the unpowered front wheels steer the vehicle.
Rear-wheel drive powertrains have several different arrangements. The most prevalent type has the engine mounted longitudinally in the vehicle’s front end along with the transmission and a spinning driveshaft carrying power to the rear axle that propels the vehicle.
Exceptions to this design would be rear-wheel drive cars with the engine and a transaxle in the rear. Most notably, old rear-engine VW vehicles are configured this way, and Chevrolet Corvairs, which are now antiques. Porsche automobiles are often configured with the engine in the rear and a transaxle driving the vehicle with the rear wheels.
Some rear wheel drive vehicles have a mid-engine design, such as Pontiac Fieros, and Toyota MR2s, as well as a few others.
When a rear-wheel drive vehicle has the engine in the front and a rear axle containing the pinion gear, ring gear, and differential carrier, the engine is always mounted so that the front of the engine is behind the grille and the back of the engine is connected to the transmission. This is connected to the drive axle by way of a shaft with universal or constant velocity joints.
No matter its arrangement, rear-wheel drive operates in the same way. Power generated by the engine goes through the transmission to the rear wheels. The rear differential sends sufficient torque to each wheel to handle maneuvers like turns.
Most commonly, the engine and transmission will be longitudinally mounted in what is also called a north-south orientation. Engine power is delivered to the transmission input shaft, where torque multiplication takes place. On a manual transmission vehicle, the clutch is connected to the transmission’s input shaft. On an automatic transmission, the torque converter uses an impeller and a turbine, with the turbine connected to the transmission’s input shaft.
Engine torque in low gear provides the power to begin moving the vehicle. As the vehicle gains speed, the gearing is changed so that the engine is running slower but the vehicle is moving faster. The torque leaves the transmission output shaft by way of the propeller shaft or driveshaft, which in turn is connected to the pinion gear in the rear end. Meanwhile, the pinion gear drives a ring gear. Usually, it takes about 3 or 4 turns of the shaft-driven pinion gear for the ring gear that drives the wheels to make one full turn.
For example, a rear end with 3.20 gears may have 10 teeth on the pinion and 32 teeth on the ring gear, which multiplies the torque even further.
Inside the ring gear carrier, each axle has a gear splined to it. Between those two axle gears are some smaller pinion gears riding on a shaft that passes through the ring gear carrier. These smaller gears are called spider gears and they provide differential action to allow the outer wheel in a turn to spin a bit faster than the inner wheel on that same turn. This works regardless of which way the vehicle is turning. These gears don’t rotate in relation to each other except during turns.
They might have fallen out of fashion, but rear-wheel drive cars can still hold their own on the road. Indeed, they enjoy advantages over other drivetrain layouts.
Here are the advantages of rear-wheel drive vehicles:
Balanced weight distribution is the most significant advantage of rear-wheel drive cars. The engine block and transmission constitute a considerable percentage of a vehicle’s weight. Positioning the engine in front and the differential in the back lets the rear-wheel drive powertrain divide the weight evenly between both ends.
Even weight distribution brings several benefits. It enhances the vehicle’s overall balance, leading to a better ride and improved road handling.
Furthermore, splitting the weight evenly between the front and rear halves protects the tires from uneven wear. The tires last longer, maintain their crucial grip on the road surface better, and are less likely to blow out.
The benefits of balanced weight distribution make rear-wheel drive a popular option for sports cars and luxury vehicles today.
In a rear-wheel drive car, the center of gravity usually aligns with the driver’s seat. It can enhance your awareness of how your vehicle moves by letting you feel each swerve and lunge as it happens. In essence, you get a true seat-of-the-pants driving experience.
Another advantage of the rear-wheel drive powertrain is its high resistance to torque steer, which is what happens when the torque generated by the engine causes the vehicle to move right or left. It is a recurring issue in front-wheel drive cars.
Torque steer forces the driver to compensate for the change in the vehicle’s steering. In a car with front-wheel drive, acceleration shifts the weight to the rear wheels. This weight shift reduces traction, further affecting the vehicle’s handling.
In contrast, rear-wheel drive cars only rarely experience torque steering. Their front wheels only steer them while the driven rear wheels don’t turn.
Rear-wheel drive vehicles are also less likely to understeer. Understeer occurs when the car doesn’t turn as much as the driver wants.
In front-wheel drive cars, the front tires pull double duty. They transfer engine power from the engine to the road, moving the vehicle forward. At the same time, they steer the car in the direction the driver desires.
A heavy workload wears out the front tires faster than the rear ones. Worn-out tires lose much of their traction, which makes understeering much more likely to happen.
Understeering is much less likely to happen to rear-wheel drive cars. Their powertrain design transmits power to the rear wheels. Since the front wheels only need to steer the vehicle, their front tires don’t wear out as fast.
Rear-wheel drive powertrains aren’t perfect. Here are some of the drawbacks of rear-wheel drive cars:
When the weather makes the roads slippery, rear-wheel drive vehicles reveal their distressing habit of fishtailing. Their rear tires lose their grip on the slick ground surface, causing them to oversteer.
Since the engine drives the rear wheels, their tires degrade faster. The more the rear tires wear out, the less likely they can maintain enough traction to prevent fishtailing.
Fortunately, you can reduce the risk of fishtailing by installing tires designed for improved traction on slippery surfaces.
While rear-wheel drive vehicles are unlikely to understeer, they are more prone to oversteer. Oversteering occurs when the car turns much more sharply than it should. When this happens, the rear tires wear out faster than the front tires.
Keep an eye out for the signs of skidding.
Until the 1970s, most vehicles used rear-wheel drive powertrains. Front-wheel drive vehicles gradually replaced them in response to high oil prices.
In no particular order, here are some popular models with rear-wheel drive:
While most automobile manufacturers discontinued production of rear-wheel drive vehicles, several companies still make models that use this high-performance powertrain type.
Porsche is one of the best-known manufacturers of rear-wheel drive cars. Aside from its instantly recognizable 911, the German company also builds sports cars like the Panamera and Boxster.
Luxury brand BMW is known for its 3-Series, a family of rear-wheel drive sedans and touring coupes renowned as some of the best in the world.
General Motors lays claim to this honor through its Chevrolet division, with the Corvette and Camaro.
Ford also made famous rear-wheel drive vehicles, such as its Mustang sports car and older F-Series trucks. If you’re looking for a performance vehicle, you can’t go wrong with a rear-wheel drive car.
As we’ve discussed, your vehicle’s rear-wheel drive system has many benefits. To continue enjoying these benefits to the fullest, it’s important to keep your rear-wheel drive components in tip-top condition with regular maintenance and repairs. Any damage to the parts in your vehicle’s rear-wheel drive system might lead to drivability issues, which might impact your ability to control your vehicle properly. Replace any faulty parts quickly by ordering from CarParts.com.
The CarParts.com catalog has a lot of different aftermarket parts ready to order right at your fingertips. Simply select your rear-wheel drive vehicle using the built-in vehicle selector. You’ll then be able to browse parts guaranteed to fit its make and model. If you’re still hesitant to order online, you can ask our helpful and friendly customer service team for help. We also have a 60-day return policy and price match guarantee in place to allow you to order online with confidence.
Don’t wait until your rear-wheel drive vehicle becomes undrivable. Place your order for rear-wheel drive components like the driveshaft and more at CarPats.com today.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.