What Is The Best 4WD System?

[@EngineeringExplained]

IMPORTANT NOTE: Vehicles like the Mercedes G-Class blur the lines between what is “technically” 4WD vs AWD. Today, to call something 4WD traditionally means it has a transfer case and can switch from 2WD to 4WD, as well as having a low speed range within the transfer case. While the G Wagon does not have the ability for 2WD, it does have a hi/low speed transfer case, as well as lockers front/rear/center. For these reasons I’ve included it in this discussion, since like the Jeep Wrangler and Ram Power Wagon, it is designed with offload capability in mind. Like the Jeep and Ram, the center lock in the G-Wagon should not be used on road, since it will cause binding (assuming the road isn’t covered in snow, ice, etc). For what it’s worth, Mercedes currently refers to this system as “Permanent AWD with 2-speed transfer case.” The same terminology is used for the more serious G550 4x4 with portal axles, a machine clearly built for off-road use.That said, according to MotorTrend, in the 90’s Mercedes referred to the E-Class with 4Matic as 4WD, not AWD like it is called today. It’s important to know that ultimately these terms are founded as marketing differentiators rather than technical differentiators to explain how the 4WD system works. At the most basic level, 4WD simply means all four wheels receive torque. If you’re interested in more detail, below are a bunch of related videos. :) Best AWD System - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqDXo4iLqr6Cg5Y AWD - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i32cfaCKaMutmLM 4WD - kzbin.info/www/bejne/kH-ZqXuZbLOtY6c Transfer Case - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWLUm2uafbmghpY Torsen LSD - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZrUYoWhatykmtU Viscous LSD - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWPFg5VnbM99Z7c Clutch Type LSD - kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5vWqaRvjKeforc Torque Vectoring Differential - kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6jad413l756jZI Differentials: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqeTm4x6jNVjkKM Open vs. Locked Diff: kzbin.info/www/bejne/naitdohtpZ6IaLM Open vs. Locked Diff Part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXmykmOXh7-Mptk Multi-plate Clutch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYLZd5pqjMeXkJY

[@Innovative_Mic]

By your definition (all four wheels having torque) than the best 4wd has to go to an electric car.

[@Hellpoolhall]

Curious as to the AWD system dodge uses. It appears as if its an automatic 4x4 that works in conjunction with the ABS sensors with a lock overide to make it 4x4.

[@geoffmooregm]

Engineering Explained as far as I know the Toyota Sequoia is the only vehicles that offers 2WD, 4WD open (with torsen center diff) high/low and 4WD locked high/low. Can anyone think of any others? The Landcruiser only has 4WD open or locked like the Merc. Only the Landcruiser has front and rear diff lockers in the Toyota lineup. Most vehicles that have "auto" 4WD use a clutch pack to send power to the front as needed. But it is a reactive system.

[@PatrickRich]

I personally think this "AWD vs 4WD" is marketing nonsense. if it drives 4 wheels, its 4 wheel drive. Why differentiate other than to placate arbitrary marketing terms? I think instead we should differentiate between 4wd types of which there are 3 - Part time, Full time and on demand. solves this whole mess.

[@PatrickRich]

assuming it has a motor for each wheel and not just 2 motors with a differential. even then each electric motor would have to be able to output the entire power of the whole to be equal to a fully locked 4wd which can send 100% of total available engine torque to one wheel.

[@nemo4evr]

As a former and proud owner of a 1976 Toyota land cruiser, I can tell you that the best 4WD is the one that does not breakdown in the middle of nowhere, and is easy to fix. You have the best simple explanations out there, and we are very grateful for it. Do you remember another beast from Mercedes called the " Unimog "? Cheers from Canada.

[@dylanashley799]

nemo4evr unimog axels are monsters

[@rickeystovall7547]

That sounds about right !

[@theroyalcrownedtiger2946]

I have seen Subaru awd outperform the others, including the overglorified toyota and honda. I had seen the video a while ago but still remember it clearly, the wet slope test, Subaru beat them both each and every time with ease, the other 2 failed the test. Also I have been in the Subaru STI and even in thick heavy snow it grips and powers through like there is nothing on the road at all, and rides like it's on rails, even on slippery surfaces such as rain, slush, snow.

[@theroyalcrownedtiger2946]

Best awd is only partially determined by not breaking and easy to service, what matters even more is awd that actually works in such way that it's like driving on dry road, even when its wet, and making driving easy, even in the toughest conditions, such as thick and heavy snow. I have seen it, both the CRV and Rav 4 stuck in the snow.

[@ACERASPIRE1]

Hmmm, Nomo4evr, I understand your claim, but, when all you do it take the kids to school and occasionally do an off-road day in your 4x4 its quite reasonable to trade some of the rugged durability for some refinement and technology.

[@callMeAMug]

A question.. how many G-Wagon owners actually use their G-Wagons for off road?

[@forrest225]

Not many people offroad new jeeps either, or race new supercars, or rally new subarus.

[@PatrickRich]

All expensive off roaders are 3rd owner toys. This is nothing new. Who's off roading a new land cruiser, or range rover? Very few. Its the 2nd and 3rd owners. Fine by me, Im happy to have someone else pay for depreciation on only use them on the road. Makes them cheap and well maintained by the time they come to me.

[@Shakshuka69]

About as many as AR-15 owners that go on killing sprees

[@GustavMeyrink]

44 owners definitely use theirs off road but since these are armed forces they account for thousands of G Wagen, the German army alone has over 12000 of them.

[@Eternal_Hoop]

They like to use them for speed bumps

[@ec6933]

Man i think this channel has stayed the same more or less but SERIOUSLY upped the GAME on subject matter lately!!! Thanks sir this is becoming my new fav channel!!!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Happy to hear it, thanks for watching!!

[@glenjamindle]

Yea, and have you seen some of the animations he uses? Just amazing. Remember the kid in his bedroom a few years ago? Hahaha

[@vishalanime]

Watching EE grow through the years. _/\_

[@1001speedster]

Here's the thing... This has always been my FAVOURITE CHANNEL!

[@KILLER_BEAN_UNLEASHED_FOREVER]

@@glenjamindle 😀😁😂👌👍

[@garnetcampbell4389]

Manual locking hubs and manual shifting transfer case that does not require wires or hoses that will work every time is a must in my book.

[@kurtishelgesen]

On a G the hubs are actually always locked. Can’t break them when there’s nothing to lock or unlock.

[@MyPandaRawrs]

the fast and furious part almost made me choke on my cereal lol

[@lenrocoraf3709]

Rocky Hahaaha ,me too!!!

[@johnd5805]

Y'all eat cereal? Too much sugar.

[@mitchellsteindler]

Yep I chocked on some pasta which was worth it for that joke

[@johnd5805]

Yea I hear ya. I was joking too.

[@ParityError0110]

I would love to hear Jason discuss everything he thinks is wrong with all the Fast and Furious movies. It looks like CinemaSins has already done that, but I'd enjoy hearing Jason talk about it.

[@Shakshuka69]

Also, just about everything you find in that G Wagon system can be found in a $2000 Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero from 25 years ago.

[@monexchannel9827]

Pajero, the king of the desert! Unbeatable Dakar Rally record holder.

[@zihanli140]

full time 4wd+part time 4wd=super select 4wd

[@АлександърИванов-щ8ю]

Not the greatest engines, but very good 4wd system!

[@martinsvensson6884]

No. It had no front locker fx. And you couldnt choose everything freely. It was certain set mechanical modes with a lever. Also it of course lacks the G-wagens regular traction control and ESP system that all modern cars have today in one way or another.

[@4LO4LO]

My Cherokee had the following modes: 2WD, locked center diff (part-time 4WD), and a viscous coupling center diff (full-time 4WD), and limited slip front and rear diffs. This viscous coupling setting ("full-time" 4WD) was awesome on icy roads, because you could safely leave it on without breaking traction every time you made a turn, but you still got good traction when some of the wheels were on ice. It did really well when there were repeated transitions from/to ice & dry pavement. It was better for mud than my wrangler Rubicon, partly because of this system, but mostly because of the lower weight.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Sure is hard to beat gear to gear transfer case and high pinion locking solid axles :)

[@jakeaustin9894]

Oh look! Eric O. is in the house!

[@ghost-jesus]

NP205 and NP203 are best transfer cases for their particular applications

[@ghost-jesus]

@Rusty Climber you didn't read the for their applications part clearly, a 203 is awesome in a pickup because you usually don't even have use the locked position and you can pull a load around a muddy field then pull out on the highway generally without shifting a lever and unlocking the hubs or backing up 3 car lengths or whatever 4wd disengage action the particular truck would use, plus as long as some dumbass hasn't done a part-time conversion on it it's stronger than the rest of the powertrain, the 205 is obviously good since its literally bombproof in general, both cases will tear the driveshafts or axles apart before the case will give if taken care of, on top of that the low range is made up for by having a larger, lower revving engine and usually a 6-7:1 first gear a Dana 300 is excellent in a jeep application because the transmission only has 3-4:1first gear and the t-case compensates by having a deeper low gear, the extra strength of the np203 and 205 cases aren't needed since the vehicle will never be loaded enough to use it and with the small engines the added weight could be detrimental to performance, not an issue on a truck with a large engine easily capable of carrying the case.

[@rxonmymind8362]

@@ghost-jesus Yeah! What he ^^^ said! Take THAT! 😁

[@jjjsmith2497]

I thought I saw that logo and said...wait:0

[@johnarcher9480]

Jeep QuadraDrive (specifically QuadraDrive II before 2011) Automatically goes from open diffs (including transfer case) to limited slip, to locked. Thereby allowing it to be in 4WD at all times, even on dry pavement. But could fully lock 1 or both axles and the transfer case if needed, or just engage a Limited slip mode. Additionally, you could put the transfer case in low range which would also preemptively lick the transfer case as well. Open when best for open, limited when useful, locked when needed with no input from the driver other than NOT lifting if a wheel started to spin.

[@stuartbaker3326]

I agree. Even my 04 overland is hard to beat in general. The problem with lockers, is that they actually induce wheel slip at times. There are many times that a lsd will be the best overall traction. I prove it quit often.

[@drummerdoingstuff5020]

Sounds like a nightmare if it malfunctions

[@Chris-cy3uq]

What if all 4 wheels are stuck? *spare tire intensifies*

[@thefailingstudent]

deflate the tires to 15 psi and try again, or traction mats. Not a new question for offroaders.

[@u9Nails]

Spool out the winch! (I'm trying to say that in my most heroic voice)

[@hewlett260]

If all four tires are stuck then you either need to A) document this location for me to go have some fun at in my Jeep or B) change the driver because they may not be very good at what they were attempting

[@theflipflopfabshop]

Chris 5112003 well if all four tires were stuck this probably means you weren’t driving a toyota

[@lordbry470]

LMAO at hewlett260. this is pretty true, our problem was fixed during this one day tour on Renno by simply switchin the driver.

[@laminarflow51]

The Eaton G80 automatic locking rear differentials on the Z71's are pretty slick. It uses centrifugal fly weights that lock the rear diff when one wheel spins too much faster than the other. I never need to manually lock or unlock the differential.

[@danieljensen2626]

I'm curious why we haven't seen any major electric vehicles aimed at off-roading, since their low end torque seems pretty ideal, and for the type that has a motor in each wheel you can do torque vectoring like this as long as you can control power distribution to each motor separately.

[@-._._._-_._._.-]

Battery life and reliability. Most people that build off road trucks want to be able to go out for at least a weekend, some longer. As for races, they get really long, and the batteries needed would be too heavy. They already have electric dirt bikes though, so its probably going to happen eventually.

[@bliesberg]

Electric vehicles are a lot less convenient, It's easy to get a spare jerry can from someone (or bring your own) out on a trail, but I doubt anyone is carrying around a charging station you can plug into for a few hours.

[@danieljensen2626]

Yeah, I'm not necessarily talking about something to compete with people who build their own stuff or for racing, just like a mass produced electric SUV that's less like a minivan and more like a Jeep or a truck.

[@sun_dreaming]

They're coming my friend. Check out the Bollinger B1

[@bliesberg]

He was talking about a full electric vehicle though.

[@braggland8451]

Can’t say It’s the best considering I have not used all of them but the 4wd system I had on my hummer H3 was great. It went through everything I throw at it.

[@GUYANESEGT]

you only wanted to impress the ladies with that dumbbell :-P

[@quackman]

^ What was wrong about what he said in the video?

[@nc3826]

Ignore the brainless troll

[@arayleche3468]

Get busy Live'n or Die'n, "I laughed at the dumbbell as I really knew the guy does not know how a locked Diff works" HAHAHA you are the one who does not understand what a locked differential really work. Are you just an Automotive mechanic? Don't give your comment unless you are a Professional Mechanical Engineer 'coz only Professional Mechanical Engineers do the designing thing. Mechanics only maintain what the Mechanical Engineers design, unless you are a Mechanic who have great intelligence in mechanical designing, but then that makes you again in the level of Mechanical Design Engineers doesn't it? The guy here is correct about the dumbbell sample, and I wouldn't argue with that. If you don't agree with me, then that is your technical weakness and that is your problem.

[@NovaScotiaKevin]

@@arayleche3468 Careful going around boosting professional engineers. They arent too well respected in circles outside their own. Id also be careful saying mechanics are at a different intelligence level then engineers, its often the mechanics who have to work around the whacked out engineers designs.

[@bryanmartinez6600]

GAINZ BRO

[@brandonrodriguez748]

For someone who is interested in buying a 4x4 all this talk about differentials and locks and different types of drive trains you break it down into detail and direct thank you very much! Looking forward to seeing more of your videos!

[@angelsordevils]

Dumbbell explanation was brilliant. Thank you for all the great content.

[@redwolfmaddox3986]

great explanation👍 and helpful

[@vegasxventures]

The Quadra Drive II system in my Jeep Commander has the only limitation of tires that cannot grip.

[@GhostFGM]

Same for my 5.7 Commander lol

[@kelvinstrickland7442]

My 2002 jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4×4 has high and low and it cant get stuck with the 4 inch lift and 33 inch × 12.50 tires R17 rims and the 4.0 l6 engine which is Bullet Proof Will go through anything And over just about anything And done correctly cost a lot of money but like I wrote it wont get stuck so this is the best System By Far.He didn't say which was best so I did lol

[@khalid969]

I watched several videos on the subject, and many of the viewers over there said that the explanations were amazing, but I personally found them confusing. Only this video explained everything very clearly. I have no questions or queries. Thank you.

[@raychat2816]

Since going off road is in big part a sport, aka FUN for the driver ( presumably human, so able to experience fun ) the best off road system would be one where absolute control over which diff is open or closed at ALL TIMES is given to said human driver, as opposed to letting mentioned driver fight computers over control, ruining the FUN factor --> ESSENCE of going off road for most people, I'm sure self driving cars wouldn't mind having to deal with AI deciding what happens when ... as for people who simply don't know how to drive off road, it's just not your thing, there ARE people for whom it IS

[@olliehopnoodle4628]

That's what I did and it is a blast. I swapped in an Atlas transfer case and have air lockers on both axles. I went with the 2.0 case so my options are 2.0, 2.72, 5.44 and of course 1 to 1. They are twin stick so I can decide which axle gets power. I have a bunch of fun running sand washes in rear wheel only and 2 to 1 on the transfer case. And when I come up to a waterfall or rock garden I can attempt it in 2wd low if I want or progress up to 4wd, 4wd one axle locked or 4wd both axles locked. This can make even simpler obstacles a bit more fun. But I also wheel with folks who don't want to fuss with any of it and enjoy a higher level of automation.

[@raychat2816]

that looks like a sweet setup ;) , now don't get me wrong, the video does what it is supposed to do quite well, explaining engineering but sadly, this engineering prowess is driving the car industry into creating cars specifically for a single type of people ( those who most probably aren't car people and who might sue if a scratch happens ), and under that pretext, more and more control is taken away from the driver and given to AI, leaving enthusiasts with the only option to look into the glorious past for some genuine fun. Car executives today wouldn't find it unnatural to tell people who like horseback riding to ride a bike instead because it's the "same thing" only faster and newer, plus it's better as far as economy goes, after all a horse consumes energy even when not "in use" ... plus there's no way to change the built-in muffler.

[@thefailingstudent]

soo true man! i think many people forget driving is actually fun! people think its a chore now. One day i hope tesla makes a off road car. i want to see its ai drive off a cliff!

[@great0789]

My truck (and many others) has a transfer case that can also be unlocked. When I put it into 4WD Auto mode... 4WD actually engages and the amount of power to the front wheels is variable from 2% on up. Giving it the advantage of an AWD car by not binding up the drivetrain when making sharp turns on dry pavement. It still keeps the 4HI and 4LOW features though. Locking the transfer case fully when in those modes. My truck has a rear locker but not a front locker. The Chevy Colorado ZR2 has a front locker. I just have the Z71.

[@jonathan643]

Alot of EE lately! Which is good 👍

[@bearchow1929]

Very much enjoyed torching out independent suspensions in several Toyota and Nissan trucks over the years to install solid axles. Finally quit breaking the tender CV joints and suffering all the tender suspension component failures (ball joints, bushings, bent arms, etc).

[@hansbro21]

What Jason owns a dumbbell? Perfect condition never used :)

[@frenchys4005]

It should be noted that having a "full time" AWD system, like the G, is a better every day system. The issue with the Wrangler (which I own) is that you can't use (without possible damage) the 4WD system driving on paved roads, even in very wet conditions. The benefit of the G Wagon (which I also own) is that you have power front & rear all the time. If extra grip is needed, you push the center lock button and you now have a "part time" system. Having that option makes it the best 4wd system, IMHO.

[@giann3021]

The G-wagen system offers the best grip at all times at the expense of fuel economy. You can't switch to 2WD to save fuel. AFAIK Mitsubishi has one system with selectable 2WD->AWD with open diff>4WD locked center diff. So you can keep 2WD on most of the time and switch to AWD when it's rainy on pavement. Also most vehicles won't have trouble in average situations with 2WD+traction control.

[@giann3021]

Also I suppose running on 2WD would also get rid of that torque steer/harder steering feeling you get on FWD/AWD vehicles.

[@siveti15]

6:11 for fast n furious joke

[@Luigi-pk8mk]

The best system in a mass market vehicle I have driven (snow, off road on the beach etc) is the Quadradrive II system used on 2006-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokees. This had an automatic 2 speed transfer case, and electronically locking rear and FRONT diffs. At a price less than half of the G-Wagen, with available 330-360 hp Hemi engines. Simply the best.

[@MuscleCarLover]

Bonus points for the jab at Fast & Furious, that was a good laugh

[@kennethstanley9400]

I always catch your videos because instead of just showing a DIY repair, you explain what is going on which gives me more in depth understanding. Good job!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Happy to hear it, thanks for watching!

[@agentsmith3608]

Fast and furious is able to make it happen! Don't we know it! lol

[@jefferyscottweber]

You posed the question "how do you get 3 wheels off the ground" and I have the answer to 3 or even 4. It happens all the time when we "turtle" or "hi center" where the weight of the vehicle is sitting on a rock as we teeter. In that situation I lock front and back (jeep for center is already locked) to try and catch enough tracking on one wheel to pull my self off (before I try a different line). If that doesn't work, we pull cable and winch enough to get tracking again.

[@alkiou3613]

When electric off roaders become a thing this conversation will be much more interesting.

[@TM-lw8wn]

especially the water proofing aspects.

[@gabiold]

@@TM-lw8wn Sealing wiring and electronics is ten times easier than moving parts.

[@Stale_Mahoney]

oust 1 note for you 4x4 guys out there with open diff, there is a way to get you out of most trouble even as you got 1 front and rear wheel stuck. and that is actually applying the brake while you accelerate, as the tiers won't be limited by the traction they have but rather the force of the brake clamping down you can over a short distance make it behave almost like a locked differential, dont this a couple of winters myself when i did not care to get on ice chains to get up the smaller hills to get home.

[@BatmanRZ]

so basically, he doesnt actually tell you the best one

[@fouellet1701]

There is no "best" system as it depends on what you need it for! This is why most manufacturers offer systems that are highly computerized in order to control what the wheels do according to the situation. The original Jeep concept with a 2-speed transfer case evolved into a variety of sophistication including central differentials and power transfer units that can be programmed. For off-road usage the simple full-time all wheel drive with transfer case is the most effective, especially if you have locking differentials.

[@BrokeWrench]

@@fouellet1701 for serious offroaders a simple 4x4 with low range and locked axles is most capable. The ability to unlock them is appreciated only because binding while turning can cause damage and reduce maneuverability and sometimes keeping traction on 1 wheel can be helpful to avoid sliding on a slope

[@kg0173]

Part time, simple, robust.

[@lakeschoolrestorationchann1567]

It’s worth noting there are numerous full time 4wd vehicles that use a transfer case and have a center diff. The FJ cruiser with the manual trans is one. In order to have a full time 4wd system you need to have a center diff that can be open (to allow for differing driveshaft/axel speeds based on everything turning different speeds in turns) and you need constant velocity axel shafts in the front to allow for smooth turns without the variable velocity you get with ujoints. The reason the wrangler, and power wagon don’t have center differentials is because they aren’t full time 4wd. It would require changing the front axel to Cv shafts instead of ujoints (which would likely add expense and weaken the shafts) and would require a differential in the transfer case which adds cost and increases possibility of failure. Most full time 4wd vehicles work great around town because you don’t have to think about much (what to engage) and you don’t get axel wrap. In the Wrangler rubicon and power wagon the old school locked tcase and ujoint style solid axel upfront is more durable, easier to service, more reliable, cheaper, at the expense of axel wrap/binding in high traction situations when turning.

[@HEINZUNIMOG]

the Mercedes Unimog hands-down the best drive system there is

[@Martink9191]

unimog benefit is only big tires and portal axles. Lock on all differentials are more common. But how many cars or trucks do you know, where the tyre presure controlled from cabin? Well russain Zil131 has it from factory.

[@habanero8192]

Questions? ... yes, I think I have one for you! ... if locking differentials are so awesome, how come did at least (1) one military vehicle come with front and rear Torsen LSDs, and, how does that configuration compare to full lockers? ... many thanks in advance! (NOTE: remember to include a separate account of the "brake trick" to induce locking too ;-))

[@djnazgra]

Lada niva. Amen.

[@Lymos524254]

That car in off-road is like Jesus walking on water.

[@marko3254]

Nice thing is that they still build it, i have just bought a new one.Really good off road:)

[@pauloleary9464]

These videos are super helpful. Thank you for putting these together. In our house, we're consolidating cars since we live in a city now and don't really need two. Unfortunately it means my BRZ has to go. Fortunately, it means I get to pick what we get next. Maybe a new Bronco? Now I get to learn about the wonderful world of SUVs, 4WD systems, and everything that comes with it!

[@loot7206]

So use lockers off road...... explained

[@SickFlicksTrick]

This is great, thanks for explaining it all so simply. When I first got into off roading this was pretty hard to get my head around, if I had a video like this to watch it would have saved me a lot of Googling and head scratching staring at diagrams.

[@TheLearthur]

"fnf will make it happen" made my day

[@edu.g6082]

Cool video And so what's the best 4WHD layout? There is a difference in 4WHD system and 4WHD layout. I believe it is symetrical layout, it has the least torque steering among other benefits. Subaru rules the day

[@ZylonFPV]

Electric cars with one motor per wheel would probably be the best four wheel system. 0 differentials required! Then all the power can go to the wheel with the most traction and steering wouldn’t be affected since the wheels wouldn’t be locked together. A computer can calculate the steering angle and apply appropriate power to each wheel. Crapper 4wd systems use brakes to slow down spinning wheels which this system wouldn’t need.

[@forrest225]

Not necessarily. If you have one motor per wheel, you can only send 25% of the vehicle's torque to that wheel. If you have a vehicle with a single electric motor or engine and a conventional locking 4WD system, you can send 100% of the vehicle's torque to a single wheel.

[@PatrickRich]

bingo

[@ZylonFPV]

Not necessarily, often in electric vehicles the battery is the limiting factor. So each motor might be able to produce close to full torque

[@Wooble57]

why would they build the motor's almost 4 times bigger then necessary? If the battery is the limiting factor, they'd simply use a smaller, cheaper motor

[@DevasionX]

>Wheel slippage, heat, low speed operation, repeated high torque/load demands would deplete a power source in no time. Plus not be able to give more than 25% of the total power of the vehicle to one wheel. Subaru's Symmetrical AWD system always shits on it.

[@scottduthie2912]

I have a Jeep G.Cherokee WJ with a 242 transfer case. It has 2wd, 4WD, AWD, and Low range 4wd. The 3 differentials have gearotor hydraulic pumps on either end to either limit the slip in AWD or to lock them together in 4wd. The driveway to my house is a gravel road on a 40 degree incline. 4wd is required to tow a trailer up the hill.

[@KrisBendix]

How about an electric drive for each wheel?

[@wildbill23c]

I think that's how the Toyota Rav4 AWD system works if I recall it had electric motors on the back wheels on their Hybrid AWD's, maybe even on the regular ones too, never really looked at one.

[@JasonGroup19]

I have to note here that the 99 to 04 jeep grand Cherokee plus several trim levels of the 90s to early 2000s Cherokee have the NP242 transfer case which has a mechanical awd, rear wheel drive, 4hi locked and 4Lo locked. The 'full time' option is awd and will put 52% to the rear and 48% to the front but it does not lock the front and rear together as the part time setting does.

[@BikerTrashWolf]

Best 4x4 system? FZJ80 land cruiser.

[@street_legal_go_kart7356]

Jeep :)

[@jovandjukic5923]

Subaru

[@street_legal_go_kart7356]

@@jovandjukic5923 ill put my jeep vs sube

[@matthewmckinney2709]

I have one of the rare full time 4WD Tahoes with 4 Lo option (2005 Tahoe LT with Autoride suspension). It is amazing in the snow. It’s the Borg Warner 4482. It has full time 4WD (60:40 split) and the 4 Lo button that allows the center diff to lock it to 50:50 torque split. But it has no 2WD option. Sometimes I wish I had the standard transfer case. But, it’s a very unique setup for sure. It’s a similar transfer case to the Borg Warner in the Hummers (BW4484) but mine lacks the 4 Hi (locked center diff) option and the Super Low option some Hummers have (3 speed transfer case).

[@leito1996]

Locking diffs are expensive and manufactures think that no one will notice if they skip them. Look at the Subaru, pathetic. BMWs with over 200HP through rear axle and no LSD, pathetic.

[@markrich3271]

Not really you can get a mechanical locking diff for 600$ to a mini spool that will lock your diff for 80$

[@thefailingstudent]

I dont have locking diffs on my jeep and i keep up with the locked jeeps on trail runs just fine! I learnt to rely one the offroad system(bld) in the jeep

[@nibrobb]

abusive 303 if you've ever driven a car with an open differential, you would have noticed.. My car has one, and in the winter it's plain awful to drive; getting stuck f*ing everywhere. Not even fun to "drift"; spinning only one tire is boring

[@leito1996]

Robin Kristiansen I said manufacturers THINK that no one will notice. Most car guys certainly feel the difference. And yes I was talking about LSDs and not manually locking diffs.

[@gustafpeyron]

He means selectable locker obviously. Selectable lockers can get expensive, probably $1000+ option. lsds or spools and what not are cheap af

[@glenwoodriverresidentsgrou136]

Please do a video on Torsen differentials. With a Torsen center differential, when an axle begins to loose grip the forces simply travel through the Tortsen to the other axle without slippage and loss of traction, yet it does not lock in corners. No viscous or clutch slippage required. I claim the test of an AWD system is in cornering under power in limited traction conditions, like rain. The goal is to prevent slippage to begin with, so no wheels slip. Locked diffs are only used at low speeds where the downside of lost traction is a tow truck to get you moving. Torsen diffs are used at high speeds where the downside of lost traction is a tow truck to retrieve your wrecked vehicle,

[@walidnetfa]

The best 4WD system is a good experienced driver!

[@ImSick0]

The best 4wd system is any 4wd with both front and rear lockers.

[@transporter_tv]

front middle and center differentials? XD good video anyways

[@ariellezen4683]

You do have center difs, hey...

[@nicodache]

and you also have rear diffs, which someone apparently forgot somewhere :D

[@connorbesson488]

What part of that doesnt make sense?

[@Shit_I_Missed.]

it's hard to have a center differential and a middle differential, they're in the same location!

[@loopduplicate]

Yeah, at 0:30 he says "front, middle, and center differentials" but he meant to say "front, rear, and center differentials".

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

The dumbbell was a good explanation of the torque. I really never thought of it before but now I understand

[@sergeantspeed5941]

At about the :30 mark you said front middle and Center differential I think you meant to say front center and rear

[@ChristopherGaul]

Good video, and I'm glad you referenced your AWD video in it so that people can see the difference. It would be nice to see a discussion of other systems and hybrid 4WD/AWD systems. I would also mention that a nice addendum to this video would be one covering the types of locking differentials and hybrid lockers like the GM G80 which give the driver the best of both worlds.

[@alexmoore5970]

Jason didn't you make one of these videos about 2yrs ago?

[@Lebberg]

thats what I was thinking

[@drumjedi5301]

No one manages to make the physics of all this more easily understandable than you, Dude. Keep it up!

[@stretchhfab7315]

Best four wheel drive is knowing how to drive in the first place

[@RKmndo]

Jeep made a great and simple system with the XJ Cherokee. Selectrac with optional LSDs. The 2.72:1 low-range is still decent. FCA is allegedly putting a newer Selectrac system in the Rubicon for 2021, so now it will have 4:1 low-range and selectable lockers. The new Selectrac system isn't as simple as the old one though, using electronic sensors to detect slip between front and rear. The old NP242 Selectrac used a simple viscous coupler setup.

[@agcamprubi4544]

Land Rover all day

[@whiffy506]

AG Camprubi gee finally. Looks like no one has driven one here

[@DazBochiz]

And then a Landcruiser to get you home ;)

[@agcamprubi4544]

DazBochiz Exact. But only if the Landcruiser manages to get out of the mud ;)

[@jayaneyon9316]

AG Camprubi Jeep. Land Rover is for pretending you can go off-road and looking rich.

[@DazBochiz]

jaya neyon nah thats a range rover

[@zamboni68]

And the ZR2 featured in your promo video. Transfer case is _____? Has locking front and rear differentials. Awesome vid!,

[@dTheHammerb]

Subaru; Nuff' said.

[@street_legal_go_kart7356]

Jeep ftw dirt road is not off road .

[@loganshotrod4x464]

Best 4x4 system: 1. Kingpin Dana 60 front axle. 2. Locking hubs (Warn, Yukon) 3. 14 Bolt or Dana 70/80 FF rear. 4. A big phukken V8 5. NP205 transfer case 6. Nothing smaller than a 1350 u joint 7. Front & rear lockers (ARB, Eaton, Ox)

[@scottb7835]

They got front to back. And side to side.

[@GorillaCookies]

I have a old 74 CJ 5 with a built amc 360 , Np 435 4 speed and d20 t case. Front E locker and rear detroit locking diff and its gone everywhere ive ever needed and never let me down. Ive pulled gobs of newer vehicles out of mud & snow . But driver and tires are the most important

[@DanielBlomqvist]

The best 4WD system is obviously one electric motor for each wheel.

[@TheCalgarycanuck]

Waterproof electric motors?

[@Sentido-Critico]

Harvey Millar yes, waterproof electric motors. Just as submersible pumps that have been working for decades underwater.. I think all the electric connections battery to motor and plugs etc etc will be more complicated (adding cost) to protect.

[@photo200]

I'm watching this 2.5 years after it was released, and I haven't had time to read through all 1,103 comments so maybe someone has already mentioned this, but some of this information is now a bit dated. Instead of or in addition to locking differentials, many new 4WD vehicles now leverage the existing ABS hardware to route power to the wheels with traction even more efficiently and in a more controlled fashion than full-locking differentials. I believe this type of system was originally pioneered by Land Rover (but I could be wrong about that) but is now becoming much more common. So far from my experience, this system works rather well, and most vehicles that have it have several modes that vary how the power is redistributed and how much slippage is allowed before redistribution occurs.

[@kartboarder22g17]

The best is an electric motor at every tire.

[@tomcardale5596]

Three, lockable automatic torque biasing (e.g. Torsen or Quaife) differentials. Or individual electric wheel motors.

[@tagusan8999]

I like rice

[@mikeskidmore6754]

My 1968 & 1969 FWD Trucks are All wheel drive 6 & 8 wheel drive torque proportioned differentia's in transfer case and power dividers all 8 wheels can be locked up with 800 PSI brake fluid pressure.. transfer case and axles have frictions discs that could slip before an axle breaks .. rear axle power dividers have forks that engage dogs.. My 79 Chevy pickup was all wheel drive transfer case had a differential .. could lock it out but the axles were open diffs

[@kiausiuslt99]

You didnt answer the question

[@EngineeringExplained]

Yes, I did, that’s what the entire video is about...

[@jonathantrevino2899]

Engineering Explained maybe he means the question: "what is love?"

[@Thirsty_Fox]

I suspect Saulius Vas was expecting a make and model, rather than the best 4WD system as per the title.

[@Mort3nB]

The answer is Quattro, the old style used on Audi 200, 100 C4, s2 etc.

[@DuhByrd]

Saulius Vas the best 4wd system is the one in which all diffs have the ability to lock. He wasn't saying which specific vehicles version is better than the next just simply if youre looking for an off roading vehicle look for one with diffs that all lock 👊

[@JuxtaposedStars]

Lots of comments about why electrical motors, specifically, in each wheel aren't yet a viable solution for traction offroad specifically. The easiest answer by far is range. Range is significantly decreased offroad, by a factor of 10 or more depending on conditions and terrain. Wheel slippage, heat, low speed operation, repeated high torque/load demands would deplete a power source in no time." What about hybrids!" they say, well now you have the weight of both systems and the added complications to maintain and repair offroad. One other idea I see suggested is having one drive motor per wheel. This misses the best benefit of the locker/driveline system: ALL of the engine torque can be delivered to the sole wheel with traction. Say you have a conventional 4wd driveline and drop an electric motor in place of the gas/diesel engine with the same torque 350 ft/lb(475 NM)rating. You will get 475 nm at the one wheel with traction(in direct drive). Now, if you wanted to have one motor per wheel, how would you achieve the same torque per wheel? You would need either 4 motors with the same torque rating or 4 transmissions of some sort at each wheel. The only other option is to accept lower torque delivery, per wheel. So even if you had 4 individual motors that added to a greater total power than the one(say 4 150NM motors vs a single 475NM motor), you still may not have enough power when you actually need it. You still need to carry the added weight of each of those motors, probably as unsprung mass, all the time. This is probably the reason why Tesla uses two drive motors for awd operation; the motors can remain inboard, still mounted on the chassis. This also provides more passenger room and lower center of gravity because there is no front to rear driveline connection under the cabin.

[@jesusavalentin5439]

JuxtaposedStars Hi. I drive a rav4 hybrid and is just as good as the other systems. I have owned vehicles with all types of 4 wheel designs and much to my surprise found that the system is just as capable. Of course I am driving on public roads and not off road. But have driven on untreated surfaces with positive results like 99.9% of the drivers do!

[@MrRikrdorm]

Subaru sAWD is the best AWD out there.

You can use the brakes to put the out put to the wheel that is not spinning, If the wheel that is not gripping has its brakes applied all the torque goes to the other wheel, giving you traction.

But the man does not do it the computer does.

[@mohammadarabsson6280]

Audi 👌Quattro.... simply.... Maybe x_drive hhhhhhh 😛

[@JoelinoPT]

Audi Quattro is AWD, not 4WD. This video is about 4WD.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Haha, it sounds like the marketing teams have done their job with you. Don’t believe the hype just because of cool terminology. :)

[@berengerchristy6256]

and for the price you might as well get a subaru, but if you're shopping for an audi you're looking for the brand on the car, not the car under the brand

[@pallusubaru]

uhh which Quattro, they range from simple selectable lockers to overly complicated and useless Haldex systems, and everything in between

[@ZennybearOG]

Had to tow 3 audi quattro in my life with my subie..

[@Goodsxp]

Dodge power Wagon or a Jeep Rubicon would be my first choices too, but I already have a 2008 Hummer and it does everything you consider to be the best. Thanks for sharing.

[@WesleyVong]

Hahaha.... not first

[@forwardplans8168]

This may be in earlier posts, but the dumbbell analogy is incorrect. With a locked diff, torque is applied to both wheels evenly.Even if 1 wheel is on ice or up in the air, torque is still applied evenly to both wheels. With the lockable center diff, an open center diff is the same as an all-wheel drive car, engine torque MAY be applied to all 4 wheels. When the center diff is locked, this locks / connects the front and rear driveshafts together, essentially a regular 4x4 system. The front diff can be the same as the rear diff, just installed facing the rear. This configuration on a slippery road will give a spinning right rear wheel and a spinning left front wheel. It's this condition that can require a locking front or rear diff which will pull (front) or push (rear diff) you out of the situation.

[@daddychill7776]

Toyota trd pro system

[@wildbill23c]

Nothing spectacular about that at all. There's nothing the TRD Pro has that a stock Toyota Tundra or Tacoma or 4Runner don't have. Its just a bunch of over-priced stickers and some stiffer shocks and wheels and tires. Lockers are an option on all of them BTW, may not be a factory option but they're available aftermarket which is what I'd get anyways and skip the dealer/brand markup.

[@wildbill23c]

Yes as an option. Not standard equipment.

[@wildbill23c]

So yes you are kind of right depending on option packages it looks like. Actually they don't. TRD Off-Road models utilize part-time 4WD with Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), while Limited 4WD is equipped with a full-time 4WD system featuring A-TRAC and Torsen® 41 limited-slip center differential with locking feature...right off the Toyota 4Runner Page. funny you pay for an "Offroad" model and it doesn't come with a locking differential, but the limited edition does. Looks like they decided to bring back the locking diff option in the 2018 Tacoma in the TRD Offroad Pro model. None of the other Tacomas have the locking diff option....so its going to only be a very slim few that come with it.

[@wildbill23c]

Not all TRD offroad models have lockers. The Tundra does not, and certain models of other TRD's do not as well. For a couple years the Locker was still optional on TRD's. Gotta be careful which ones you look at and buy, not all are created equal, and TRD Offroad doesn't mean they'll have the locker.

[@Magnusintro]

Pinzgauer 6x6 drivetrains are something of a Swiss watch. Beautiful but not overly pleasant to service.

[@DanLMH]

quattro 🔥

[@christate3523]

Quattro is an almost meaningless term used for AWD (not 4wd). There is about 4 different AWD systems under the Quattro name and the most common one uses the haldex system which is one of the worst AWD setups

[@dj_paultuk7052]

About 5yrs ago in the UK we had some really heavy snow in the south of the UK. Well heavy for us anyway. Cars were stuck in our work car park, and even this guy who had a new Range Rover could not get out. Its wheels were just spinning and its active diffs were making a meal of not being able to move. At the time i had a 2010 Dodge Nitro 4x4. A pretty crap SUV by our standards, but it had a very basic 4WD Lock. So all wheels were locked together. I got out of the car park no issues at all, passing the stuck Range Rover. Much to his annoyance. In that case, old school 4X4 was the best.

[@jameshill7694]

Thankfully, you can use "Left Foot Braking" on JKs and JLs to make up for some traction when lockers aren't available.

[@ashystyle]

So far this was the best explanation on differential mechanism

[@DS_Boston]

We have a 2016 Tahoe with the Max Towing package. This package includes a 2 speed transfer case. No one has been able to explain to me 1. If the transfer case is locked 50/50 front/rear by default, and 2 . if rear LSD is standard with this package.

[@coleG112]

So in the dumbbell example... That's why brake lock diff technology works so well? It senses the wheel in the air is spinning, applies the brakes to it, forcing more torque to go to it, which means that more torque is sent to the ground-wheel as well, and is hopefully able to pull you out. Interesting.

[@AdilKhan-sh9fv]

this channel is quickly becoming my favourite. Thanks for the ELI5 type videos, newbie offroader here.

[@sethwilliamson]

Automobile design is an interesting study in compromise. I agree completely with your analysis, but I'd add that I think a system that offers a good compromise is a center transfer case, rear lockable differential, and front torque sensing differential. This will steer much better and be less sensitive to operator error. The drawback of course is if you have a front wheel in the air or something like that and no traction in the rear either. To overcome this, the operator or a traction control system can apply some brake to the spinning wheel. Thoughts?

[@TheNavieus]

That dumbbell analogy; perfect and on point

[@BatRado]

The best is the locking diferentials system. The cheap and working - remplace rear differential with Lockright/Powertrax kit.

[@chengteh]

I've always wondered what all the differential modes on the G-Wagon did...I don't really have any experience with off-road driving, so this was a great explanation! Thanks for sharing!

[@C_R_O_M________]

"4X motion" of first gen Touaregs and Cayennes is an excellent 4WD system (with up to 2 locking differentials - middle/rear AND LOW range). It was far better than my 1987 K5 Blazer, if only there were more tire options (and a bit more clearance) these would be serious off-roading vehicles.

[@jasswear8911]

You have seriously over looked the Chevy Colorado ZR2 it has all the capability of the G wagons system with even more select ability. It has full time AWD capable transfer case that can be put into 2wd only OR 4wd locked. Front and rear lockers. The rear locker can be locked while in 2wd only or 4wd locked. You cannot put the G wagon into Rear wheel drive or have a locked rear differential while in rear wheel drive for drifting on dirt roads like the ZR2.

[@MattBlack6]

This may be a subject for a new video, but another and very important factor is how well your 4wd keeps its tyres in contact with the ground, as a tyre up in the air can't apply any torque to the ground. Leaf v coil, solid axle v independent all come into play here. I'd like to see that Jason. As a side note, my 1995 80 series LandCruiser has what Toyota called at the time "full time 4wd" . Probably very similar to the Mercedes now. It's got LSD rear, LSD centre and open front differentials. The centre is also high/low range and lockable. The higher models (ie, Sahara) all came with factory standard front and rear locking (electronic) differentials as well. Hope to see mention of the suspension/keeping wheels on the ground subject. Thanks.

[@skookapalooza2016]

This is the best explanation I've ever seen of this concept. Great vid.

[@waitwuttt]

dont care too much about the best 4wd systems but always wanted to learn about how differentials worked great vid