| All wheel drive AWD and four wheel drive 4WD | | | | going serious 4WDriving. |
| describe a type of drive train in a vehicle. This | | | | All Wheel Drive |
| aspect of this drive train gives the ability of each | | | | AWD vehicles combine the advantages of 2WD |
| wheel to be directly controlled by the power train | | | | and 4WD and are made for better traction on |
| at the same time giving the vehicle more traction | | | | the street and gravel roads, therefore they are |
| when required. Excellent for roads that are | | | | very commonly used as the family car. |
| slippery, rough, wet and rocky terrain and also | | | | There is no low range and cannot be manually |
| river crossings. | | | | switched into 2WD. Many AWD systems are |
| What is 4x4 & 4x2 | | | | very smart and will run in 2WD 90% of the time |
| The first digit refers to the number of wheels. | | | | and automatically engage AWD when it detects |
| The second digit refers to the number of driven | | | | wheel slippage and loss of traction. |
| wheels. | | | | High & Low Range Gears |
| 4x4 - Four by Four - 4WD | | | | 4WD vehicles have 'high' and 'low-range' in the |
| A vehicle with four wheels that's powered by | | | | transfer case, 'high' range is what is used |
| four wheels | | | | normally, 'low range' is a super low gear ratio, that |
| 4x2 - Four by Two - 2WD | | | | can be manually selected once in 4WD for |
| A vehicle with four wheels that's powered by two | | | | climbing steep hills and pulling other vehicles that |
| wheels | | | | are bogged.. 4WD can be manually switched from |
| 4WD's are made for going 'Off Road' | | | | 2WD To 4WD then to 4WD low-range. |
| 'Off Road' means getting off bitumen roads onto | | | | 4WD vehicles have two gear sticks, the normal |
| gravel roads which can vary in conditions of | | | | manual one and the 4WD one which is generally |
| roughness, add some rain and the roads become | | | | smaller and used to engage 4WD in 'high' or 'low' |
| very slippery or boggy. The roughest roads are | | | | range. |
| described on road maps as 4wd. This does not | | | | Going 4WD requires a certain amount of skill and |
| necessarily mean that you have to be in 4WD all | | | | practice in all conditions and terrain. Driver trainer |
| the time, However there will be parts of the road | | | | lessons are available if you are new to 4WDriving, |
| where it will be necessary. | | | | you will learn driving skills, recovery techniques and |
| 4WD vehicles are made stronger in the body and | | | | learn about what equipment you should carry |
| chassis with suitable suspension and tyres and | | | | when travelling offroad. |
| extras like winches are quite often added when | | | | |