FWD vs. AWD

[mifirefghtr4g63]

Ok now I searched for this and couldn't find my answer. So I am apologizing in advance if this is not the right place to post. Anyway I am selling the SS and looking for a 4g63. I want a awd but I have found a really nice fwd tsi close by. I won't have the SS for much longer so I need a car. Now I obviously know a stock awd will beat a stock fwd cause they launch way better. I am wondering though if it is possible to build a decently fast fwd and run in the 13's or should I just wait longer for a awd. Money wise what would be a cheaper bet to run 13's?

 

[Thomas91169]

Isnt Jake (Evil_Eagle) going with a Colt FWD in lieu of a 1g AWD?

Not to mention the 2g up in the top left of this page......pretty sure thats FWD as well.

 

[XiKeiyaZI]

Isnt Jake (Evil_Eagle) going with a Colt FWD in lieu of a 1g AWD?

Not to mention the 2g up in the top left of this page......pretty sure thats FWD as well.

Exactly.

Again. It all depends on the Driver.. and what the car will be used for.

 

[airmail96]

So far I've had a 1g FWD, 2g FWD, and now I have a 1g AWD, I honestly find myself wishing I had a FWD back. Yeah I like being able to floor it in the dry and getting instant traction, especially on crap tires, but I do hate the added drivetrain crap transfercase, carrier bearings, rear differential, and etc. You have to pay to play though, also if you floor an AWD car in the rain or snow in first you're going to lose traction same as if you floor a FWD you're going to lose traction. I think the call between AWD and FWD is user preference, with decent driving and light mods you can do a 13 second quarter in a FWD easy especially if it is. I would have gone with the really nice gst.

 

[Thomas91169]

awd is great for people on the street who cant launch. rev up and dump clutch (or rev up, ebrake and let out clutch a bit to preload suspension, then slip and go)

if awd was that great for drag, especially high HP cars, top fuelers would have to change things up a bit.......

those of you saying sub 2.0 60ft's are awesome in AWD.......i ran a 1.8 60ft with the shitty driver mod (me) with my 03 Cobra. I made ALL the AWD guys that day look bad that day, fastest was a subie putting down 1.9 60ft's. Tires? Just some 315 nitto 555R's and stock cobra IRS. was making roughly 450/440 to the wheels, and let me reiterate, i suck at launching. AWD isnt the end-all be-all of drag racing.

Also went to hot import nights/nopi/battle of the imports (boti) or whatever import thing they hold at the track every year. Lots of gutted all motor+nitrous honduh's with fat slicks popping off sub 1sec 60ft's. This was the same event that Evil_Eagle went to (though a different track, when he was at Sacramento Raceway was when he first started having t-case issues, Seattle is when he had the major wreck that made him turn away from AWD DSM's), so i think that had a bit to do with his decision. Having a T-case shatter, break from its housings and stab through the floorboards at 150mph versus just snappign a halfshaft on a fwd will do that to you. Though i believe he is also running an Evo to pass time until his real project is done.

 

[defury]

Seriously? AWD is the better choice in every application other then top speed, its simply a fact. That's not to say FWD is useless but when you are snapping axles left and right when you break into 10's you will regret not picking the AWD IF YOU HAD THE OPTION

 

[Thomas91169]

Seriously? AWD is the better choice in every application other then top speed, its simply a fact. That's not to say FWD is useless but when you are snapping axles left and right when you break into 10's you will regret not picking the AWD IF YOU HAD THE OPTION

you will snap axles on AWD into the 10's just as easy, and past that youll be snapping t-cases and trannies, anything deeper and youll be snapping just about everything else.

just like i said, if AWD was truly that great......youd see alot more classes of drag implementing it..........but you dont. Hrmmmmmmm......

 

[_Madman_]

Seriously? AWD is the better choice in every application other then top speed, its simply a fact. That's not to say FWD is useless but when you are snapping axles left and right when you break into 10's you will regret not picking the AWD IF YOU HAD THE OPTION

On street and racetrack, well balanced FWD will beat equally powerful AWD with no second thought.

When it's AWD vs. FWD, 1st/2nd gear AWD jumps and holds the lead, 3rd and suddenly it seems that AWD runs out of gas.

FWD with LSD (street tires) hangs with RWD with LSD (street tires) from dig, RWD can jump FWD by 1/2 car length max.

Honestly, I've driven all types of cars, FWD/RWD/AWD and there is no single looser or winner. Each of those drive-trains have their pros and cons.

For DD, lightly modified car, I am glad I have an FWD. And FWD can be converted to AWD when you reach 350whp.

 

[donniekak]

Anyone making 450+ whp with fwd please chime in. Oh, someone already did, their experience was that it sucks. Everyone who says fwd gets traction on the street, doesn't make any power. A fwd can only get good traction with suspension mods, slicks, and a prepped track.

 

[Thomas91169]

Anyone making 450+ whp with fwd please chime in. Oh, someone already did, their experience was that it sucks. Everyone who says fwd gets traction on the street, doesn't make any power. A fwd can only get good traction with suspension mods, slicks, and a prepped track.

head over to the DSMlink forum......

not many people making even 300whp+ lurk on tuners enough to chime in. mostly because anyone making that is using link and has access to the link forums.

 

[donniekak]

head over to the DSMlink forum......

not many people making even 300whp+ lurk on tuners enough to chime in. mostly because anyone making that is using link and has access to the link forums.

Not paying 500 to be on a forum. I have nothing against link, like the dsmap zealots, i just don't need it.

 

[fran_drivertsi]

fwd is also better for the snow.

what?!

 

[romeen]

Becka, consider this. Every member that I know of who has done the swap to AWD has been extremely happy with the results and often say it's the best mod they have ever done.

I have improved the traction of my GST a lot compared to stock. But it still gets frustrating not being able to put down all the power of the motor at the typical speeds that a DD is going to see.

Comparing times of a FWD on street tires to one running slicks and probably using a wheelie bar is pointless.

 

[dsm-onster]

thomas91169 you said all the top fuel cars? WTF Last I heard were discussing fwd vs awd; not rwd vs awd. Yes when the front wheels are off the ground the only traction comes from the rears. Yes, guess what, an awd car still moves down the track like a rwd car when even wheelies are displayed.

NO NO NO you do NOT snap axles just as easily with awd when running 10s vs fwd. I was snapping stock axles in the 12s with fwd. I havn't snapped a 3bolt rear axle in the 11s at all with several times more passes with about 100whp more. The torque and shock load is spread out between the 4 axles vs. 2; unless you're lifting the front wheels off the track.

'Awd isn't the end all be all of drag racing' . . . but it's better than fwd out of the box and without traction bars and weight transfer bars (Things that make a car no streetable). The only other option for a dsm is fwd NOT RWd. . . unless you like swapping to the starquest chassis. That has it's own evils. In the mean time, keep the rwd talk out of here. It's not on topic.

And what the hell is this. . .

awd is great for people on the street who cant launch. rev up and dump clutch (or rev up, ebrake and let out clutch a bit to preload suspension, then slip and go)

Those that do this KNOW how to launch for the most part. What an oxymoron! I even did this with the fwd then proceded to modulate the torque release with the cluthc peddle. Ate clutchs or broke axles.

No one here is bragging about 1.8 60s but you and your fwd. Most are on par when they see a 1.6 or lower, with the awd drivetrain.





Mods, this thread is headed where the last one did. Like they all do. Like they all will. Bottem line: Rolls are for dinner; the only racing you fwd folks all are discussing where fwd has an advantage is street racing.

 

[snowborder714]

This debate can go on forever. Everyone has their preference - pick one, try it out, and if you like it great. If not, sell it and get the other.