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How Is Engine Power Delivered To The Wheels Of A Front Wheel Drive Car?

ByPhilipp Meister-December 23, 2020

Do you find yourself wondering at times, about how your car moves? Some drivers lay the claim on the engine, the wheels, transmission, and the gear. There are some components known to play a vital role in moving the wheels of your car. One of the major components responsible for moving the front wheels of the car is the drivetrain. It works in coordination with the engine to drive the car wheels forward.

How Does Drivetrain Propel The Front Wheels Of The Car To Move?

Unfortunately, the drivetrain is often the most misunderstood component of your car. It is an essential component responsible for the smooth functioning of the vehicle. The drivetrain includes the transmission, driveshaft, axles, and the wheels. You must know the transmission is an integral part of the drivetrain. We recommend you browse online to gain in-depth industry knowledge about how the drivetrain works to keep your car running.

We will now share with you complete knowledge about how engine power moves towards the front wheels of your car.

1. Propeller Shaft

In a front-engine car, the engine transmits the power to the wheels via clutch and gearbox. The power transfer to the rear axle happens via the tubular propeller shaft. The rear axle needs to move up and down on the suspension depending on the type of road surface. The movement leads the angle of the propeller shaft and distance between the gearbox and rear axle to change continuously. It is how the transfer of engine power to the front wheels of the car occurs.

To provide a continuous movement, the spines on the front side of the propeller shaft slide in and out of the gearbox depending on the distance the car covers. The shaft has universal joints at each end, and at times in the mid. These joints provide flexibility to the propeller. The propeller transmits power without interruption. The final part of the transmission includes the final drive.

The power transfer to the rear axle happens via the tubular propeller shaft (Photo Source: auditrunk)

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2. Mechanical Components

The front wheel drive cars utilize the same transmission method as the rear wheel cars. Mechanical components differ in design depending on the engine and gearbox layout. The gearbox has transverse engines mount on the top. Transmission of power takes place via the clutch to the car gearbox by a train of gears. The drive passes from the gearbox to the final-drive unit.

In a transverse engine, the gearbox contains the final drive unit. In an in-line engine, the final drive is between the engine and gearbox. The power comes from the last drive unit via short drive shafts. The drive shafts utilize a proper universal joint known as the constant velocity (CV) joint. The CV utilizes grooves having steel ball bearings. It transmits power at a constant speed.

Mechanical components differ in design depending on the engine and gearbox layout (Photo Source: wallpaperseveryday)

Summary

If you want to know how the engine transfers power to the front wheels of the car, the information above will help you understand the entire process.

Philipp Meister is an amazing part of Car From Japan’s blogger team. After obtaining a degree in Automotive Technology from Technical University of Munich, Philipp worked as a technician in various Volvo dealerships. He has long been a car owner and enthusiast. With over 20 years experience in the automotive industry, he has great discussions about car that provide you interesting information of most famous cars. If you are a car lover and want to get most-updated trend of automotive industry, Philipp’s blog is a must-visit site.

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