whats the difference between 4wd and all wheel drive?
Full time four wheel drive, also called permanent 4WD, (not to be confused with: part time 4WD ) is a system that powers all four wheels at all times and can be used full time on all surfaces including pavement. The additional feature of a differential incorporated into the transfer case makes it possible to use 4WD all the time. 2WD is no longer available. Each tire creates about 25% of the available torque when the ground is level with a consistant surface. Driver has a choice of a “4-high” (that’s your every day setting) and “4-low”. When “4-low” is selected the wheels create substantially more torque (on a Grand Cherokee its 2.72 times more) than in “4-high” – at the same time the vehicle moves at substantially slower speeds (2.72 times slower on a Jeep Grand Cherokee). Important: “4-low” does not create more traction – it creates more torque and that can be detrimental when traction is marginal. Slipping tires are more likely in “low” than in “high”! The low setting is an advantag
