FWD -vs- AWD

[seasvx]

while i've never driven a fwd svx, i have to believe there would be a noticable difference between the two. my observations are based not upon poor weather or poor surface traction or straight-line acceleration but rather in the handling and attitude when driven at speed on dry pavement through a challenging mountian road with turns that attract sports cars and sport bikes. on a weekend trip on such roads with a Jag XK8, Lotus Elan and a Honda S2K, my LSi used its awd all afternoon. as I set up for each turn and headed for each apex, power-on, the feel of four wheels working together was awesome. understeer? it's counterintuitive but the answer is to just input more power, and the 3.3 was there, ready to deliver. when the power hits the wheels, the attitude of the car changes from early understeer to near neutral. while accelerating. set up the car to enter the turn, drop the inside front tire over the fogline, look for the apex, squeeze on more power, feel the G's build, hit the apex while fully opening the throttle plate, feel the attitude change and the side load build and accelerate toward the exit, while sizing up the next one, being careful to not actually nudge the rear bumper of the S2K. (although on one decreasing radius turn I'd sized up incorrectly, the near neutral attitude switched for a split second to oversteer; the outside rear tire chirped once and then the whole system took over and we exited the turn with dignity intact; the LSi is also very forgiving.). we were as good as any car on that road that day and better than many. like I said, I've never driven an fwd but i can't help but feel if my LSi had been a fwd that day, i'd still be picking it out of the trees.

[BigBlueSVX]

Well, I drive my FWD every day, and I've only driven the AWD once, but:
1. The FWD understeers, a lot, almost all the time no matter what you throw at it. In order to make it oversteer you have to be going really fast, and it usually doesn't end well.
2. If you want the tires to spin in FWD, they'll spin, and it can be very smokey. Not so in the AWD, it just puts you back in your seat and goes.
3. The AWD feels glued to the road, the FWD does not.
I would much rather have the AWD (and a 5-speed, especially with the better torque split). FWD just isn't as much fun.

[ensteele]

That sounds about right. I have never driven a FWD SVX, but I have talked to many who own them and the is the same thing I usually hear from them.

[TomsSVX]

having owned both... find that the differences are being exagerated. You just need to know how to drive a FWD car. AWD makes it too easy where as FWD takes more skill to make the car perform. I never did learn how to push the limits of the FWD because I am not a very experienced driver... but I am working on that

Tom

[Wocketman]

Interesting thread!

Question from an SVX ignoramous:
I've had a couple instances where my 92 spinss the wheels like it's NOT an AWD. My first time I noticed it was in dirt in Norcal before I shipped to car to Maine where I am now. Recently (like yesterday!), I had it occur in the snow where some wheels are spinning either just in front or on just one side (hard to tell when no one is around to look), which should NOT occur unless BOTH front and rear differentials were "open". Right? This phenomemon confuses me, as at other times when I gun it, the fronts spin for about one second and you feel a real push as the rears kick in. What am I missing here?

[Manarius]

You may have a misfunctioning Duty Solenoid C...this would cause your car to lurch because the Solenoid is sticking. Now, you may just also be feeling the effects of the Limited-Slip Rear Differential. One would have to drive your car in order to determine exactly what's going on.

[Wocketman]

Originally Posted by Manarius

You may have a misfunctioning Duty Solenoid C...this would cause your car to lurch because the Solenoid is sticking. Now, you may just also be feeling the effects of the Limited-Slip Rear Differential. One would have to drive your car in order to determine exactly what's going on.

Thanks! Will look into this. Will likely have a shop check it out, but where is this particular solenoid located?

[It's Just Eric]

So anyway, is it hard to convert from fwd to awd?


(obvious bump)

[n00b on demand]

Originally Posted by It's Just Eric

So anyway, is it hard to convert from fwd to awd?


(obvious bump)

You would need the tranny...tcu?...driveshaft...rear diff...the holes and spots r all there i believe. Just a matter of getting all the parts and installing them. ...at least i think so

[TomsSVX]

It can be done with the parts car Mike is picking up. Then you just need to find a tranny and I would suggest getting a 4.44 and getting that done... We can do it if you really want, I mean I do have 2 LSD units in the shop and John has an extra OEM driveshaft. Small peices of subfram can be taken off the parts car along with wiring. I have a spare TCU you could use... I mean, hell... lets get crackin already

Tom

[benebob]

Might need a gas tank too. Every other Subaru had two tanks based on the drive wheels but I doubt they did that with the SVX as FWD was an afterthought for it. Just check on Subaruparts.com and see if there's a different part number for fwd tanks.

[n00b on demand]

Originally Posted by benebob

Might need a gas tank too. Every other Subaru had two tanks based on the drive wheels but I doubt they did that with the SVX as FWD was an afterthought for it. Just check on Subaruparts.com and see if there's a different part number for fwd tanks.

One of my friends wanted to do the FWD - AWD conversion on an SVX....and i dont think he found two different gas tanks on subaruparts.com.....i have seen it done that way for other cars though. I Dont think thats the case with the SVX because as you stated FWD was an afterthought.

[TomsSVX]

The gas tanks are the same... I remember quite vividly the underbody of my old FWD as I was under it all the time

Tom

[solarsvx]

just jumping in to say some words

coming from some one who has or had some very very fast cars, AWD will dominate, FWD is used for economy cars and does no good for anything,

RWD=AWD best forms of power,

also the svx is a boat and automatic with slip clutch power transfer system, its a little diffrent then typical AWD cars like evo/sti and such, that the svx is mainly a fwd bias car unless the FWD slips wich engages the 50/50 split wich you hear a thump its kinda premitive but does the job,

so if im repeating some old news, sorry =>

also some FYI the sti/evo being diffrent engine set up's the evo will lay more power to the wheels then the symetrical design of subaru roughly 17-19% to subarus 18-20% drive train loss, also the gearing makes a big diffrence in dyno figures also,

[It's Just Eric]

I guess Ill start getting some money together. Lol, I suppose itll be a summer project. Ill probly miss that oh so wonderfull blue smoke...but whenever I make it I kinda feel like street trash....so off to the twisties itll be! Besides....what good is a subaru if it doesnt have awd? thats like buying a Maybach with cloth seats or split pea soup without a bread bowl.