Buckgnarly
Platinum Member
Some mis-information in this thread I'll try to clear up :mur:
First, On tractors that have smaller front tires (that I am aware of), there is INDEED a lead percentage built into the system. And YES that makes the front tires slip a little. Just the way it is. I dont know where you are getting YOUR info from, but that is the way it is and is common knowledge amung 4wd tractor owners.
Second thing, it dont matter WHAT you call it, cause there is nothing set in stone. So MFWD, 4wd, AWD, front-wheed assist, etc are ALL used interchangebly.
Third, if you have one of the above mentioned 4wd, mfwd, etc. Tractors, and it has open differentials in front and rear, it is STILL 4WD. NOT 2WD or 3WD. That is incorrect termonology. IT is 4wd because ALL 4 wheels are STILL trying to drive the tractor. Sure, there is a time where a wheel or two may just sit and spin, BUT it is STILL trying to DRIVE the tractor. In an open differential, ALL wheels are attempting to move the vehichle with the EXACT same torque. IE: open diff means EQUAL TORQUE and UNEQUAL SPEED. But STILL, you have ALL 4 wheels trying to drive the machine with the EXACT SAME amount of force.
Using automotive world terms, AWD and 4WD are NOT the same.
An AWD car has some form of "slip" built into the transfer case, be it viscous coupler or mechnical means. A true 4WD will have the front and rear locked by means of gears or chain in the transfer case. There is no slip between front and rear axles, hence no driving(or more appropriately, TURNING) on hard pack surfaces while in 4WD but an AWD is OK. The slip is necessary b/c the front and rear axle will be turning at different rates due to different arcs while in a turn.
I am guessing that the makers of the 4WD tractors factor the tire size difference and adjust the front and rear gear ratio accordingly to get rid of as much rotational difference from front to rear. Even some OEM trucks have a slight difference (like 4.11 front and 4.10 rear )but if using on a slick surface it does not cause binding.
Open, L/S, and locked axles only affect the two wheels on that axle, not make it "4wd". The transfer case is what makes it AWD or 4WD.