Why no front wheel drive trucks?

[Piston]

Just curious why no one is making a front wheel drive truck?

They make 2wd, 4wd, and all wheel drive, but how come no front wheel drive?

 

[motownbrowne]

Volkswagen made one for a while. Got 45 mpg too. Don't see that anymore.

 

[newbury]

My F350 dually was front wheel drive when the U joint went out

 

[boggen]

weight in bed of truck or to heavy tongue weight of a trailer = front wheels off the ground = uth oh!

 

[MossRoad]

Because when you put weight in the back, you lose traction on the front drive wheels.

Anyone that's ever overloaded a pickup truck bed will tell you the front tires lift up and you can spin the steering wheel with your pinky. It floats like a boat.

 

[schmism]

Just curious why no one is making a front wheel drive truck?

They make 2wd, 4wd, and all wheel drive, but how come no front wheel drive?

space claim. the requirements to move the weight that pickups do do not lend themselves to trying to pack the engine plus transmission plus drive train in the front of the truck.

But it does raise an interesting question. Why would you? Its the worst possible place to drive a vehicle from in terms of a performance.

 

[forestcreature1]

What was the name of that dodge [plymouth?] mini truck thing from the 80's ?
Looked like they cut the back out of the 2.2 charger.
I am sure it wasn't made on a truck frame, but that is all I can recall with my advanced [age] memory

 

[Piston]

Good points made about the weight of cargo in the rear, especially tongue weight from a trailer, unloading the front end a lot.

Why would you? Its the worst possible place to drive a vehicle from in terms of a performance.

I'm assuming you meant to say that it's the worst possible place to drive a TRUCK from, rather than a vehicle?


As to why, well, the same reason as thousands and thousands of other vehicles are front wheel drive :confused3: But the reason I brought it up, is simply, I was just wondering.

 

[bcp]

What was the name of that dodge [plymouth?] mini truck thing from the 80's ?
Looked like they cut the back out of the 2.2 charger.
I am sure it wasn't made on a truck frame, but that is all I can recall with my advanced [age] memory

Plymouth Arrow?

Used Arrow trucks Engine - Buy Plymouth Used Motors at ASAP Motors

Rear wheel drive or 4WD.

Bruce

 

[forestcreature1]

Plymouth Arrow?

Used Arrow trucks Engine - Buy Plymouth Used Motors at ASAP Motors

Rear wheel drive or 4WD.

Bruce

Dodge Rampage & Plymouth Scamp [wiki says they only had the scamp for 1 year]

 

[Leejohn]

I would like to see a big old V8 turned side ways. Sure wouldn't like to have one. Cost you $5000.00 to change the spark plugs. I like the trucks the way they use to be.(simple)

 

[bcp]

There were some front wheel drive V8 full-sized cars made. But the engine was not sideways.

Bruce

 

[alchemysa]

Depends what you call a truck I guess. Theres a few front wheel drive large vans and cab/chassis offerings. These are popular for motor homes among other things.

Fiat Professional Ducato | The All New Fiat Professional Ducato

Scroll down the page for the cab/chassis.

 

[Garandman]

The RAM Promaster van - which is actually a version of the FIAT Ducato made in Mexico - is front wheel drive. They've sold hundreds of thousands of them all over Europe. It is kind of a hybrid, with a ladder frame behind a unibody cab. The load floor is low and they have a lot of room. But as mentioned trucks of a certain size nnneed ladder frames for rigidity.

If you've ever tried to tow anything with a FWD vehicle you'll know why interest is limited. I towed a 3,000+ lb sailboat trailer with a Dodge Intrepid a few times. Even though the Intrepid had plenty of power, a long wheelbase, etc, it was pretty nerve-wracking over bumps and around corners.

 

[Toyboy]

I think the Honda Ridgeline is front wheel drive. Not my idea of a truck though.

 

[aczlan]

I would like to see a big old V8 turned side ways. Sure wouldn't like to have one. Cost you $5000.00 to change the spark plugs. I like the trucks the way they use to be.(simple)

Look no farther than the 1985 and up Cadillacs (specifically, the Cadillac de Ville series - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ). They were FWD with a transverse mounted 4.1L V8.

Aaron Z

 

[930ck]

Long time ago saw a picture of a stock trailer that had been attached to the front half of a 4 wheel drive pickup, making it a front wheel drive. Made it more maneuverable and easy to load, but seems it would be hard on front drive system.

 

[cockeyedMFer]

There were some front wheel drive V8 full-sized cars made. But the engine was not sideways.

Bruce

The Toronado/Eldorado platform would be perfect for a truck. Lots of HP and torque but it takes a really long hood to pack it under.

 

[MossRoad]

There were some front wheel drive V8 full-sized cars made. But the engine was not sideways.

Bruce

2006 Impalla SS, I believe the V8 engine is sideways.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

What everyone said already.

Point is, front wheel drive trucks would be viable if you placed the rear axle at the very end of the truck, rather than mounted halfway back. That way the load would be more (but not totally) evenly distributed over the front and back axles.

Personally, I'd like to see Toyota slap their Prius hybrid drive system under their Tacoma 1/4 ton pickup line, if only as an experiment. Electric driven wheels have greater torque than gasoline engine driven, their system is all wheel drive, and cruise control actually works going downhill. What it doesn't have is massive acceleration, so scooting out into the traffic flow can be rough when hauling a load; but then that's a problem even with gasoline rear wheel drive trucks too.