Why no front wheel drive trucks?

[Iowan]

For the same reasons they don't make front wheel drive tractors!

 

[sd455dan]

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

Bruce

as others have posted
Cadillac made one - the deville in 1988 front drive and transverse mounted 4.1 V8 I liked that car .:thumbsup: and it got really decent mileage.

 

[MossRoad]

If the RAM Promaster, or Ford Transit, could tow my tractor, it would absolutely be my next vehicle.

That "IF" is a big if.... my 2013 Impala has more HP and torque than the Promaster.

 

[bigdeano]

GM made a front wheel drive motorhome a long time ago.

 

[motownbrowne]

GM made a front wheel drive motorhome a long time ago.

That's right, on a Toronado frame right? Had a dually rear axle and a tag axle behind that. Goofy looking thing.

 

[RollingsFarms]

I had an old Datsun truck years ago that was front wheel drive.

 

[RAS323]

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?

I've wondered the same thing. I think it would be a good idea-but that's me. Most people don't haul (most of the time and not max payload) or tow...ever. Front wheel drives have better traction and given a little ground clearance would be good off road (certainly better than a rwd). I think a little front wheel drive truck would be great for hauling a sofa, christmas tree etc...things most trucks are used for.

 

[JBourquin]

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.

Like these,

 

[schmism]

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:

No i meant vehicles. As in cars also. As in the reason its done for thousands and thousands of others is
1) cost (its really cheep to assemble one trans axle bolted directly to the engine and mount the whole mess into the front of a car)
2) design (no center drive shaft means more flexibility and less cost associated with the rest of the body design.)

And yes, worst possible performance
1) any acceleration moves weight transfer off the driveing wheels
2) you are steering your driving wheels meaning you fight significant gyroscopic "torque steer" affects
3) weight distributions are always front heavy
4) due to the weight distributions and trying to propel and steer with the same set of tires, at the same time, means they suffer horrible understeer.

Any of the current market front wheel drive vans are nothing more than a full size sedan drive train packaged in a van body. See comments above about no rear drive shaft and rear diffrential to clear lending itself to fun behind the cab designs (really low floors etc) and also its cheep. The vans are all fleet truck designs which are inherently as-cheep-as-we-can-make-it designs.

 

[dfkrug]

I had an old Datsun truck years ago that was front wheel drive.

Really? What model Datsun would that have been?