Four Wheel Drive

4×4 – Are you ready for a rocky ride!

A four wheel drive is commonly known as a 4×4 (four by four) or a 4WD and the first use of the term ‘4×4’ was used for North american military vehicles in the 1940’s.
A four wheel drive is a vehicle that has power from the engine transferred to all four wheels, rather than the common vehicle, where it is transferred only to two wheels.
The first four wheel drive car was made in 1903 by Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker.
Four wheel drive vehicles are designed to travel on soft and muddy terrain as well as on normal road surfaces.
4×4 vehicles have different suspension to normal cars, which means there is more wheel travel and space between the bottom of the car and the terrain.
4x4s and SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) have the fastest growing vehicle production rate in the world.
4x4s usually have a high and low gearbox allowing the vehicle to drive at slow or fast speeds depending on the terrain.
Some four wheel drive vehicles are developed to always be in 4WD mode. Older 4x4s have a 2WD and 4WD mode, meaning you have to switch to 2WD mode whenever on hard surfaces.
Jeeps and Land Rovers are the most famous four wheel drive vehicles.
Often four wheel drive owners spend lots of money on their vehicle, which sometimes exceeds the value of the vehicle.