http://www.corollaperformance.com/TechInfo/RWD.html

"Braking
Stopping ability is enhanced by the superior weight distribution of RWD. With the rear wheels carrying a greater percentage of the car's weight load than on a front-wheel drive car, they can apply more braking force to the road and help shorten stopping distances. Since RWD contributes to even tire wear, it is more likely that tires on a RWD car will have greater tread depth. Unless tires on a FWD car are rotated religiously, the front tires may become worn and less effective in braking."

I think this particular segment on braking is hogwash. Drivetrain should not adversely affect braking performance, as weight is transfered to the front, and your brake system is what stops the car. 70% of braking power comes from the front brakes. Therefore, FWD cars would have a slight advantage in engine braking, where not just the brakes help to slow the wheels down, but the engine also, since it's connected to the wheels.

Discuss.

I think the article means that a rear wheel drive car has a better front/rear weight distrubution to begin with. a fwd car for example may be 70/30 since all the parts are up front, braking would only increase those numbers even higher let's say 80/20. That forces the braking proportions to adjust to those numbers, so say if it was 1 to 1, the front brakes would be doing 80 percent of the work.

Now, a rear wheel drive car might be 60/40 or 55/45, in which case upon braking, maybe the weight transfer would only reach 70/30. The rear brakes then get to do more of the load, saving the front brakes.

I'm not saying this is true case by case, but in general a front engine rear drive engine tends to be more balanced in front/rear weight distrubution.

It is true that rear wheel drive cars utilize all four tires better. Front tires dedicated to turning, rear tires dedicated to acceleration.

fwd = wrong wheel drive
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96 talon esi-t
san clemente, ca

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