Converting from AWD to FWD
03-03-2006, 10:31 AM
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Little Rock, AR
Posts: 2
Car Info: 2001 Impreza
Converting from AWD to FWD
Back in the late '80s I build what I personally called my "formula Subaru" in which I took the 1.8L motor and transmission, axles, struts, etc, and placed them behind the drivers seat for a mid-engined autocross car (with uprights, un-equal length arms, etc. This worked fine with a 2WD drivetrain, but I am in the process of building another one with the current generation of 2.5L drivetrains, and they are now AWD. My question:
The output of the AWD (specifically the rear drive half of it) has some kind of differential that splits the torque between front and rear axles. If the rear axle load or traction is completely removed (e.g. letting the output shaft of the AWD rear axle spin without any load or traction), will this affect the torque share or application of torque to the front wheel portion of this transmission.
In other words, will the AWD work correctly if used as a FWD only? If not, what must be modified to ensure the front axles from the transaxle are provided full torque?
I tried to find this in the search, but nearly all related to converting a 2WD to AWD, but I want to do the opposite. The very few strings that really applied to my situation did not provide an answer as I do want to use the Subaru transaxle, and not an aftermarket one.
The output of the AWD (specifically the rear drive half of it) has some kind of differential that splits the torque between front and rear axles. If the rear axle load or traction is completely removed (e.g. letting the output shaft of the AWD rear axle spin without any load or traction), will this affect the torque share or application of torque to the front wheel portion of this transmission.
In other words, will the AWD work correctly if used as a FWD only? If not, what must be modified to ensure the front axles from the transaxle are provided full torque?
I tried to find this in the search, but nearly all related to converting a 2WD to AWD, but I want to do the opposite. The very few strings that really applied to my situation did not provide an answer as I do want to use the Subaru transaxle, and not an aftermarket one.
03-03-2006, 07:10 PM
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 266
Car Info: 95 Impreza Wagon... 1.8 Litres of fury!
Why not just use a FWD tranny? The bell housings are the same, and I think the axles are too... do you want the other gear ratios?
Welding the center diff might be an option. Also, do you have a website about these Formula Subaru's you're building?
Thanks
-Matt
Welding the center diff might be an option. Also, do you have a website about these Formula Subaru's you're building?
Thanks
-Matt
03-06-2006, 05:54 AM
#4
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Little Rock, AR
Posts: 2
Car Info: 2001 Impreza
All of the current donor cars I've looked at are AWD. The much older donor cars have FWD set-ups, but I don't think the transmission will take a lot of abuse on those older set-ups. I can fabricate something to cover the RWD output shaft, but will removing all load from that ouput shaft have any effect on the normal FWD torque or differential action?
Last edited by blueovalz; 03-06-2006 at 10:55 AM.
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