Before the advent of the automobile, buggies were typically propelled by one or more horses. Even with the first automobiles there was a need for a drive system, though, since those horses were no longer there. One thing that has remained common to every car is a motor and transmission system of some sort, but what varies greatly between cars is what is between the transmission and the wheels, also known as the drive train. There are many different styles of drive trains, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Front Wheel Drive
The most common style of drive train is that of the front wheel drive, abbreviated FWD. Front wheel drive was not, however, the first drive system. Front wheel drive first made its appearance in the automobile market in 1933 with the French Traction Avant, which literally means "pull from the front." At the time, the idea of having a car pulled by the front wheels was rather different, but this style of getting the power to the wheels worked rather well. What made the Traction Avant successful was that it was lighter and more fuel efficient than other car models made at the time. This increased efficiency was a result of not only eliminated weight, but also reduced power loss in moving the rotational energy to the back.
The idea of front wheel driven cars was not embraced immediately by major car manufacturers, though, since having all the driving mechanisms placed right under or in front of the engine added complexity in production and maintenance that was not worth the extra gas mileage. It was when the gasoline shortage hit America in the early 1980s that the front wheel drive car first became popular. Chevrolet first implemented the system in its "Citation," in 1979, which became an...
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...front and rear differentials. Taking this into consideration, all wheel drive systems are almost always on full time. In order for all wheel drive to work, a specialized computer and a matching set of sensors is needed to tell which wheels are spinning and to which wheels the power should be transferred to. The change is done through a series of automatic wheel braking, adding another complicated and costly mechanism to the brakes system. For this reason all wheel drive systems were usually only used in vehicles like Mercedes and Porches. Lately, though, due to the advances in manufacturing technology, there have been a few domestic vehicles released, like the newer Ford Explorers and the Saab 9-2X, both of which feature all wheel drive. Should the cost of production of all wheel drive systems continue to decrease, more domestic vehicles will feature it in the future.
El Camino There was always a demand for trucks with the comfort of a passenger car, or a passenger car with the load capacity of a truck. In response to this demand, Ford released the Ranchero in 1957. To compete with Ford’s Ranchero, Chevrolet created the El Camino, whose first release occurred in 1959. Over the years, Chevy has made several modifications to the El Camino to improve performance and style.
After the steam engine was created in the early 17th century, many people and companies tried to take that same technology and apply it to automobiles. Nobody was successful until a British inventor by the name of Richard Trevithick created a multi passenger automobile that ran on a power source that was driven by a steam-propelled piston at high pressure (Bellis). Up until the mid 1900’s cars were only produced by specifically skilled blacksmiths, and were very expensive. There were only about 4,000 cars produced from the 1890’s to mid 1900’s (Bellis).
Most motor vehicles today use an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to give them power to drive down the road; ICEs are a form of a heat engine. Gasoline is burned to push a piston, which in return forces the car down the road. As the gas in the cylinder is ignited and expanded it forces the piston down the shaft. The force is carried through piston, which is connected to a crankshaft. The force moves through the transmission, down the driveshaft, and out the tires. The Otto Cycle is used to turn as much heat into the driving force as possible.
The first Chevy created was the Series C Classic Six in 1912, which had an electric start, and electric headlamps, both of which were typically reserved for the more expensive and luxurious cars. (Official Chevrolet website) Later, Chevrolet released the Chevy Model 490, putting it in nearly direct competition with the Model T. (nwitimes.com) Then, in 1917, Ford released their first truck, the Ford Model TT. (Official Ford Website) The very next year, Chevrolet introduced their first truck as well. In 1927, Chevrolet, for the first time, overtakes Ford with more than 1 million vehicle sales. (nwitimes.com) In 1932, Ford introduced the flathead V8 engine, which even today is still popular with hot rodders. (Official Ford Website) In 1955, Chevrolet debuted their small-block V8 engine in their brand new car. (nwitimes.com) Many years later, in 1964, Ford’s first Mustang was put on the market. (Official Ford Website) Three years after that, in 1967, Chevrolet
and other vehicles that run on tracks and not on wheels. This technology was also used
Model T’s were everywhere in America, even long after Ford stopped production in 1927. (Henry) While Ford was the number one brand, selling the most cars throughout the early 1900’s, the Model T created a new industry that is distinctly American; the auto industry. Three manufacturers, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler dominated the American auto industry, and all three companies still produce cars today. The Model T gave birth to the competitive auto market. To this day, car companies in America are constantly racing to innovate, improve, and outsell their competitors. Manufacturing of cars “became the backbone of a new consumer goods-oriented society. By the mid-1920s it ranked first in value of product, and in 1982 it provided one out of every six jobs in the United States.” (history –idk yet) The demand for cars also resulted in a booming petroleum industry, and a high demand for metals, like steel. ( History idk yet) Furthermore, with so many people driving cars, construction of roads was necessary. The popularity of automobiles set off a chain reaction that created new opportunities all across the country. All sections of the modern automotive industry, from marketing to manufacturing, as well industries like petroleum refining, steel production, and road construction, can trace their beginnings to the Ford Model
Steam powered harvesters and tractors were introduced by the end of 19th century. It started to gradually replace horses. However in some regions they created new problems as well. Vehicles proved to be too heavy for soft soils and often stuck and even sunk. Experiments with various sizes of wheels didn't produce good results. Increasing size of wheels just made vehicles heavier and more difficult to operate.
Vehicles move by propulsion, a form of energy conversion. It changes the stored form into movement. Railroad locomotives use a diesel engine that converts chemical energy in kerosene into a turning motion that drives an electric generator. The electricity from this powers the locomotive’s motors, giving it enough propulsion to move. Newer automobiles use an internal combustion engine and battery to provide hybrid propulsion. This pairing helps with the overuse
From the literal meaning, with RWD, the rear wheels drive the vehicle. RWD appear with the invention of automobiles. Before 1950s the RWD are the most common way for cars, like the well-known VW Beetle and Ford Model T. Thereafter with popularizing of FWD and 4WD, the proportion of RWD vehicles decreased dramatically. Currently, only trucks, sports cars and luxury cars are still based on RWD. FWD, which means front wheels drive, are more popular now because it’s cheaper than RWD.
This is how the modern muscle cars, such as the Chevy Camaro, came into existence. Without muscle cars much of the speed and safety technology we know today would either be nonexistent or very expensive. Those are the differences between all the different types of cars, from a convertible to a muscle car. Additionally this is a brief account of historical events and societal changes that have influenced the production of muscle cars. These are the ways that muscle car production has helped create and yet change the racing industry by making it safer and more interesting.
Detail of the drive train on a bicycle. The smaller the gear on the crank combined with a large gear on the wheel will produce large amounts of torque and large forward forces.
Brakes may be one of the most essential inventions in the developments of automobiles. Clearly, nothing can surpass the breakthrough of the wheel, but the brake system was a catalyst to the further developments of cars. The brake system has also evolved greatly throughout the years. Once considered one of the simplest parts of a vehicle, brakes have become one of the most complicated components in a vehicle. The scientific explanation behind a brake system is very rudimentary. Friction permits the concept of braking to occur.
329) There was not one specific person who "invented the automobile," but, there were many people who contributed to the invention of the automobile.(Ingrassia, 5) (Boyne, 31) These people include Isaac Newton, who developed a power carriage in the fourteen twenties, and Joseph Cugnot, who built the first steam powered automobile in seventeen sixty nine. The first American to develop an automobile was Nathan Redd.(Brown, 329) The use of the automobile in the United States became common due to the convenience and reliability of a quick, easy to operate source of transportation. The American people began to build their homes further from their jobs, and further from civilization because they could commute back and forth much more quickly.(Simanaitis, 337) The convenience, reliability, and easy commute were only a few positive effects of the development of the automobile in the United States. The invention of the automobile also directly stimulated the economical growth and success of the United States.
So what was the original thinking behind the car? Well to get a person and their family from point A to point B in a faster time than a horse. And it has evolved greatly ever since, even starting to loop back to Edison’s original plan for an electric car. So its safe to say that that the automobile is one of, if not, the most influential inventions on the United states.
Cars general work with the engine turning over from the driver using their key which makes the four piston strokes start. Once that happens, it starts moving getting hot and while that is happening, it moves the transmission belt which moves the alternator, and the alternator starts generating power through kinetic energy which in turns keeps the battery powered so you don’t lose power while driving. After the engine does that then power is supplied to the various computers in the car which gets it started moving. The steering wheel is attached to a steering column and the several other parts of the steering linkage so steering is possible. The brakes have two different types on the front there can usually be disc rotors which work by the rotor being mounted on the rotor hub and held in place with the mounting bracket on the mounting bracket are brake pads which squeeze the rotor which cause the car slow down or stop. The brakes on the rear are drum brakes which are similar to disc brakes, but they have brake shoes which expand to stop or slow down the car. This is not always true though some cars just have disc brakes and some older cars have drum brakes the reason for this is because disc is more reliable than drum brakes. Of course after all that you would remove the key and it would then stop the engine and the belt from turning and then the majority of the electrical stuff turns off except for the battery.