I saw from an advert in the paper today that the new Transit is available in Front Wheel Drive or Rear Wheel Drive.
I have never heard of a vehicle being offered with these alternatives, has there been any others? Is this an example of how the Transit really is just a chassis that you can build whatever you want to onto in the way of engine, drive and bodystyle?
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Early Renault Trafics could be either FWD or RWD depending on what was built on the chassis.
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Front wheel drive definitely - if it lowers the rear load height.
You'll appreciate it every time you get in or out of the load bay.
MTC
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I thought Transits had been available in previous models as FWD/RWD and long/short versions. Cannot comment on other marques.
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Given a straight choice, what would be the advatages (in a Transit) of choosing RWD?
I didn't realise there was a choice until a friend mentioned how much better at driving across wet grass his FWD Transit was than the RWD version he'd had previously.
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Given a straight choice, what would be the advatages (in a Transit) of choosing RWD?
Oversteer on building sites and when exiting tight, wet T-junctions and mini-roundabouts of course. ;-)
Cheers
DP
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The transit up to the MK5 was always RWD (apart from a few 4x4 models), when the new one came out it switched to predominently FWD although you could have a RWD version in certain configurations.
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It all depends what you want to do with it.
If the carriage is bulky but light, front wheel drive has its advantges. But for more weight and towing duties rear wheel drive every time for me.
I think I'm right in thinking the smaller one are fwd and the bigger ones are rwd and at the extremes, there is no choice.
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I could be wrong, but as far as I know the petrol versions are RWD and the diesel versions are FWD.
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I recall older transits had option of twin (rear) axle.
Which was great if ever you wanted to over-load it. Which nobody ever did, of course...
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What other vans of this type were RWD? Anything with a solid diesel engine over 2 litres - simple, pre-ECU (ie probably 10+ years old)? I'm thinking mad trike project ...
--
andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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The previous trasit was both FWD and RWD. Ford did a demonstration when it was launched and converted one van from FWD to RWD or vice versa in about one hour I think.
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There are lots of Transit variants, but generally the 3.5 tonners (Lutons, jumbo's etc) are RWD.
The smaller ones are all FWD. There is a bit of a mixture in the middle of the range, depending on customer spec.
As for the claim that one type of drive can be converted to another easily, I'm not so sure.
To convert a FWD to RWD would mean an engine and gearbox change, different mountings, drive shaft removal, rear axle replacement (brakes as well), prop shaft installation, gear linkage change, and a months work changing the fuel and cooling pipework. Maybe Ford can do it in an hour ?
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I seem to remember this mentioned in either AutoCar or AutoExpress. Definately heard about converting the driven wheels "relatively easily".
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An AWD version is due shortly using the engine and transmission of the forthcoming LR Defender
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Wasn't the Renault 21 offered with FWD/RWD in the mid '80s? and was it dependent on engine size?
S6 1SW
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If I remember correctly they offered some transverse and some longitudinally mounted engines depending on the size.
When taken into account with the estate option they had one car available with 4 different wheelbases.
I seem to have a knack for remebering these oddities from motoring magazines. I too recall the transit being changed from front to rear drive on its launch.
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renault 21 - available in different wheelbases depending on transverse or longitudinal engine
renault 14 - wheelbases on either side different (yes crazy but I remember this from Car Magazine in the 1970s)
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Espada, the Renault 5 had a different wheelbase on each side as well. I think it was something to do with the rear transverse suspension bars being placed one in front of the other. A problem arose when brake testing on a rolling road tester, one wheel sat in the rollers - the other one didn't. You had to allow the rollers to run and slew the car round until both wheels settled in.
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Never fails to surprise me how many luxury cars and vans get stuck when it snows bad, though that is often anymore. I remember driving past loads of BMWs, Granadas, Transits, etc. During the last heavy snow fall. I wonder if a FWD transit is cheaper on tyres? I realise that the front tyres will wear faster due to them being driven but is this more than compensated for by the lack of rear tyre wear?
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Xantia HDi.
Buy a Citroen and get to know the local GSF staff better...
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....I have never heard of a vehicle being offered with these alternatives, has there been any others?.....
Rover 75/V8 of course, although it was a substantial re-engineer job apparently to convert it to RWD.
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Triumph Dolomite / 1500 / Toledo - which all ended up being called Dolomites I think.
The Toledo was RWD - the 1500 was FWD - the Dolomite and Sprint were RWD.
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