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DGT Glossary
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Driving wheels

The wheels that receive engine power and move the vehicle: front, rear or all four, depending on the drivetrain.

Definition

The driving wheels (ruedas motrices) are the ones that receive power from the engine and move the vehicle. Which ones they are depends on the drivetrain: power can go to the front wheels (front-wheel drive), to the rear wheels (rear-wheel drive) or to both axles at once (all-wheel drive), in which case every wheel on the vehicle is a driving wheel. They are not the same as the steered wheels, which point the vehicle where the steering wheel tells them to.

Grip, chains and the brakes

Anything meant to keep traction goes on the driving wheels: snow chains and special tyres must be fitted at least to them, or to one wheel on each side of the same driven axle. On a motorcycle or moped the rear wheel is the driving wheel and the front one steers, which is why the rear tyre wears fastest. Traction control (ASR) matches engine force to the grip of the driving wheels. The foot brake, however, works on all four wheels — not only on the driving wheels.

Key facts

  • They receive engine power and move the vehicle.
  • Front-wheel drive: the front pair. Rear-wheel drive: the rear pair. All-wheel drive: all of them.
  • On motorcycles and mopeds the rear wheel drives and the front wheel steers.
  • Snow chains go at least on the driving wheels.
  • The foot brake acts on all four wheels, not just the driving ones.

Keep studying

Frequently asked questions

Which wheels are the driving wheels?
The ones that receive engine power: the front pair on a front-wheel-drive car, the rear pair on a rear-wheel-drive one, and all four on an all-wheel-drive vehicle.
Which wheels does the foot brake act on?
All four. The service brake spreads braking force across every wheel, not only the front ones or the driving ones.

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