Braking
for better traction!!
In front wheel drive the traction comes from the front wheels while in rear wheel drive traction power comes from the rear wheels.
When brakes are applied too hard and wheels lose traction, two main types of skids can occur: front-wheel skid and rear-wheel skid. A front-wheel skid happens when the front wheels lose grip, causing the vehicle to slide straight ahead, often leading to understeering. In contrast, a rear-wheel skid occurs when the rear wheels lose traction, resulting in oversteering, where the rear of the vehicle swings out. Both types can compromise vehicle control and increase the risk of accidents.
They are broader for better traction.
On most cars the handbrake is applied to the rear wheels only. The footbrake applies to both the front and back brakes, with a bais to the front to help avoid the rear wheels locking up under heavy braking.
Rolling wheels have more traction than sliding wheels. Thus you have more control. To illustrate; If you were in a turn and either locked the brakes or accelerated too fast the rear wheels loose traction and the rear of the car starts to pass the front of the car.
There are several words for wheels losing traction; spinning, sliding, drifting, breaking free... If it happens to the front wheels while cornering it'll cause understeer = the car will continue straight forward despite the driver trying to turn.
Some farm tractors that have small wheels in the front and larger wheels in the back is to help farmers pull larger equipment. The large tires have more traction and the smaller wheels help to steer.
For rear drive cars - it's called a fishtail. You brakes work better on the front. Anybody who sailed over the handlebars when braking just the front wheel on a bike is called a head plant, (ouch)
Chevy done that on 4-wheel drives so when your off road with it the rear wheels are always grabbing a couple inches of un touched ground where the front wheels did not touck. That is called tracking. It's so the rear wheels don't run in the same place that the front wheels run. Better traction.
For rear drive cars - it's called a fishtail. You brakes work better on the front. Anybody who sailed over the handlebars when braking just the front wheel on a bike is called a head plant, (ouch)