Diff how does it work

Related Articles. Table of Contents. Save Article. Improve Article. Like Article. Next cmp Command in Linux with examples. Recommended Articles. Article Contributed By :. Easy Normal Medium Hard Expert. Writing code in comment? Please use ide. Imagine a cardboard box car with milk bottle cap wheels threaded on to straw axels. You can roll it back and forth as much as you like. It will roll freely and smoothly. Now try gluing the wheels to the straw axle. This is because each of the wheels has to travel a different distance but are locked together on one single axle.

These huge forces put an enormous strain on the entire structure of the vehicle. Engineers had to think of a clever way of connecting the wheels to the power output of the engine, but allow each wheel to move at a different speed from the other.

All that power is going to go through the path of least resistance. In rear-wheel-drive cars, the differential is obviously at the back and is therefore often overlooked when a car goes in for a service. It depends entirely on how you use your car, but the average mileage for fluid replacement is between 30, to 50, miles. The answer is quite simply general abuse. The limited-slip differential in your rear-wheel-drive car was put there to provide additional grip and some slidey action, but that doesn't mean you should powerslide around every corner.

Not only is it dangerous, but it tends to lead to overheating. On the flip side, you need to give the differential some time to warm up before giving it the beans. When it comes to 4x4s, differentials are usually damaged by sharp rocks. Investing in proper underbody protection before off-roading is an absolute must-have off-road modification. A damaged differential is easy to diagnose. Because it's such a vital part of the car, you will definitely notice. First, the driveshaft will vibrate, you'll hear the sound of gears grinding, and a whining noise coming from the driven wheels.

A quick check underneath the diff should reveal whether you have a leaking problem. If you know your car well enough, you'll notice a change in the handling. Turning into a corner will be harder, and in a worst-case scenario the differential will lock up. Uneven wear on the tires is also a sign of a differential starting to fail.

Check out our guide on common car problems for more troubleshooting help. Once the gears are damaged, things get pricey. Most electric vehicles use either a single- or dual-motor setup.

The torque still needs to be distributed between the wheels, so a differential is required. Tesla uses open differentials on its cars, for example. On some next-generation cars, the electric motor will form part of the wheels assembly, which means a car can have either front, rear, or all-wheel-drive without any mechanical linkages.

A limited-slip differential won't get you arrested, but an LSD pill most certainly will. Also, don't drop acid before drifting. Actually, the police aren't big fans of drifting in public spaces in general, so keep limited-slip diff use only for the track.

Read in this article:. Defining the Differential So, what is a differential? What is a Differential Gear? How a Differential Works Here is a summary of how a differential works: The flange is essentially the coupling between the driveshaft coming from the engine and the differential. Types of Differentials, including the Limited Slip, Front, and Locked Differential For decades, there were three types of differentials, namely, the open, limited-slip, and locked differential.

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Under the Hood.