submitted: Nov 20th 2008 | by: Everdrives123 | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 457 | |

If you've been following my columns, you already have a good idea regarding how power is generated in your car and the course along which it travels. Eventually, the power reaches your car's differential before it's finally delivered to the wheels. Besides sending power to the wheels, your differential also reduces their speed and allows them to turn at different speeds. Today, we'll take a closer look at this component. I'll explain why your car, truck, or SUV needs one and how it works under the hood.

Why They're Necessary

It's a common misconception that a car's wheels rotate at the same velocity. In truth, they often turn at different speeds. For example, consider making a right turn. Your car's wheels on the inside of the turn will travel less distance than the wheels on the outside. Now, think for a moment. Your wheels are still intact at the end of the turn. That means the inside wheels rotated more slowly than those on the outside.

In vehicles with front-wheel drive, the differential isn't needed to turn the rear wheels at different speeds. Likewise for rear-wheel drive vehicles and the front wheels, respectively. That's due to the transmission turning both "driven" wheels and the other 2 basically following their lead. That said, the differential is necessary to rotate the "driven" wheels at varying speeds. Otherwise, they'd be locked and rotating in unison, precluding your car's ability to make turns.

How They Work

They're comprised of several parts, including a ring gear, side gear, pinion gears, axle shaft, input pinion, and pinion shaft. The pinion gears are contained within a "cage" surrounded by the ring gear. The input pinion rotates clockwise, causing the ring gear to rotate at an intersecting axis.

Remember, when your car turns, the inside wheels must travel more slowly than the outside wheels. Your differential accomplishes this by rotating the cage within the ring gear so the pinions can turn at different speeds. In effect, it is splitting your engine's torque, thereby allowing the inside and outside wheels to rotate differently.

Torque And Traction

A full discussion of torque, traction, and how they interact is best left for a future column. But, it's important to understand that a differential splits the engine's torque, allocating it evenly to your car's wheels. Traction plays a role in that the more of it there is in any given circumstance, the more effectively the torque can be delivered. Ultimately, that affects how well the differential does its job.

What I've described above is merely an overview of a powerful car part that performs a complex task. In a future column, we'll explore this component in more detail.

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