The Differencial

Dylan O'Bosky
Daniel Vincelett

In an open differential if one wheel comes off the ground and the other stays on the ground the wheel that is on the ground will receive no torque and the spinning wheel will receive all the torque. Likewise in a limited slip differential if one wheel comes off the ground and starts to spin the torque will be transferred to the wheel that is not spinning. Open differentials are bad for off-roading because of how bad they transfer torque. See the diagram to the left for a more detailed picture. Limited slip differentials are much more efficient torque transfer machines and are much better for off-roading.

Differentials are very usefull and very important for every car. Most people overlook the differential and don’t think it matters but we will show you that it is. They help you turn corners more efficiently and are even more important when off-roading. The differential is made up of 3 Types of gears, the Crown Wheel, the Sun Gears and the Planet pinion gears. The Sun Gears and Planet Pinion gears help the wheels turn at different speeds and rotate more efficiently, while the Crown Wheel turns the whole system.