Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [differential]

A planetary gear train which sits between the engine and driven wheels to allow them (driven wheels) to spin at different relative speeds with each other to account for varying paths taken (varying surface, turning etc.)

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How exactly does a differential work?

I understand that the differential (or "diff") is the thing that allows the drive shaft to transfer its rotational velocity to the front or rear axle in order to move the car. As far as I know, the diff is the part that also allows each wheel to…
Max Goodridge
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Why don't FWD cars have rear differentials?

This confuses me. The point of a differential is to make it so the wheels don't slip when one needs to be turning faster than the other, such as during turns. So if the rear wheels are directly connected by a solid axle, doesn't that force them to…
temporary_user_name
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Is there an advantage using 2 smaller motors on Tesla car's rear axle?

Let me be clear: I am speaking about the rear wheel drive model. After I've asked https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/15342/number-of-motors-rwd-tesla , it seems Tesla's rear axle has only one motor. Searching the Internet, it could not be…
sergiol
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Can I improve fuel economy by changing differential’s gear ratio?

I would like to use my Lada Niva for normal road travel, but at 3500 rpm at 100 kph it is not very fuel efficient. I don’t know what the current differential ratio is, but I assume it has been changed for off-road driving. I already changed a…
Martin
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Why do open differentials drive the wheels on the ground when a vehicle drives on two?

In this youtube video, a Toyota FJ cruiser in Saudi Arabia drives up on two wheels while 5 people get out and remove the wheels on that side. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQm5BnhTBEQ This turns out to be somewhat of a thing-to-do in arab nations…
Ehryk
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Lexus RCF - Torque Vectoring Differential, How Does it Work?

I was reading about the Lexus RCF and how it has a torque vectoring differential and how this differential has the ability to put more torque on the outer turning wheels rather than on the inside wheels which seems to be a common differential issue…
DucatiKiller
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2000 Chevrolet Silverado - Clicking Noise From Front Differential

I have recently noticed a clicking noise from the front differential on my 2000 Chevrolet Silverado when traveling at low speeds (under 10 MPH, but I'm sure it's always there, but it's too fast/too much road noise which makes it impossible to hear…
StephenH
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How to adjust pinion bearing preload

I made a mistake using a sharpie to mark the nut when changing the radial seal of my rear differential’s input shaft. Oil and tools made the mark disappear. The common way to put this back together is to mark the bolt and torque until it is…
user3829017
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Automatic Transmission or Differential Backlash (Play)

I noticed that my car has what it seems to be significant differential play. I have a 1993 Acura Integra with automatic transmission. What I mean by play is simple: say I jack up only one front wheel and leave the other one on the ground. Then I can…
vlsd
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Subaru clunking and whining - differential?

I have a 2002 Subaru Outback with a 5 speed manual and 160k miles on it. The previous owner claims to have replaced the front differential, because it was locked up. Now, I have been hearing whining noises coming from around the transmission (hard…
FireSBurnsmuP
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Is there such a thing as a "drive tire"?

I once went to get my tires replaced on my '03 Honda Accord after not having rotated them in a while. One of the front tires seemed to be more worn than the other front tire. An employee at the tire center made a comment that the one front tire was…
DanW
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Rear end Differential - rebuild or replace with used?

I have a 01 Ford F 150 with 320K miles. I love this truck and don't plan on ever selling it. I thought the bearings were going out in the back right side so I took it to mechanic. Two different mechanics say the rear end needs to be rebuilt or…
Terry
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How to hack an on-demand rear diff locker on FJ Cruiser bypassing the ECU?

The Electronic Control Unit on my FJ Cruiser is not relaying the signal properly to the rear differential lock actuator when I switch it on. I want to bypass the ECU altogether and make the switch lock and unlock the diff on-demand. How do I do…
tempoc
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Damage to Audi differential with new front tires and old rear tires

I just bought two new front tires for my Audi A8 with Quattro all-wheel drive and was told I should replace the back tires as well. I can't afford those tires for a week or so. How long can I drive the car with old tires on the rear before it starts…
Gregg
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Component identification - Mini Cooper S R53 (2005) Limited Slip Differential

I own a 2002 Mini Cooper (R50), a Model Year infamous for its failure-prone 5-speed manual gearbox. When failure occurred I replaced the whole starter motor - flywheel - clutch - gearbox - axles assembly with one from a 2005 Cooper S. To my…
Caterpillaraoz
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