What Is A Differential And How Does It Work?

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2. How it works

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If you’ve ever played with a Hot Wheels car, and of course you have, you know the toy does a great job of going in a straight line but doesn’t turn very well.

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That’s because it doesn’t have a differential. Your vehicle does, however, whether it’s front-, rear-, four-, or all-wheel-drive. What type of differential you have, and even how many, depends on what you’re driving.

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What is a differential?

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On a turn, the outside wheel travels farther and faster than the inside one. The differential is a set of gears that transmits engine power to the wheels, while allowing them to turn at different speeds on turns.

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What is a front differential?

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With front-wheel-drive (FWD), the differential is alongside the transmission inside a housing, and the unit is called a transaxle.

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What is a rear differential and how does it work?

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With rear-wheel-drive (RWD), the differential is between the rear wheels, connected to the transmission by a driveshaft. All-wheel-drive (AWD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles add a centre differential or transfer case to distribute power front and rear.

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Some hybrid vehicles have “electronic” AWD. These use electric motors to power the rear wheels, and turn them faster or slower as needed on turns.

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What is an open differential?

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The open differential allows the wheels to turn independently at different speeds. Its main drawback is that if one wheel doesn’t have traction, such as if it hits ice, it still gets lots of power. It spins helplessly, and you go nowhere.

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To help with traction loss while you’re driving, all new vehicles must be equipped with traction and electronic stability control. These use sensors from the anti-lock brakes to determine if one wheel is turning faster. It then reduces engine power, or brakes the spinning wheel, or both, to get things under control.

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