Diffrential Assembly

Used & Rebuilt Diffrential Assembly

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Diffrential Assembly

What is a diffrential assembly?

The differential is a set of gears that transfers the engine torque to the wheels. It is what allows the steering wheels to turn at different speeds so that the car can take turns without putting much pressure on the tires. The inside wheel will move in a shorter distance compared to the outer wheels. The differential is usually part of the front and/or rear axle assembly. The differential assembly is located in the transmission axle assembly or the transaxle on a FWD or front wheel drive. If the axle will not allow the wheels to spin freely, the wheel of the tire will drag on the ground.

The average of the rotational speed of the two driving wheels should equal the input rotational speed of the drive shaft so that the increase in the speed of one of the wheels will be evened out by the decrease in speed of the other.This way, the differential couples the longitudinal input propeller shaft to the pinion which drives the transverse ring gear of the differential and also usually works as reduction gearing.

In rear wheel drive vehicles, the differential can connect to half shafts inside axle housing or drive shafts that connect to the rear driving wheels. Front wheel drive vehicles on the other hand tend to have the engine crankshaft and the gearbox shafts transverse, and with the pinion on the counter-shaft of the gearbox and with the differential enclosed in the same housing as the gearbox.

There are six main parts of a differential –

1. Differential Side Gear Or Sun Gears – This is small bevel gear which is mounted on the inner ends of each axle. They are fixed together to combine both the driving and driven shafts at 90 degrees angles.

2. Pinion Shaft Or Cross Pin – Two pinion gears and their supporting shaft which is fitted in the differential is called the pinion gear.

3. Axle Shafts Or Half Shafts – The solid shaft located in between the differential and the gear set of an axle housing is called an axle shaft or half shaft. Its main function is to transfer rotational force from the transmission system to the wheels attached to the axles.

4. Ring Gear Or Crown Wheel – The ring gear or crown wheel acts as an equaliser in dividing the torque between the two driving wheels while allowing one to turn faster than the other.

5. Drive Pinion Or Bevel Pinion – The drive pinion is connected to the drive shaft by a universal joint and it engages with a ring gear. And therefore, the ring gear rotates when the driver rotates the shaft.

6. Differential Case Or Housing – The differential casing is attached with two-wheel axles and differential side gears that rotate the two axle shafts

When to replace your differential

The differential assembly is one of the most important parts of vehicle and while you can drive with a slightly bad differential without major hick ups, it is strongly advised that you replace your differential as soon as you start noticing one of these signs –

1. Damage To The Tires- The differential is what allows the tires to spin at different rates while turning and if it’s faulty, the gears grind, causing the tires to turn at the same rate, which will wear them out. Therefore, if you happen to find sidewall or outer tire wear on the rear wheels, it’s an indication that the differential might be failing.

2. Reduced Handling Capabilities- If the differential is failing, handling the vehicle around corners will prove challenging and unexpected. You will easily notice that the vehicle is not functioning properly and needs to be checked out.

3. Vibrations- If you feel as though your vehicle is vibrating while driving, especially at higher speed levels, this is possibly due to a problem with the differential. You should avoid driving at high speed in these conditions and take your vehicle to a mechanic as soon as possible.

4. Grinding Gears- This happens when the differential is failing and the gears are wearing themselves out. Grinding gears is an important sign that your differential is close to total failure. It’s best not to drive at all in this situation as it can lock up the rear wheels which can be dangerous.

5.Whining Noises- While it’s not a certainty, the presence of whining noises is often an indication of a failing differential and needs to be checked out.