Page 18 - Jeep Jamboree Ultimate Guide To Safe Common Sense Off-Roading

DIFFERENTIALS

Differentials are designed to allow wheels on a single axle to move at different speeds. This is important
when cornering, because the outside wheels must spin faster than the inside wheels, since they have a
greater distance to travel in a shorter amount of time. Without the differential, the inside tire would skid
and skip around a corner. This is hard on the tires and drivetrain components, and potentially dangerous.

There are a few different types of differentials you should be familiar with. Refer to the diagrams on the
next page to better understand how each type of differential works.

OPEN DIFFERENTIALS
Open differentials are great around town and out on the highway. Power flows to the wheel with the
least resistance, moving you easily down the road. Off-road, open differentials make even the easiest
obstacles overly difficult. The torque flow in open differentials takes the path of least resistance. If one
wheel is on the road and the other is in the mud, all the torque will go to the wheel in the mud – which
is exactly what you don’t want to happen.

LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL
A limited-slip differential works a lot like an open differential, except for one big difference. Instead of
sending 100% of the torque to the tire with the least resistance, it will automatically send some torque
to the tires with the most traction, enabling your vehicle to move forward.

LOCKING DIFFERENTIALS
For four-wheelers who want the ultimate control over their traction, locking differentials are the solution
to many off-road traction challenges. When a locker is engaged, equal power is distributed to each
wheel, regardless of the traction it has. In situations where traction is hard to come by, this ensures that
any wheel with a hint of traction can do its part to help move the vehicle.
Locking differentials come two ways – driver-controlled or automatic. Depending on the vehicle, the
locking differential might only be on the rear axle (with an open or limited slip differential on the front).
Some vehicles have locking differentials on both the front and rear axles for the ultimate in traction
control. Lockers on both axles make sure all four tires have the same amount of power, whether one tire
is in a rut, all four tires are in mud or two tires are in the air.

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