do differentials on a 2 wheel drive car only power one wheel unless the car is going perfectly straight?
In: 29
No. The point of the differential is to allow the inside wheel turn at a different rate then outside wheel. So both wheels are always receiving power and don’t skid.
[this video can show how it works better then words alone ](https://youtu.be/yYAw79386WI?si=T1vGgpNhRowT4_6I)
“do differentials … only power one wheel …” No.
In fact, an open differential **always** supplies the **same torque** to both wheels. There is a common misconception that a locked differential splits the torque 50/50. This is basically exactly wrong. The open differential splits the torque 50/50. The locked differential can have any torque split form 100/0 to one side to 0/100 to the other side — a 50/50 split is possible with a locked differential, but would be very uncommon and only likely for an instant. A bit like balancing a pencil on its point — not impossible, but it’s not likely to stay balanced for long.
No, it can do 60% to one side, 40% and a lot of other different possibilities depending on what the system thinks the car needs.
And you need that because if you are turning right the wheels on the right side of the car have to travel a smaller distance than the ones on the left.
Like if you stand and start walking right in a small circle you do smaller steps with your right leg than with your left, car has the same issue.
This is an excellent video explaining the entire process. It is from 1937 and the announcers voice is irritating as hell, but it’s one of the best explanations I’ve seen. Take the lack of technology at the time it was filmed with a grain of salt, it’s still a good vid.
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=how+a+differential+works&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:013899cc,vid:yYAw79386WI,st:0
It powers both, until one loses traction, then an open diff will send all power to the wheel without traction.
Imagine you walk through a door with saloon style doors. Your left and right arm pushbthe doors equally. The move, you keep moving. Then image one door is stuck (all traction) and the other is free (no traction).. You walk through again thebdoors and you can go through but when you get resistance from one door, all your energy then goes to the other. That is what happens in an open diff.
Edit for more eli5- walk through the doors above holding a stick horizontally (like a dog). Same resistance on both doors, the stick pushes both equally. One is stuck, the stick opens the free door, stops on the stuck door, and you spin through.
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