eli5: Why is a car differential always on one side? wouldn’t the middle of the axle be better?
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Cars are often setup asymmetrically for two reasons: packaging and weight distribution. Front differentials are generally offset for packaging, be it the engine or the passenger compartment everything has to go somewhere. This prevents you from putting everything on the centerline. For rear differentials, they may be on the centerline or they may be offset. If they are offset, it could be packaging again, or it could be that the engine is slightly offset so that the car +driver has a 50:50 weight distribution side to side. This offset for weight distribution can also be seen in front wheel drive setups.
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