Differential

The differential is used to change the direction of the engine's rotational motion. The diff uses a pinion and ring gear to drive the wheels. It uses spider gears to control the speed of each wheel around a corner. The differential also reduces the speed and it increases the torque supplied by the engine because of the gear ratio between the pinion and ring gears.

On the differential that we disassembled we found that the pinion gear was damaged and that the pinion gear shaft had a roughness to it when we turned it which may be caused by faulty bearings. Another problem we found what all the bearings and the spider gears were worn. The wear on the differential parts may be caused by a lack of fluid or prolong usage of the diff (high KMs). The spider gears were also cracked and chipped.

Differentials do not have a lot of moving parts but it is important that there is the correct amount of clearance between the gears to reduce the backlash. It is also important to use the right oil (SAE 75) and to make sure that the oil level is at the correct level.