LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIALS Thomas Snowdon

Differential is located between the drive wheels Differential allows the drive shaft to turn the drive wheels

Differential allows car to turn Inside wheels travel less distance Inside wheels rotate slower than outside wheels

Open/standard differentials can create the problem of driving only the wheel that has less traction This problem occurs on low traction surfaces such as ice or gravel It can also occur when large amounts of power/torque are used such as when accelerating Limited-slip differentials solve this problem

Clutch type limited-slip differential Clutch pack is between the cage and the side gears When one wheel spins faster the side gears activate the clutch pack

Another type is know as the viscous limited-slip differential Viscous differentials use a special liquid which replaces the clutch pack Disadvantages of limited-slip differentials are: higher cost, clutch plates must be replaced, lower fuel economy, and special lubrication is needed

Summary Limited-slip differentials solve the problem of driving one wheel only in low traction conditions Clutch limited-slip differentials activate a clutch pack to turn both wheels The clutch pack locks the side gears to the differential cage when activated Limited-slip differentials are not used all the time because they are expensive

Works Cited www.mathworks.com http://members.rennlist.org www.truckworld.com www.gordon-glasgow.org www.oldsmobility com http://auto.howstuffworks.com