1. Differential Dissection: Gears and Spline Shafts
J. MacCaull
To impart a basic understanding of differentials and a knowledge of gears and spline shafts in differentials

2. What are differentials?
Mechanical devices
Used commonly in wheeled vehicles
Provide power to the wheels
Allow wheels to rotate at different speeds

3. Why are differentials useful?
When a car turns, the inside wheels spin more slowly than the outside wheels
The driven wheels are linked
Without a differential the wheels must spin at the same speed
Turning is HARD without differentials

4. How do differentials work?
They use GEARS to split the engine torque
GEARS are mounted on SPLINE SHAFTS

7. Differential Gears
Differential gears have two coaxial gears – PINIONS and the TURNTABLE
Pinions are mounted on shafts
Shafts are connected to turntable

9. Gear Types Spiral Pinion gears contact ring gear at its centreline
Teeth are curved and oblique
Transmit power to perpendicular shafts
Hypoid
Pinion gears contact ring gear below its centreline
They operate on non-intersecting axes

10. THERE ARE MANY OTHER TYPES OF GEARS!

11. Hypoid Gear

12. SPLINES
Unlike gears, they only apply transmission of power on the same axes
Most splines are used for mounting gears
Ends of shafts have teeth for the gears to fit between

13. Summing Up
Differentials allow driven wheels to rotate at different speeds
This is done by using gears
There are many gear types
Splines are used to mount gears

14. Conclusion Now you know what a differential is and what it does
Now you know what gears do in a differential
Now you know what spline shafts do in a differential

15. More Information http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm