Differential Explained

[shatto]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4JhruinbWc
Starts slow, but is really pretty neat.

[theholycow]

I've seen that one before...it really is great. The meat starts at about 3:30.

[yt]K4JhruinbWc[/yt]

[GasSavers_JoeBob]

Great video...breaking down the principle of the differential gear into easily understood pieces.

I guess they hadn't invented the driveshaft tunnel yet...

[VetteOwner]

the wha? the model T had a driveshaft tunnel. my AA does. god that thing is a beast! axle and tube weigh prolly 900 lbs of pure AMERICAN steel AND its a worm gear drive rearend.

i first learned of how a differential works from believe it or not but legos (actually the Technic side of legos)

[GasSavers_JoeBob]

Originally Posted by VetteOwner

the wha? the model T had a driveshaft tunnel. my AA does. god that thing is a beast! axle and tube weigh prolly 900 lbs of pure AMERICAN steel AND its a worm gear drive rearend.

i first learned of how a differential works from believe it or not but legos (actually the Technic side of legos)

I think you are thinking about the torque tube, which was a tube which enclosed the driveshaft. IIRC, Model Ts, Model As, and a bunch of other older model cars used that. I was talking about that hump down the middle of the floor on RWD cars...that place where you don't want to sit when you have 5 or six people in a six-passenger car...

[VetteOwner]

Originally Posted by JoeBob

I think you are thinking about the torque tube, which was a tube which enclosed the driveshaft. IIRC, Model Ts, Model As, and a bunch of other older model cars used that. I was talking about that hump down the middle of the floor on RWD cars...that place where you don't want to sit when you have 5 or six people in a six-passenger car...

ahhh yea lol. yea that tube came about because cars were getting lower and faster (better handiling and lower due to better road imprevements. gotta remember T and A days roads were dirt and commonly got washed out/rutted. had to have high ground clearance and be rugged.

even up into the 50's roads were dirt (some still are)

[JanGeo]

How about the Torson differential . . . that was a major improvement. My BMW R100S has a swingarm with the shaft inside it to the rear end but it is not a differential. It does however use an offset from center pinion to drive the crown gear so it is sort of a worm drive. After I teflon empregnated the gears it became much easier to bump start in 1st gear where as before the rear wheel would lock up.

[kamesama980]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

How about the Torson differential . . . that was a major improvement. My BMW R100S has a swingarm with the shaft inside it to the rear end but it is not a differential. It does however use an offset from center pinion to drive the crown gear so it is sort of a worm drive. After I teflon empregnated the gears it became much easier to bump start in 1st gear where as before the rear wheel would lock up.

That's called a hypoid bevel and is NOT a worm drive. almost all automotive rear ends in the last 40 or 50 years are hypoid bevel gears. it is slightly quieter than an on axis bevel gear set. the main reason for it's use however is to lower the driveshaft to allow a lower center hump in the floor of the car.

[GasSavers_JoeBob]

Originally Posted by kamesama980

That's called a hypoid bevel and is NOT a worm drive. almost all automotive rear ends in the last 40 or 50 years are hypoid bevel gears. it is slightly quieter than an on axis bevel gear set. the main reason for it's use however is to lower the driveshaft to allow a lower center hump in the floor of the car.

Actually, Torsen differentials are used in a lot of different cars...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsen

I'd never heard of them before...learn something new every day

The kind of worm gear drive shown above is really great for moving large objects with a shrimpy (by today's standards) engine...like a Model TT or AA truck, for example...you just don't go too awfully fast...and bump starting would really play hell with it...

[kamesama980]

Originally Posted by JoeBob

Actually, Torsen differentials are used in a lot of different cars...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsen

I'd never heard of them before...learn something new every day

The kind of worm gear drive shown above is really great for moving large objects with a shrimpy (by today's standards) engine...like a Model TT or AA truck, for example...you just don't go too awfully fast...and bump starting would really play hell with it...

sorry, new years musta taken more out of me than I thought :-p Yes a torsen uses worm gears. They are goofy goofy creations though. I'm pretty sure they were invented while experimenting with brake cleaner in a small poorly ventilated room. accordingly you have to be on something or up way too late to understand them.

the ring/pinion of automotive rear ends is a hypoid bevel I'm not sure if shaftie bikes would use a hypoid bevel or a regular on-axis bevel gear.