A differential gear distributes torque from a single shaft to two or more shafts, most commonly found in automobiles. It ensures even distribution of torque to each wheel, preventing tire damage and transmission failure.
A differential gear is a mechanical device used to convert and transfer torque in a variety of ways. Typically, a differential will be used to distribute torque from a single shaft to two or more shafts. Sometimes the reverse can happen, where the pair of two or more trees is transferred to only one tree. While a differential gear can take many forms, it is most often found in automobiles. In this application, the torque from a single shaft is distributed across two different shafts, each of which turns a drive wheel.
While differential gears can be found in many different mechanisms and machines, the modern automobile tends to make the most of them. When a car makes a turn, the wheels on either side of the car should turn at different speeds. Wheels closest to the direction of the turn must rotate more slowly than those facing away from the turn. For a car to do this, each rear wheel needs its own individual drive shaft, but torque still needs to be distributed evenly.
A differential gear accomplishes this by distributing torque evenly to each individual shafted wheel. This is done through a special gear arrangement found where the engine drive shaft meets the two drive shafts. The engine inside the car creates torque, which is then increased through the transmission. From the transmission, a single drive shaft rotates the differential gearbox.
Differential drives can be found in a variety of arrangements, however the arrangement itself is relatively universal among automakers. A spiral bevel pinion at the end of the transmission drive shaft spins a larger ring gear. The crown gear is relatively large in diameter and has a large hole in the middle. While the teeth of most gears exit to the side, the teeth of the ring gear face upwards. In this way, the engine pinion can connect to the ring gear.
The ring gear results in a unique gear arrangement, in which the torque is distributed evenly to both drive shafts. On the face of the ring gear is the so-called differential cage, which houses two bevel gears on either side. The faces of these gears are perpendicular to that of the ring gear, which allows them to mate properly with two other matching bevel gears. Each of these other two bevel gears makes up one end of each drive shaft.
Without a differential or two different drive shafts, a variety of negative effects could occur in the car and its components. One of the most notable is tire damage, which is a result of tire drag. This occurs when the outside tire is unable to rotate faster than the inside. Such dragging can also cause damage and transmission failure.
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