Do you really know how to use the differential lock?

Differential lock is a common configuration in 6×4 models, and it is mainly used in some environments with complex road conditions. When one of the driving wheels of the vehicle loses grip, the differential lock can quickly lock it, allowing both wheels to turn at the same speed.

What is a differential?

The differential is what makes the speed difference between the wheels on both sides. When the vehicle turns, the speed of the outer wheel is greater than that of the inner wheel, and the speed difference generated by the different speeds is balanced by the differential.

The differential mainly relies on the meshing between the planetary gear and the sun gear to freely distribute the power from the input shaft to the wheels on both sides, and which side has less wheel resistance, the more power will be distributed to which side.That is to say, when one wheel is idling and the other wheel is not turning, the wheel on the idling side will be allocated nearly 100% of the power, doing useless work, which is what we often call slipping and idling.

Drive axle

In order to prevent the wheels on one side from spinning, and the wheels that really need power on the other side distribute enough power, engineers thought of using a differential lock to solve this problem.

● Differential lock

The differential lock is used to lock the wheel differential. When one side of the wheel is idling, resulting in power loss, the differential lock can connect the wheels on both sides. When the differential

lock is locked, you can imagine the locked drive axle as a whole connected by a hard steel pipe. At this time, the rotational speed of the wheels on both sides is forced to be equal, that is, if the left

wheel turns a The wheel on the right side should also turn a circle, so that the wheel on the landing side can get enough power to help the vehicle get out of trouble smoothly.

Differential lock working diagram

When the differential lock is locked, the drive shaft is fixed (engaged) by a tooth-like gear to achieve the locking effect, thereby allowing the vehicle to escape smoothly. This is also a relatively more stable and reliable differential lock form at this stage.

Transaxle with differential lock

First of all, the differential lock is not like a gearbox with a synchronizer. The speed of the claw gears on both sides will not be automatically synchronized. Therefore, before using the differential lock, you must stop the vehicle and then open the differential lock.

After the inter-wheel and inter-axle differential locks are turned on, the indicator light on the meter will flash, and you can shift gears to drive forward. The function of the inter-wheel differential lock is to keep the speed of the wheels on both sides consistent, and the inter-axle differential lock is to keep the speed of the two drive axles consistent.

When the second axle spins and slips, the inter-axle differential lock locks it with the other transaxle, keeping them at the same speed. That is to say, when the inter-axle differential lock is locked, the premise of the rotation of this ungrounded axle is that the other grounded axles rotate synchronously, and the grounded axle can distribute enough power, and the vehicle can use the power of the grounded axle to get out of trouble smoothly.

However, after the vehicle gets out of trouble, the driver should release the differential lock in time, otherwise the wheels on both sides will always remain hard-connected. When the vehicle turns, the wheels on both sides cannot produce a corresponding speed difference. If the friction of the tires is large enough, the differential lock will be directly broken, and the tires will be severely worn.

Therefore, although the differential lock is good, it can only be used when the vehicle is out of trouble, so the following two points should be kept in mind before using it:

1. The vehicle should be stopped before use.

2. After the vehicle is out of trouble, the differential lock should be released in time, and it is strictly forbidden to drive without unlocking, let alone turn the steering wheel.