What are Differentials and Differential Locks?

In the daily operation of trucks, we often encounter very poor road conditions. With the development of the automotive industry, these issues have been cleverly resolved. There are two specific mechanisms in our vehicles designed to address such situations:differentials and differentials locks.

Differentials

A differentials is a mechanism that allows the left and right (or front and rear) drive wheels to rotate at different speeds. Its primary function is to enable the wheels on either side of a vehicle to rotate at different angular velocities when the vehicle is turning or driving on uneven terrain, ensuring that the drive wheels engage in pure rolling motion with the ground.  The working principle of a differential involves the interaction of components such as planetary gears, sun gears, and ring gears. When the vehicle turns, the differential allows the outer wheel to torate faster than the inner wheel to accommodate different turning radil. During straight -line travel, when the resistance on both sides of the wheels is the same, the differential does not operate, and the wheels rotate at the same speed.

Differential Locks

A differential lock is a type of differential that has an automatic locking function, designed to improve a vehicle's ability to traverse poor road surfaces. When one of the vehicle's drive axles is slipping, the differential lock can quickly lock the differential, rigidly connecting the two drive axles and thereby increasing the vehicle's traction.

Differential locks are divided into wheel differential lock and axle differential locks. Wheel differential locks are used to lock the differential of an individual wheel, achieving a hard connection between two wheels. Axle diffierential locks, on the other hand, are used in multi-axle vehicles,such as 6X4 models, locking the differentials on the through-axles to achieve a hard connection between the two drive axles.

Usage Scenarios 

The use of differentials is very extensive, including daily driving, turning, different road conditions, accelertion and braking, towing, and more. It is almost a strandard configuration for modern vehicle and is crucial  for improving vehicle handing, stability, and safety.

The use of differential locks is more specific, such as off-road driving, wheel slipping, heavy load climbing, and harsh road conditions. In these situations, differential locks can quickly provide addiitional traction to help the vehicle overcome obstacles.

Precautions

When using differential locks,speical attention is needed to prevent damage to the locking mechanism. After the vehicle has been freed, the differential lock should be turned  off in a timely manner. Additionaly, to avoid tire wear and damage to the locking mechanism, try not to turn while the wheel differential lock is engaged.

Differentials and differential locks are two important components of a vehicle's drive system. The differential is responsible for adjusting wheel speeds during normal driving, while the differential lock provides additional traction under specific conditions. Understanding their working principles and usage scenarios can help us better utilize these systems to enhance vehicle performance and safety.

Middle Axle Differential

Complete Differential Lock Set

Rear Axle Differential