Have you ever wondered why the front and rear wheel of your car take sharp turns without falling apart? The reason behind a car’s stability while turning around sharp corners is differential. This component helps in compensating the distance difference between the front and rear tires. Cars with faulty or no differentials take jerky turns around the corners since the wheels on the outside tend to move faster than those located inside.
Understanding differentials
Automakers are quite diligent when it comes to integrating the differential and differential lubrication in cars of different wheel drives. Usually, the cars with dominating front-wheel-drive have differential encased in the transmission. Both of these components share the same fluid.
In cars with rear-wheel-drive, the lubrication and housing of differential are separate from the rest of the components. If you take a glance at the bumper from the back of the car, you can clearly see the differential which is usually connected to the driveshaft.
Why is it important to maintain the differential?
Since differential is something which is surrounded by metal surfaces from either side. The constant contact between metal surfaces speeds up wear and tear caused by heat dissipation via increased friction. If you don’t replace the differential oil on time, you risk losing your gear performance leading to life-threatening drives. Experts recommend replacing differential oil as much as changing the engine oil. If you truly want to save your money from excessive repair costs, refer to your owner’s manual and find out when you should replace your differential oil and do as it says.
