hi

i have problem with the diff in front and rear:confused: , i have a 86 leone wagon 5sp d/r. the problem is that the wheels on the rigth side turns and not the wheels on the left. and this is in the low range with diff on:banghead: . whats the problem, do i need a tranny and rear diff change.

 

help please

 

 

karstein

Search for 'open differential' and 'welded differential' or 'limited slip differential' on google. Basically, stock most of our cars came with open diff's, meaning only one side at a time (left/right) would get power. This allowed the car to turn very easily (when you turn, outside wheel must travel faster than the inside wheel and if they are 'locked' together one tire must scrub against the pavement to remain moving at the same speed as the other). A limited slip (LSD) would keep power going to both wheels, but allow one wheel to 'slip' internally when going around corners. However this means when we are in slippery conditions, only one wheel gets power and only one spins. There's a sticker on the rear duff, look and see if it says LSD in big letters.

 

The front differential of our cars is internal to the tranny, and really can't be locked or limited slip without major modification and loss of the ability to turn.

 

Basically - nothings wrong, that just how they were built. If you want an off road machine only, weld up the rear differential so those two wheels always turn together (look it up!)

 

As a side note, the dual range acts as a center differential locker (between the front and rear), essentially requiring the front and rear to turn at the same speed. Since you are getting one wheel front and rear spinning, there's nothing wrong there, either.

ok. but strange. if i remeber right when i bought the car so did the diff lock all wheels on my car, specialy when i'm straight forward. but not now, and i'm not driving offroad with the car. just have about 50 cm snow. but i should not argue on that.. thanks anyway

Diff lock switch only locks the center diff. Front and rear are both open unless you have an LSD rear diff.

 

GD

ok. but explain why my car spins on 3 wheel in 4 wd hi and not in 4 wd lo. i dont understand it.

its a parttime 4wd i have.

Part time doesn't have a center diff BTW.

 

So you are saying, in the snow your car spins both right wheels? You may find if you are on a slope the wheels that are higher will more likely spin. As you have open front and rear differentials the ones on the left will not spin as there is more friction, weight, on them and there for the diff does it's job and sends power to the other wheel.

If there is something wrong with your differentials you would know about it when driving straight as the car would pull to the left if only the right wheels were driving.

 

All the "lo" gearset does is drops your drive output ratio. The low range is before everything in the gear box (it comes just after the clutch on your driveline) so there for it can only affect gearing, not differential... Unless something major is broken and somehow the crown wheel on your front diff is in contact with the second shaft for hte low range...

A differential will always send power to the wheel with the least resistance, the least traction. If the traction is equal, then both tires will give power or spin, depending on the amount of traction available. This can also be affected by how many rpm it is trying to spin the tires at, and how quickly you let the clutch out (hence the different spinning in hi and low).

 

Just be glad it isn't AWD without a diff lock- the one tire on the car with the least traction would spin then.........

Just be glad it isn't AWD without a diff lock- the one tire on the car with the least traction would spin then.........

The AWD's are pretty good, because they have a VLSD (viscous limited slip differential.) But, yes, not as good as 4WD or center locked AWD.

I was more refering to AWD in general, not only the Subarus. The center VLSD helps, but if you have one tire on ice/sand/snow, and the other three on pavement, it will spin a little before that clutch engages to send power to the other wheels.

ok. i think i'm geting it now.

i just have to say thanks for the reply friend's:) :)

 

 

 

karstein