Things To Know Before Upgrading To Off Road Differentials

Upgrading the differential of the off road rig to a limited slip or locker is a great way to improve your car’s off road capabilities. Stock vehicles will be equipped with open differentials to make the vehicle have better road manners and to decrease the production costs. However, various aftermarket differentials would help you experience true four-wheel drive feel. Even adding a single locker can turn your vehicle into an off road capable one.

CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE DIFFERENTIAL

Differential transmits power to the axle shafts, and at the same time, allows wheels to rotate at varied speeds as the car runs at different speeds and paths. Open differential is best for this application under normal condition driving, but is not a good performer when it comes to off road driving. In addition, as there are different types of differentials and lockers available in the market, you need to choose one based on your driving habits and conditions.

LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIALS

Open differentials make sure that the same amount of torque reaches each wheel. This is good for normal dry running conditions, where the wheel is able to grip the ground without slipping. But what if you are driving on ice or mud? There can also be situations where one of the wheels of your vehicle is on ice or mud. With open differentials, you will end up with one wheel spinning freely and the other wheel not moving at all.

LOCKING DIFFERENTIALS

These differentials offer improved traction than the standard ones. This is done by disallowing wheel speed differentiation between two wheels in an axle under same conditions. This type of differential will lock both the wheels on an axle together, as if the wheels are on a common shaft, while allowing the wheels to rotate at varied speeds whenever necessary. This mechanism will force the wheels to turn in unison, regardless of the grip and traction that is available to the wheels.

These are the two most common types of off road differentials available in the market today. Get in touch with our experts to know more on the type suitable for your off road drive, and install the best off road parts for better, higher performance.