NCTTE - Automotive Department

TRANSMISSION
AUT 324 - "Transmission and drive trains"
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Final Drive and Differential

Duties:

- to transmit and to increase torque

- to reduce speeds
- to change direction of power flow, if required
- to compensate differences in speed of the driven wheels
- to distribute the torque equally to the driven wheels

(final drive gear)

(
"
)
(
"
)
(differential)
(
"
)

Mainly two arrangements of final

gears are known: straight bevel
pinion and hypoid bevel pinion
drives.
"Hypoid" means, that the axle of
the pinion is offset from the center
of the ring gear.
Advantages of the hypoid drive:
1. Silent running since a higher
number of teeth are in contact.
2. Higher demands (loads, forces)
possible since diameter and width
of teeth are wider.
3. Less space required since the
ring gear is with a smaller
diameter.
Propeller
shaft
arrangement can be kept down.
Disadvantage: Due to the axle
offset higher sliding motions
appear which lead to higher
pressures. Special Hypoid oil is required (API-GL-5)! Typical gear ratio of the final drive is between 3,0 and 5,0.

The position of the pinion gear

to the ring gear determines the
teeth contact and therefore the
possible torque that can be
transmitted without irregular
wear. Different ways of adjusting
are common (see LAB!),
manufacturers instructions are
to
be
followed!
Wrong
adjustment of the pinion height
leads to destruction of the
differential.
- 1 - Differential

NCTTE - Automotive Department

TRANSMISSION
AUT 324 - "Transmission and drive trains"
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compensation of speed differences:

During driving a curve the inner wheel passes less
distance than the outer wheel, this results in a speed
difference, which is to be compensated. Also different
frictions between wheel and ground are leading to
differences in speed.

Components: 2 planet wheels (side gears), 2 sun wheels

(spider gears), ring gear, pinion gear, 2 output shafts,
differential case (housing).
The pinion gear drives the ring gear, which is attached to the
differential case. Attached to the case (running on a small
shaft) are the two sun wheels. During equal speed on both
sides they don't move and transmit the speed equally to both
planet wheels. If there is a speed difference, the sun wheels
slightly begin to rotate and compensate this difference in
speed.

Distribution of torques:
Differentials distribute the received
torque under every driving condition
equally to both wheels. The quantity
of the transmitted torque is defined
through the tire grip of that wheel
with the worst tire grip.
Manual Differential lock:
Connecting it to the diff-case can
stop the free rotation of one of the
two output shafts. This will block the
compensation of speed differences.
- 2 - Differential