 

What is a Di!erential and How Does

it Work with Di!erential Diagram
 May 10, 2022  Knowledge Base

While you might already know that every time you

round a corner in a wheeled machine a di!erential is
being put to work, you might still wonder exactly
how it works, what it does, and how all its parts
come together to pull o! its tasks. Whether you’re
simply an inquisitive reader in search of knowledge
or you have a di!erential disassembled in your shop,
we’ve put together this simple overview of
di!erentials — with images and videos — to help
demystify di!erentials.

▲ Inside the di!erential gears work in

coordination to allow the di!erential to
change the direction of power, send
power to each wheel, and allow each
wheel to operate independently. »
Click video to play/pause animation.

 
❱❱ What is a Di"erential?

At its most basic, a di!erential is a system of

interconnected gears powered through a driveshaft
that (most commonly) accomplishes four tasks:

The Di!erential Changes the Direction of Power

If you imagine the power being output from an

engine traveling along driveshafts to the wheels, it
will immediately be clear that for each powered
wheel that energy will need to be converted 90
degrees. To do this, a di!erential uses a drive pinion
connected perpendicularly to a ring gear. As the
drive pinion rotates, the teeth in the drive pinion
turn the ring gear and rotate the force 90 degrees so
it can be applied to the wheels.

The Di!erential Divides Power Between Wheels on

the Same Axle

In the case of front and rear di!erentials, two

powered wheels exist at opposite ends of the
di!erential. At the same time as the direction of
power is rotated, the di!erential also splits the
power and sends power to each of the wheels.

The Di!erential Alters Torque Through Gear

Reduction

Because of the configuration of the di!erential, a

di!erential can also be used to transfer power with a
high rotational force into output with a lower speed,
higher torque force.

The Di!erential Allows Wheels to Turn at Di!erent

Speeds Relative to Each Other

With the exception of a locked di!erential, one of

the most important functions of the di!erential is
undoubtedly its ability to allow each wheel to rotate
at di!erent speeds. If you’ve ever pushed a cart
where wheels are directly fixed to each other in a
solid axle, you already know that since the rotation
of each wheel is locked, turning becomes more
di"cult. By connecting the axles (and in turn the
wheels) in a way that allows for changes in the
rotational speed of each, the di"culties of cornering
are greatly reduced.

▲ A pulled apart view of the di!erential

gives a better look at how each part
works inside the di!erential.

 
❱❱ How Does a Di"erential Work to
Allow Each Wheel to Turn
Independently?
Every time a wheeled machine rounds a corner, the
distance each wheel needs to travel is no longer
equal. As the inside wheel carves a path along part
of a smaller curve, the outside wheel must cover a
longer path that can be amplified by the sharpness
of the curve and the width of the axles. Without a
di!erential this di!erence would force either the
inside wheel to slip as it rotates too fast or the
outside wheel to skid as it rotates too slow.
Overtime, this constant imbalance would wear
heavily on tires, axles, and the entire machine.

To correct this problem, the di!erential connects

each axle through side gears and spider gears that
allow a loose connection of the axles instead of a
fixed connection. With each side gear mounted in a
mirror fashion and connected to each other through
spider gears mounted between them the side gears
can either rotate in unison or, when a di!erence in
force is detected, independently of one another.

As should be clear in the animation above, at times

when one wheel is experiencing less resistance a
look inside a di!erential would show the spider
gears rotating to allow each wheel to turn at
di!erent speeds. 

 
❱❱ What Are The Most Common
Types of Di"erentials?
While the open (or standard) di!erential solves the
issue of correcting for di!erent rotational speeds of
each wheel, the di!erential also introduces a new
issue into the drive system: correcting for road
conditions where the resistance of one wheel is
greatly reduced through a loss of traction. To correct
this a few modifications to the standard di!erential
have been implemented.

Open (Or Standard) Di!erential

This type of di!erential is the one demonstrated in

the above animation. In it, no system is
implemented to correct for slippage when wheels
encounter imperfect road conditions. However due
to its reliability and the reduced complexity of its
design compared to other di!erential types, it is the
most common type of di!erential.

Locked Di!erential

A locked di!erential simply trades o! the

advantages of the wheels turning at di!erent speeds
for the advantages of the wheels always turning in
unison by eliminating the independence of each
axle. This e!ect can either be manually controlled
and able to turn on and o! or permanent. It is most
common in vehicles where di"cult road conditions
(or even the non-existence of roads) is the standard
and not the exception.

Limited Slip Di!erential

The limited slip di!erential is a marriage of the open

di!erential and the locked di!erential wherein the
di!erential routinely acts like an open di!erential
but under certain conditions can be influenced to act
like a locked di!erential. This e!ect can be created
either through a viscous coupling or through a clutch
system, and is most often found in high
performance cars.

▲ Here, a freshly rebuilt di!erential sits

at the center of a rear axle.

 
❱❱ Where On a Machine is A
Di"erential?
Depending on a machine and how power is divided
and delivered to each of the wheels, a di!erential
can exist at the front of the machine along the front
axle, at the rear of the machine along the rear axle,
or at the center of the machine dividing the front
and rear axles.

Hopefully, how a di!erential works and what it does

should be clear now, but if you’re interested in
learning more, why not take a video trip into one of
the Recon and Rebuild shops and see a di!erential
being rebuilt? You can watch that in our How to
Rebuild a Front and Rear Axle post. Or keep scrolling
for a gallery of disassembled di!erentials and
diagrams.

At H&R, we’ve earned a reputation as a top source

EMAIL US

for rebuilt transmissions for wheel loaders,

articulated trucks, and other heavy construction
equipment. We know that reputation comes from
our commitment to our rebuild process and the
expert knowledge our parts technicians bring to
every project. If you’re in search of a replacement
di!erential, reach out to our Parts Specialists and
they’ll connect you to our deep inventory and
provide fast information about availability and
pricing.

LET US
SEARCH FOR
YOU
Don't see what you are looking
for? With access to specialized
search tools and our extensive
vendor network, our parts
specialists are here to search for
you and to connect you to your
parts, fast and simple.

Call: 800-333-0650

 
★ Di"erential Image and Diagram
Gallery

▲ A hub, bearings, gears, and carriers

from a di!erential are waiting for a tech
to put together for a di!erential
rebuild.

▲ The ring gear rests on its side.

During a rebuild, a ring gear must be
closely inspected to ensure teeth are
not damaged and replaced if they are
worn.

▲ The spider gears are set out, with

the spider in the center, in anticipation
for assembly and insertion into the
di!erential.

▲ Here, an assembled di!erential with

the back case removed gives a clear
picture of the internals of the part.

▲ The ring gear, side gears, and other

parts are laid out on a workbench
before being incorporated into the
di!erential.

▲ An H&R parts technician puts on

some of the final touches before
completing this di!erential rebuild.

▲ At each side of the di!erential, an

axle connects the di!erential to a wheel
and transfers power to the wheel.

▲ Bearings facilitate movement of

axles and allow the internal of the
di!erential to rotate freely.

▲ A pinion shaft at the end of the

center axle of the machine transfers
power to the di!erential.

▲ A large ring gear connects to the

pinion drive and rotates the direction of
force 90 degrees.

▲ Side gears connected to shafts allow

the turning of the ring gear to turn the
wheels of the machine or — when the
spider gears are put into motion —
each wheel to rotate independently.

▲ Spider gears are held together in a

spider shaft, and while the shaft rotates
in unison with the ring gear, the spider
gears only turn when there is an
imbalance in the rotational speed of
each wheel.

Knowledge Base Series

This article is part of the H&R Construction

Equipment Parts knowledge base series,
designed to speak informatively and
passionately about topics in the heavy
equipment industry. From 10-year-old
excavator enthusiasts to passionate parts
tinkerers looking to learn more, the aim of the
series is to provide basic information to any
and all inquisitive minds.

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