Cars are no longer just a bunch of nuts and bolts we use to get from A to B. Thanks to new technologies, they do all sorts of things behind the scenes to keep us safe, comfortable and happy at the wheel. Here, we look at things you didn’t know modern cars could do — from adapting to certain road conditions to letting us see in the dark. Since cars came about, their centre consoles have remained largely the same, displaying basic information like speed, rev count, fuel and emergency warning lights to the driver. Now, dashboards are changing, and more and more cars are being fitted with customisable instrument clusters that let you choose what you want to be displayed — whether that’s your average MPG, a navigation screen or stats about how economically you’re driving.
What Does a Diff Lock Do?
You might not know what everything on your car does, but we’re here to help. We looked underneath the floor to understand what a differential does for you, on the road and off.
WHY DO CARS HAVE DIFFS?
When a car turns a corner, each wheel will need to rotate at slightly different speeds. This is because the path travelled by the outside wheels is slightly longer than the path travelled by the inside wheels. The vehicle does this by using the differential or “diff”.
WHY DO DIFF-LOCKS HELP?
The way a diff works when cornering is by releasing one wheel and driving all of the power to the “wheel of least resistance”. In other words, the wheel that is the easiest for the engine to rotate. This is a logical method on solid, even surfaces. But when it comes to driving off-road, it can cause a few issues.
If you are driving through a particularly uneven or slippery track it is common for at least one wheel to slip or be raised in the air. Now this is where that “wheel of least resistance” works against us 4x4ers. As the wheel spins wildly in the air or on the slippery surface, the diff recognizes this as much easier to rotate, than the one gripping solidly to the ground. Therefore, the wheel with traction that would potentially drive us out, is left without power, while its opposite wheel uselessly spins.
This is where the mighty diff lock comes into play! By engaging the diff-lock, whether it be factory standard or fitted after-market, the diff is “locked” and begins to drive both wheels evenly. This allows not only the wheel without traction to continue to spin in the hope of gaining traction, but more importantly, begins to drive the well-grounded wheel.
WHY DON’T WE ALWAYS DRIVE WITH LOCKED DIFFS?
Remember the original function of a diff on the road, for turning corners? Well, this applies off-road as well. Although the diff-lock is great for when we lose traction, it can often fight against us when we need to corner for our next obstacle. So it is always important to only use your diff lock when necessary, and wherever possible, let the diff do its job.
DO I NEED A DIFF-LOCK TO GO 4X4ING?
For most off-roading situations, the diff-lock is not necessary. Sometimes, the answer to wheel spin can be as simple as reversing back and trying a new path, putting Maxtrax or other objects under the wheel to improve traction, or simply breaking out the recovery gear or shovel and getting through the old-fashioned way. However, with many modern vehicles offering diff-locks as standard or optional extras, having this magic button at your fingertips can be a simple way to see more of Zimbabwe’s beautiful outdoors, with a little less hassle.
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