What is a differential and why would it be relative to the post? A differential is, well, I’ll let this Copy Paste Job from “How Stuff Works” .com explain it for me….
“This article will explain differentials -- where the power, in most cars, makes its last stop before spinning the wheels.
The differential has three jobs:
• To aim the engine power at the wheels
• To act as the final gear reduction in the vehicle, slowing the rotational speed of the transmission one final time before it hits the wheels
• To transmit the power to the wheels while allowing them to rotate at different speeds (This is the one that earned the differential its name.)
In this article, you'll learn why your car needs a differential, how it works and what its shortcomings are. We'll also look at several types of positraction, also known as limited slip differentials.
Why You Need a Differential
Car wheels spin at different speeds, especially when turning. Also note that the front wheels travel a different distance than the rear wheels. Each wheel travels a different distance through the turn, and that the inside wheels travel a shorter distance than the outside wheels. Since speed is equal to the distance traveled divided by the time it takes to go
For the non-driven wheels on your car -- the front wheels on a rear-wheel drive car, the back wheels on a front-wheel drive car -- this is not an issue. There is no connection between them, so they spin independently. But the driven wheels are linked together so that a single engine and transmission can turn both wheels. If your car did not have a differential, the wheels would have to be locked together, forced to spin at the same speed. This would make turning difficult and hard on your car: For the car to be able to turn, one tire would have to slip. With modern tires and concrete roads, a great deal of force is required to make a tire slip. That force would have to be transmitted through the axle from one wheel to another, putting a heavy strain on the axle components. “
So there you go. Got your learn on I hope.
Now as far as relativity, that previous info on differentials is relative to this post because as it turns out, the differential is what went out on my daily-driven KA7. Not the torque converter that both I and my trusted auto tech had thought.
Awesome. There goes another hundred dollars for a low mileage differential shipped as well as another 3-5 business days without my car. Not to mention a bit of a waste of money in respect to the two hundred plus spent on a low mileage JDM transmission that I didn’t need to buy after all.
Could be worse though.
While in this somewhat never ending transitional period of not having my whip, I have had plenty of time to put things in perspective and reflect on my goals, ambitions, and cold realities surrounding Project Legend.
For example, how am I going to incorporate my planned exodus from Wisconsin into power moves for Project Legend and its upgrades?
How feasible is it to maintain a daily driven luxury sedan that runs on Premium gasoline when gas prices are going nowhere but up?
How much sense does having not one, but two of these sedans in the long run, make?
How many of my planned modifications will make it onto my Daily Driver before my move vs. how many will just come along for the ride in boxes until I purchase the Blk on Blk Type II 6-Speed Sedan?
How much of a monetary investment do I intend to make in regards to a daily driven car that might just end up being passed along to another member of my family anyway?
Wouldn’t it just be easier to buy a Honda S2000 and focus on that?
What kind of horsepower am I going to be satisfied with when all is said and done?
How much is the culmination of ALL my plans, dreams, and aspirations for Project Legend going to cost me in the end in both time and money?
Is it all worth it?
How far should I go in regards to V.I.P. tuning?
How feasible is it to do a 3.5 swap if a Type II 6-speed is enough?
Will my car be safe where I live when I move out to California?
How much effort/money needs to be spent in order to be at least somewhat satisfied with the end result in regards to each aspect of the build?
How much of the work am I willing to do vs. paying someone else to do it for me?
How hard is all this custom fabricating going to be?
Ok….well, not so much perspective….but I am getting forced to come up with answers and solutions to some of the questions/problems previously listed.
More on that later. I’ve kind of got a lot on my plate people.
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