What is the inter-axle differential and how is it arranged?

Axle differential is the most effective method of increasing the patency of any car. At the moment, almost all SUVs, including some crossovers, are equipped with this element. Like all other technical mechanisms, the inter-axle differential has its pluses and minuses. In this article, we will try to find out how effectively to use this element, as well as its principle of operation.

Principle of operation and properties of the mechanism

At the moment, any modern inter-axle differential (Niva 2121, for example, is also equipped) works in several modes:

1. Straight line motion (automatic).
2. Stalling.
3. Turns.

Especially effective is the interaxle differential when slipping, where it is often used. When a car hits a slippery surface, whether it's ice, tamped snow or dirt, this element begins to act on the axle, namely the wheels. Its principle of operation is as follows. When one of the wheels hits a hard surface with good grip, and the other, on the contrary, to, say, slippery, the differential begins to transmit the same torque to both wheels, that is, this element equates the "scrolling" of the two wheels to the same value. This allows the car to get out of the snowy or polluted section of the road in a matter of seconds. The same machines that do not have a center differential are starting to slip out - the left wheel is moving at the same speed, the right wheel is completely different. It turns out that the car is even more buried in a snowdrift or sand. Therefore, the inter-axle differential (KAMAZ, incidentally, is also equipped with it) is an integral part of any vehicle with four-wheel drive. Often such an element is supplied either by army trucks or by domestic SUVs intended for civilian operating conditions. At import manufacturers the tradition to equip the jeeps with a differential gradually disappears. It's not so strange - why the "German" interaxle differential, if it is never used in his life! Therefore, among the European off-road vehicles there were only single models, which are still manned by this system.

Thus, this detail "ties" both wheels, giving them the same torque from the engine, which gives the car an extra traction for slipping.

And finally, we note a few rules for the operation of cars and trucks, complete with this part.

1. To ensure that the center differential does not vibrate and does not emit any extraneous sounds in action, you must move the locked element to automatic mode.
2. In the slip mode, you should not change the degree of blocking of the element.
3. When the car needs towing, it is necessary to translate the transmission lever into neutral position and necessarily shift the center differential to manual mode. To do this, lower the adjustment wheel DCCD to the lowest position.