Differential Service

Differential Explained

When you take a corner in your car, the outside wheels have a slightly longer distance to go than the inside wheels. That means that the outside wheels have to turn a bit faster than the inside. The piece of mechanical wizardry that makes this possible is called the differential.

The differential allows the drive wheels to rotate at different speeds in turns without the wheel binding or hopping. If you have a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the differential is on the rear axle. You’ve seen that bulge in the middle of the axle when you’re behind a truck – that’s the differential.

If you have a front-wheel drive vehicle, the differential function is handled by your transaxle. Of course, all-wheel drive vehicles have differentials on both axles. They also have a center differential or a transfer case between the front and rear axles to compensate for speed differences between the front and rear.

Because all the power of the engine is transferred through the various differentials, you can imagine that they are very strong and are built last a long time. That’s why it’s important to keep your differential properly lubricated. Differential fluid cools and protects the gears

Now, of course differentials eventually wear out and need to be replaced. You might notice a strange noise from you axle area as one of the first warning signs. When the differential shows signs of failing, it’s important to repair it. If you leave it too long and it freezes up when you’re driving you could lose control of your vehicle and other parts like the axle, driveshaft and transmission could be damaged.

DID YOU KNOW?

When a car makes a turn, its outside wheels could travel up to 5 feet further than the inside wheels. Compensating for that is the job of your differential. We recommend replacing the differential fluid every 50,000 miles. Proper service will help your differential last as long as possible.

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Auto Care Plus, LLC, Auto Repair & Service, Merrimack, NH

Ten Locations Throughout NH and ME:

Manchester, NH

991 Candia Road | Manchester, NH 03109
(603) 232-1521

Merrimack, NH

738 D.W. Highway | Merrimack, NH 03054
(603) 429-1002

Hooksett, NH

1112 Hooksett Rd | Hooksett, NH 03106
(603) 644-7238

South Portland, ME

509 Westbrook St. | South Portland, ME 04106
(207) 773-8560

Wolfeboro, NH

635 Center St. | Wolfeboro, NH 03894
(603) 569-1068

Conway, NH

675 White Mountain Hwy | Conway, NH 03818
(603) 447-3873

Derry, NH

418 Island Pond Rd, Bldg #3 | Derry, NH 03038
(603) 845-3900

Lebanon, NH

258 Mechanic St, Lebanon, NH 03766
(603) 448-1381

Dover, NH

28 Sumner Dr, Dover, NH 03820
(603) 742-8627

Londoneryy, NH

107 Nashua Rd, Londonderry, NH 03053
(603) 404-5120

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