76 Range rover centre diff??

[timaus13]

:cool:I am trying to work out why? if the 76 range rover is full time 4wd why the need for a center diff lock??:cool:
I have read my manual but cannot sort it out?
Regards
Tim


Hello all I have found a website that explained the use of the centre diff lockk?
cheers

[djam1]

Take your jack and jack up the front wheel try to drive off you will see the front wheel spin and the car go nowhere. Lock the centre diff and it will drive off no problem.
The reason is simple if the centre diff was locked on hard surfaces the front wheel and rear wheels travel different distances when turning and transmission wind up will either wear your tyres out or break something.
DONT sit there with the front wheel jacked up spinning in the air for too long or you could damage the centre diff.

[Bush65]

There are 2 main dissadvantages from not locking the centre diff.

1. Loss of traction when any wheel spins.

Most usually one of the front tyres will start to spin, then all of the torque is directed to that wheel and the vehicle fails to proceed.

You can drive much more difficult terrain with the centre diff locked.

2. Damage to the centre diff.

The planet gears have to rotate much more and at high speeds when a front or rear tyre is spinning.

The cross pins and thrust washers for the planet gears fail from lack of lubrication.

When the centre diff is locked, the planet gears do not rotate at all.