Thread: Spinning the wheels!

Originally Posted by Dougal

Do you know the front/back weight distribution of your wagon?

NFI - probably at least 60% front though.

Originally Posted by Dougal

Traction, it's the cheapest thing to break and the easiest thing to replace.

Originally Posted by Dougal
I can light up wheels on dry tarmac in second with mine.
Doesn't sustain it though, being fulltime 4wd the other two-three wheels pulling gets it moving in the intended direction. On a wet road that's third gear.


Is that the original quote?

Originally Posted by Dougal

A 2wd live axle vehicle will pick up and spin one wheel due to the torque of the prop shaft unweighting one side.

Umm... No.

If you look at how a diff is made, you will see that to spin one wheel on one side everything still rotates forwards. That would be the right wheel. To spin the other wheel you have to get part of the diff rotating backwards, which it doesn't really want to do. However, if you spin one wheel in reverse, it will be the other wheel.

Originally Posted by 1103.9TDI

Is that the original quote?

Probably. Where did you find it and what's the date?

Originally Posted by BigJon

Umm... No.

If you look at how a diff is made, you will see that to spin one wheel on one side everything still rotates forwards. That would be the right wheel. To spin the other wheel you have to get part of the diff rotating backwards, which it doesn't really want to do. However, if you spin one wheel in reverse, it will be the other wheel.

You've just disagreed with me, then said exactly the same thing.

Live axle 2wd vehicles spins up one wheel going forwards, the other wheel going backwards. It's due to driveshaft torque unweighting those wheels in those directions.

The diff itself is just there to spread torque while allowing a change in rotating speed.

Originally Posted by Dougal

Probably. Where did you find it and what's the date?



You've just disagreed with me, then said exactly the same thing.

Live axle 2wd vehicles spins up one wheel going forwards, the other wheel going backwards. It's due to driveshaft torque unweighting those wheels in those directions.

The diff itself is just there to spread torque while allowing a change in rotating speed.

I have agreed with the end result, disagreed with what causes it. I don't think that that the driveshaft torque is what causes it. I would be happy to be proved or shown wrong though.

The differential is there to allow different wheel speeds when going around corners. It also acts as a torque "equalizer".

Originally Posted by Dougal

Time to lighten up a bit.
I'm referring to smaller wheels making life easier for the drivetrain. It's cheaper to break traction that to break a CV or axle.



You've got 35's under what, a 120?
Very different to 29's under a rangerover.

There are a whole lot of people in this thread who have no idea what I originally wrote, make up their own version and say it can't be done. Which is all very entertaining.

I was only doing some work on Bens myth busting.
Wasn't really referring to yours... I must stick some 29's on the 120 and try it Maybe a big roll back on a steep hill would do it

Have seen your original quote too, like me to dig it up

Who cares anyway, It's all in fun.

Cheers Tony

Originally Posted by BigJon

I have agreed with the end result, disagreed with what causes it. I don't think that that the driveshaft torque is what causes it. I would be happy to be proved or shown wrong though.

The differential is there to allow different wheel speeds when going around corners. It also acts as a torque "equalizer".

Hi Bigjon, all,
Slightly off-topic I suppose:
My little radio controlled rock crawling car, which is 4wd, solid axle with locked front and rear diffs, big wheels and a Landy body, raises the right front wheel and compresses the opposite corner's suspension on heavy acceleration. I put it down to propshaft torque transfer, the diff gubbins not transferring torque fast enough to the big wheels so some is transmitted through the housing. Is this understanding right or can I be educated further?

Originally Posted by isuzutoo-eh

Hi Bigjon, all,
Slightly off-topic I suppose:
My little radio controlled rock crawling car, which is 4wd, solid axle with locked front and rear diffs, big wheels and a Landy body

Sounds cool, got pics?