Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveC
This is just my understanding so correct me if I'm wrong. I don't have a detroit but have been learning about traction diffs.
The detroit behaves a lot differently in an AWD vehicle because both the front and rear axles are driving the truck. This halves the torque load going to the detroit making un-locking and locking less stressful compared to a part time/ rear wheel drive truck. The RWD truck goes from 50% on each rear shaft to 100% on one shaft when unlocking/ turning. I think this is the same reason that the detroit unlocks easier on an AWD truck; there is less power to the rear pinion because the front axle is receiving 50% of the torque (with CDL open). Torque or stress on the detroit will cause it to stay locked or re-lock, even on a smooth high traction surface while turning, but this is much more likely to happen in a rear wheel drive vehicle where the rear axle is seeing all of the torque. When the CDL is locked, torque can spike at the rear pinion if the front axle loses traction placing all the torque on the rear axle and keeping the detroit locked.
Is that basically how it works?
Dave
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Your right about less stress to each axle in normal situations. But if you are say climbing a hill, a greater proportion of the stress to move the vehicle is going to the rear wheels (centre diff locked). If the centre diff is unlocked, the front wheels will spin easier and you will lose momentum.
With the risk of starting some of the debate again, the stress on the pinion has nothing to do with keeping the detroit locked. All that has to happen is for one wheel to be turned quicker (by its contact with the ground) and that wheel will unlock. Think of the drive side of the locker as a "C" shape and the axle side being a "T" shape laying on its side. The top of the "T" is small enough to fit through the mounth of the "C". When there is power to the pinion, and the wheels are turning at the same rate, the "T" locks into one end of the "C" to stop it forcing itself out. But as soon as that axle starts to move faster than the drive, the "T" will move back into the mouth of the "C" and unlock. So power to the pinion helps lock the axles in place to stop them being forced to disconnect under load, but does not prevent them unlocking when a wheel is forced to travel faster by turning or uneven terrain.
