Can someone explain the "diff" to me? Using simple terms and little words. I had a disagreement with a mate and i want to be right.
Thanks
Josh

Short for Differential, basically allows the driven wheels of a car to rotate at different speeds. Makes it easier to turn the car as the outside wheel turns faster than the inside.

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Starlet Conversion:
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15484

a diff is a diferential .....
depending wether the car is front or rear wheel drive is where it is located
FWD the diff is normaly attached to the rear of the gearbox then will have shafts leading of it to the front wheels
so basicly there is a cog in the box that drives direct to the diff...
RWD from the gear box there is a shaft (tailshaft) some one piece some two peice that bolt to the diff ..... now there are two types of diff that i know of
one is a solid type houseing were the driveshafts are inside the diff houseing
next is just the diff in a housing and the drive shafts are out in the open .....
i hope that is simple enough or do you need something more spercific ...
oh also you have lsd lockers and single hoofers
makka

Thanks thats enough to prove me right you have been most helpful.

there is a few names for different types of diffs,
u have the open center, spins one wheel
theses are names for diffs that spin 2 wheel if loaded up with torque, LSD, Posi , traction loc, detroit locker
and some that are locked 100% so both wheels spin the same speed all the time, No good for street driving when u have to corner.
but they are called CIG locker, ( the old term for oxy welding) CIG is no longer around but BOC sell the gas for wleding) and
mini spool , which is a solid unti no moving parts , used for drag racing
some of the LSD use clutches and some have springs, The clutch type doesnt work so well in a mini due the the diff using engine oil , the LSD usually is sat in 90w diff oil
PS a quick diff test if u dont own or know the car. put one wheel on the dirt or grass and the other on the tar , dump the gas and see what wheel or wheels spin, if u have a jack , jack her up and a open center will spin the wheels in opposite direction and a locker or LSD spins the same direction. see mini man if u need a LSD diff for a mini

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A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying "Damn...that was fun!"

just a thought - how come when u spin one of the front wheels (jacked up) the other one turns in the opposite direction

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1977 Clubman

Easiest way to answer that is to have a look at one while open (or pics) - becomes really obvious.

so i had a go in paint



if u imagine the ends of the three triangles (in 3d obviously) are looked at head on on the rite.

the if u turn the rhs (drive shaft) wheel clockwise
it will turn the centre anticlockwise
and so the lhs shaft will rotate anticlockwise

i think thats how it works anyway, thats basically how it works in a model remote control car (how i know) never seen real diff tbh but then again they are belt drive so i dont know how it is conected to gearbox etc

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss