Can locked diff cause damage?

[Rafatus]

I locked my center diff, and was thinking about this. Can it make the driveline wear more quickly than with a normal diff?

 

[BobP]

It shouldn't hurt anything it just changes the geometry of handling. It's a lot more prone to spinning out in turns. And it also makes it more likely to wheelie since you don't have the power transfer to the front wheels that you would have with a differential.

 

[D3MON]

I locked my center diff, and was thinking about this. Can it make the driveline wear more quickly than with a normal diff?

yes it will as it wont allow the wheels to "unload" to the front or rear if the other end starts to really get traction. ie wheelies, landings on throttle etc. the shock to the drivetrain will go to each diff f/r without having a way to soften the blow.
how much harder than having a open diff? i do not know and depending on how much power you have to the vehicle will also dictate how much faster it will wear than standard wear.

 

[BobP]

The traxxas UDR is locked. the slash platinum comes locked with a center diff as option. while it is not good for bashing locked center diff's are what lots of racers use. My slash was locked for the first 2 years and I never got good enough to drive it like that and keep up so I went back to a center diff. Locking the center diff is a personal preference IMO

 

[olds97_lss]

The traxxas UDR is locked. the slash platinum comes locked with a center diff as option. while it is not good for bashing locked center diff's are what lots of racers use. My slash was locked for the first 2 years and I never got good enough to drive it like that and keep up so I went back to a center diff. Locking the center diff is a personal preference IMO

Were they "locked" or did they have a slipper?

My stampede was solid center drive, but had a slipper. Was fine on 2S, but 3S was a pain to keep wheelies in check, so I got the center diff and did away with the slipper.

Is the center diff in the UDR locked or just running heavy diff oil like the ERBEv2 (20M weight)? The ERBEv2 even with 20M, it still allows for give, but it also has the "cush" mechanism on the spur to absorb some shock as well.

For a basher, as mentioned, the center diff allows for energy to be transferred to the end of the truck that can slip. On hard landings you rarely land with equal pressure on all 4 tires, usually heavy on the rear or front, and if your on throttle, the power will go to the wheels that touch last and dissipate some of the energy before all 4 tires have a lot of traction.

I found that after putting a center diff in my savage flux hp, I've not had a single diff issue. Before that, I went through 3 or 4 pinons in the front/rear diffs on harsh landings. It also helped me control the power better.

 

[BobP]

Of course there's a slipper clutch but the shaft is solid

 

[olds97_lss]

Then that isn't the same as locking a center diff. You still have a part that allows give on high impact.

 

[BobP]

What part? the shaft is straight through it is solid the front axle turns at the same speed as the back axle the shaft connecting the two are solid the only slipper clutch is on the spur gear not between the Center Drive Shafts

 

[olds97_lss]

My point was is that there is a slip point between the motor and the ground with a slipper clutch in place. If you lock a center diff on a truck that doesn't have a slipper, you don't have a slip point anywhere other than the right/left wheels with the front/rear diffs.

 

[D3MON]

i think the confusion in the debate/answers is that while indeed the front and rear are "locked" together. but where the confusion is, is that a vehicle equipped with a center diff typically do not have a slipper clutch assembly. and a vehicle equipped with a slipper clutch do not use a center diff. at least one of these is greatly preferable/necessary in 90% of cases (speed run vehicles are the only exception i can think of).
the slipper clutch will do just that, it will slip acting as a disconnect from the power supply (motor/engine) to the drivetrain. this relieves jolts from the motor to the wheels and vice versa during abrupt changes in speed/acceleration compared to one another. a center diff sort of does something similar where the abrupt change in acceleration will be diverted to the easiest point of give (wheel/tire, or in this case, front or rear diff) to distribute the blow.
otherwise the other components take the direct blow like the spur gear, or differential ring and pinion gears. which is partly why i try to avoid steel spur gears because it adds one more failsafe to the blow in case the slipper/center diff is too tight/stiff.

 

[Rafatus]

yes it will as it wont allow the wheels to "unload" to the front or rear if the other end starts to really get traction. ie wheelies, landings on throttle etc. the shock to the drivetrain will go to each diff f/r without having a way to soften the blow.
how much harder than having a open diff? i do not know and depending on how much power you have to the vehicle will also dictate how much faster it will wear than standard wear.

That was what I was concerned about. I locked it with an ear plug because the center diff is leaking, but I guess i'll have to fix it.

 

[cbaker65]

Slipper clutch eases the motor part ,center diff eases the drivetrain ,if there is no give somewhere ,then the energy will go
somewhere else ,something WILL GIVE!

 

[Rafatus]

That was what I was concerned about. I locked it with an ear plug because the center diff is leaking, but I guess i'll have to fix it.

I rebuilt the diff and it doesn't leak anymore!