differential questions ( images inside )

[craig911]

hi guys i have some questions about differentials on a thunder tiger tomahawk ST

I bought a parts car ( exact same vehicle )

on my tomahawk ST the centre diff was just a solid 1 way diff IE no gears just a block of plastic in the centre of it,

my front and rear differentials used the exact same casing as the center diff but used a different side cap or whatever you would call it,

as u can see from the images below ( pictured left front/rear diff ) ( pictured right centre diff with no spur gear attached ) also the square shaped C cup holds the break disk






I have used the gears out of my spare diffs to build a fully functional centre diff instead of the solid diff, so i now have the same sort of diff like what you would find on a 1/8 4x4 truggy/buggy

so what i want to know is what sort of performance / handling advantages will i gain from having a fully functional centre diff from the stock solid 1 way diff ?

also i have built a solid diff to use in the rear of my truck now if i were to use a solid 1 way diff in the rear of my truck what would happen performance and handling wise ?

and i guess the same question again what would happen if i use a solid 1 way diff in the front and rear of my truck ?

( sorry about grammar formatting if you need any more images or info just say so )

 

[synnyzter]

Purpose of a center diff. is to give you more handling/traction tuning options. Heres a quick breakdown:

A center diff. basically helps your engine deliver more power to whichever end of your truck has the most traction just like a real modern day all wheel drive car does. For example, if your back tires are digging in and your fronts are spinning your center diff will apply more power to the rear for even more traction = acceleration, this is also applied to the left and right sides improving cornering traction, so it ensures any tire with traction will be given more power. In my opinion its the single best mod you can do to your ride.

You can also tune this affect depending on the weight of the oil using in it. The thicker the oil you use in the center diff. the greater effect this will have, and vice versa so you can try different weight oils and see what works best for your driving style and different tracks.

As for using solid diffs., it will remove much of your handling tuning options. A solid diff would greatly decrease any vehicles handling in almost every situation. Having "posi" in your front and rear assuming that's what you mean by having a 1 way diff. is generally not a good thing and would remove any affect a center diff. would offer you. I have never used on in an RC but this is knowledge from my experience with real cars, the same rules apply just on a smaller scale =)

I imagine maybe a rock crawler would maybe use 1 way diffs, but I can't see any advantage in any other situation or type of vehicle. Oh...maybe drifting would benefit from 1 way diffs but I dont know, I dont drift =P

 

[hamz9561]

Using a spool or 1-piece diff in the rear is not a good idea in a truck that isn't a crawler. It makes the handling worse and tends to damage other drive-line parts.

 

[craig911]

thanks guys the 1 pice diff in rear / front & rear was just a what would happen question i guess i could use them if i ever decide to use my truggy to attempt crawling lol

i did run my truggy shortly after starting this thread and i did notice a large handling increase and much smoother acceleration, so i can't believe they did not just fit the tomahawk st with a fully working centre diff instead of a solid diff

before my rear right wheel would cause massive torque torque steer and cause my car to turn to the side but now all wheels hold traction under high acceleration from a stand still ect, and even while turning i can put the power down and not spin out so easily.

thanks again guys

 

[synnyzter]

I figured you'd like that it does make it like a whole new car. I guess the reason some don't come stock is the $$. Its a very popular mod and many people buy one lol. Plus it costs more so it lessens the cost of the vehicle by not coming with it. Hop ups are what make the hobby fun for me. Glad u enjoy it, go have some fun now!