Africa-Press – Uganda. Hello George, when the rear differential of your 4WD estate vehicle fails, your ability to ‘limp home’ or continue to drive safely will depend on the extent of damage or what has failed. While it is possible to drive your 4WD with only the front differential working, it should not be for long. It would be necessary to disconnect the rear propeller shaft to disengage the gearbox from the rear differential. If this precaution is not taken, the bad rear differential could damage the gearbox or cause the car to dangerously skid if it suddenly seized and locked up. (A seized engine means the electronics in your vehicle may still work but the engine itself will not turn over).
Disconnecting the rear differential propeller shaft will cause handling challenges during turning of corners as both rear wheels will be moving at the same speed instead of the normally different speeds to accommodate the different turning radius or distances for the rear left and right wheels.
To understand this better, it is useful to know what the differential is and why it is fitted on the front or rear axles. Differentials are designed to transmit engine torque to the wheels. The differential also splits the engine power allowing the wheels to spin at different speeds. This means power from the engine via the gearbox is transferred to the differentials by propeller shafts and to the wheels by the final drive shafts.
It is also useful to know the symptoms of a failing differential so as to avoid getting stranded. A bad differential unit will make a growling, howling or whirring noise as you drive. One can prevent damage of the differential units by maintaining their lubrication.
Periodically renew the differential oil in accordance with the manufacturer schedule and use the recommended differential oil grade. Lack of lubrication can happen when the pinion seals fail or the drain plug leaks.
Overheating of the differential can also happen if you use the wrong oil or oil ages beyond recommended mileage and starts to overheat rather than cool the differential internal components.
Overloading or towing a trailer with a weight beyond the manufacturer recommended loading or towing capacity will damage a differential unit.
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