SINOTRUK

When a vehicle is turning, the inner wheel travels less than the outer wheel, and the speed of the wheels on both sides is different. If the left and right wheels are connected by an axle, the wheels on both sides will compete with each other when turning, which will not only make the steering unstable, but also cause the tires to slip when rolling and accelerate tire wear. Therefore, engineers invented the differential, which allows the vehicle to work steadily under cornering and unequal conditions, and reduces the wear of the gear mechanism.

There are many different types of differential locks between wheels and axles? Many truck useres don't know much about this. Here is a brief introduction to the common differential locks on trucks and how to use them.

Differential lock between wheels丨

As the name suggests, it is a device used to lock the differential so that it loses its differential function and realizes a hard connection of two wheels. Vehicles with only one drive axle are only equipped with inter-wheel differential locks.

Differential lock between shafts丨

On the 6X4 model, the rear axle uses a dual drive shaft. In addition to being equipped with two inter-wheel differential locks, there is also a set of inter-axle differential locks. Its function is to lock the differential on the through bridge, so that the two drive axles can be hard-connected, and the two drive axles can rotate at the same time to enhance the vehicle's ability to pass on muddy and slippery roads.

The current common differential lock is an electronic control air solution. The buttons on the dashboard are electronic switches. After the switch is pressed, the solenoid valve located in the axle housing is energized to control the compressed air to lock the differential lock. Under what circumstances do we need to use a differential lock?

1- Heavy-duty vehicle climbing

If the car feels that the power is insufficient when climbing a heavy load, we can press the inter-axle differential lock switch and put on the inter-axle differential lock. At this time, the two drive axles of the truck are connected as a whole and run at the same time, with four wheels All have driving force, which improves the driving ability of the truck.

2- When the vehicle passes through the muddy road

If one of the wheels slips in the mud, we can press the inter-wheel differential lock switch and put on the inter-wheel differential lock. At this time, the wheels on the left and right sides of the truck will be combined into a whole and run at the same time, and the power will be Assign them to wheels that do not skid, and the truck can continue driving.

3- The road conditions are bad, and the vehicle needs to get out of the trap

If the road conditions are particularly bad and the truck is heavily loaded, in order to avoid the sudden loss of driving power and cause danger, it is generally necessary to hang the differential lock between the bridge and the differential lock at the same time. At this time, the four driving wheels of the truck are combined into one As a whole works synchronously, even if a certain wheel has insufficient adhesion, the truck will not lose its driving force.

Truck users need to pay attention to the fact that the vehicle cannot forcibly turn when the inter-wheel differential is turned on, otherwise the locking mechanism will be damaged. Turning is possible when the inter-wheel differential lock is turned off and the inter-axle differential lock is turned on, because the role of the inter-axle differential lock is to deal with the speed difference between the middle and rear axles and will not affect the turning.

Tips

The differential lock must be used when the vehicle is stationary or running at low speed, otherwise it will cause serious damage to the differential and other parts.

In order to prevent damage to the differential lock, whether it is an inter-wheel differential lock or an inter-axle differential lock, you need to press the differential lock switch back in time after the vehicle is out of trouble (the indicator light is off, indicating that the differential has been disengaged). Because the differential is forgotten to close, accidents of the main reducer and differential have occurred from time to time, so card friends must pay attention when using it to avoid unnecessary losses.