April 2, 2017
Scratching your head? Don't worry, if you don't know what a differential is – you will in a moment. That fact is that if you drive a car anywhere in Glendale Heights, Illinois, you have a differential. Whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, you have a differential. Some Glendale Heights vehicles might even have two or three.
Not surprisingly, a differential's job is to compensate for differences; specifically, they're the differences in wheel speed when turning. For instance, imagine taking a corner near your Glendale Heights, Illinois, home. Your inside wheel has a shorter distance to travel than the outside wheel as you turn the corner. That means that your outside wheel has to turn faster to keep pace with the inside wheel.
The differential allows the wheels to turn at different speeds while still providing power to your vehicle. Without a differential, Glendale Heights residents' tires would scrub and hop along the pavement during turns like the early cars.
Ever noticed the big bulge in the middle of the rear axle on trucks? That's the differential. Rear-wheel drive vehicles have a differential in back. Most four-wheel drive trucks and SUVs will also have a similar differential on the front axle. A front-wheel drive vehicle's differential is called a transaxle because it combines the differential and transmission in one unit. An all-wheel drive vehicle will have a differential or transfer case that adjusts for speed differences between the front and rear drive wheels.
It can seem a little complex to some Glendale Heights drivers - but you can see that all of the engine's power is routed through your differentials. They're strong enough to handle the work, but- we've said it before - they need to be properly lubricated in order to stay strong. So from time to time, you need to schedule a differential service in Glendale Heights at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Glendale Heights. The used fluid is drained and replaced with clean fluid. Some advise certain differentials to have special additives installed.
Get your differential serviced at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Glendale Heights in Glendale Heights.
Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Glendale Heights
1153 Bloomingdale Rd.
Glendale Heights, Illinois 60139
630-588-8846
April 27, 2025
Tires are so reliable these days that few drivers pay much attention to them. But tires wear out. They have a tough job since they are the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road. They have to get your vehicle going from a stop, keep it going, make sure it is headed in the dire... More
April 20, 2025
If you hear a squealing noise when you turn your vehicle, it's trying to tell you something is wrong. After all, it never made that noise before, right? The sound you hear may becoming from a few sources. Let's take a look (or a listen) to some of the possibilities. First, you almost certainl... More
April 13, 2025
You may be fanatical about keeping the outside of your vehicle clean. But what about what's under the hood? Have you ever thought about how dirt and grime may be affecting your engine's components? One of the most important parts under your hood to keep clean is your vehicle's battery. With a d... More