2nd Gen Dakota Tech 1997 - 2004 Dodge Dakota Tech - The ultimate forum for technical help on the 2nd Gen Dakota.

Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 24, 2007 | 04:04 PM
  #1  
red9535's Avatar
red9535
Thread Starter
|
Professional
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From:
Default Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

In a 2 wheel drive (rear wheel) truck, do both of the rear wheels spin/get power? Or is there just 1 drive wheel? Because me and my buddy where in his AWD explorer messing around in the snow, and i only saw snow flying out from up under one of the front wheels, and i assume 1 of the back wheels.

So on our 2 wheel drive trucks, is there actually only 1 drive wheel? Which one is it? IS there any way to change it, like if 1 is on bad surface but the other isnt? I heard something about holding down the brake or puting on the Ebrake changing the drive wheel?
 
Reply
Old Feb 24, 2007 | 04:12 PM
  #2  
imnothot02's Avatar
imnothot02
Record Breaker
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,244
Likes: 0
From:
Default RE: Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

most likely you have a plain axle, you can always get a limited slip which if you don't have 4x4 on a truck i would highly recommend this would spin both wheels
 
Reply
Old Feb 24, 2007 | 04:12 PM
  #3  
red9535's Avatar
red9535
Thread Starter
|
Professional
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From:
Default RE: Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

How/where can I get that, how much would it be, easy to install. etc?

 
Reply
Old Feb 24, 2007 | 05:03 PM
  #4  
imnothot02's Avatar
imnothot02
Record Breaker
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,244
Likes: 0
From:
Default RE: Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

you can change it in the stock rear end but im not sure what the cost would be havnt done it yet, guessing around 500-700 dollars, mabie you could find one off of a sport model but idk the number that you would need to look for on the housing
 
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2007 | 02:21 AM
  #5  
red9535's Avatar
red9535
Thread Starter
|
Professional
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From:
Default RE: Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

Alreight well so my origional questions werent really answered. Theres actually only 1 drive wheel? Which one is it?
 
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2007 | 10:46 AM
  #6  
DakinUK's Avatar
DakinUK
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 257
Likes: 4
From:
Default RE: Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

What you saw was the power going to the wheel with the least grip. This is what happens when you don't have limited slip diffs. Normal diffs will always feed power to the wheel with the least grip, so only one wheel on each axle will spin. In dry conditions, power is sent to both wheels but as soon as one loses grip, the diff continuues to send the power to the spinning wheel. Limited slip diffs manage to send some power to the wheel with grip. Locking diffs send power equally to both wheels, all of the time they're locked.

Hope this helps,

Paul
 
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2007 | 11:56 AM
  #7  
red9535's Avatar
red9535
Thread Starter
|
Professional
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From:
Default RE: Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

ORIGINAL: DakinUK

What you saw was the power going to the wheel with the least grip. This is what happens when you don't have limited slip diffs. Normal diffs will always feed power to the wheel with the least grip, so only one wheel on each axle will spin. In dry conditions, power is sent to both wheels but as soon as one loses grip, the diff continuues to send the power to the spinning wheel. Limited slip diffs manage to send some power to the wheel with grip. Locking diffs send power equally to both wheels, all of the time they're locked.

Hope this helps,

Paul
Why would it send the power to the wheel with no traction? Doesnt that seem a little counter productive?
 
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2007 | 12:48 PM
  #8  
dhvaughan's Avatar
dhvaughan
Hall Of Fame
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 12,204
Likes: 10
From: Gainesville, Ga.
Default RE: Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

an open differential is a wonderfully simple contraption that works great when you have good traction under both wheels, but completely sucks in poor traction, wasting all power through one spinning wheel. it has no intelligence.

here's why.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_differential
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm (check out the 3d animation on pg 3 of this one !!!!!

other options are a limited slip (posi-traction) or a locker. limited slip provides better traction than an open by using clutches to sense the wheel with less traction and redirect the power to the other. a locker is a more aggressive device for more serious off roading that locks them up and turns both wheels equally, yet still releases in turns so that one wheel can go faster than the other in a turn, sometimes producing a ratcheting type clicking sound. each has pros and cons.
 
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2007 | 01:35 PM
  #9  
red9535's Avatar
red9535
Thread Starter
|
Professional
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From:
Default RE: Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

ORIGINAL: dhvaughan

an open differential is a wonderfully simple contraption that works great when you have good traction under both wheels, but completely sucks in poor traction, wasting all power through one spinning wheel. it has no intelligence.

here's why.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_differential
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm (check out the 3d animation on pg 3 of this one !!!!!

other options are a limited slip (posi-traction) or a locker. limited slip provides better traction than an open by using clutches to sense the wheel with less traction and redirect the power to the other. a locker is a more aggressive device for more serious off roading that locks them up and turns both wheels equally, yet still releases in turns so that one wheel can go faster than the other in a turn, sometimes producing a ratcheting type clicking sound. each has pros and cons.
Great articles.. thanks. So when its on dry pavement, both of the back wheels get the same amount of torque. But when one wheel loses traction, the power goes to that one, and if it has no traction at al, it will just spin there and you wont be able to move at all?

Sounds lik ei need a LSD if im going to be offroading.. lol.

Is this somethign I need to get from an aftermarket place? Can someone point me in the right direction?
 
Reply
Old Feb 26, 2007 | 03:05 PM
  #10  
Chris's Avatar
Chris
Record Breaker
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,909
Likes: 0
From: Detroit
Default RE: Dumb question about 2 wheel drive

You can find one in a junkyard.
 
Reply



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:15 PM.