Differential Service Two And Four Wheel Drives
MARCH 1, 2016
Differential Service
Differential Service, when a car makes a left turn, the left side wheels naturally turn slower than the outside wheels on the right because the exterior wheels have to travel farther than the inside wheels make the turn. For this reason, tires have to be able to move independently and at different speeds to avoid slipping. This gives the car more power and control in the turn.
A differential is a mechanical set of simple gears that allow the wheels to rotate at independent speeds, and to be powered separated by the engine through the drivetrain.
Front And Rear Differential

Whether your vehicle has one or two differentials all depends on how your wheels are powered. If you have rear-wheel drive, your vehicle uses engine power to move only the rear wheels, so you will only have one differential on the rear axle. If you have an all-wheel or four-wheel drive, your vehicle engine sends power to all four wheels. So you will have front and rear differentials. If you have a front-wheel drive vehicle, you won’t find a differential, but instead, you’ll have a transaxle that functions like the transmission and a differential.
Differential Fluid
The inside of a differential has many interlaced gears and bearings. These gears all depend on each other as well as a lubricant (differential fluid) to help it transfer power smoothly and easily. Every kind of differential — front, rear, and limited slip differential — all need gear oil to keep the differential drive components from overheating or grinding together.
things that should be inspected are: Differential fluid service change, Rear axle oil change/Axel Oil Service, Service Rear Axel, Four wheel drives, Two wheel drives.
Differential Problems And Warning Signs
If one of the bearings starts to loosen in your differential or if the differential fluid is thinning and your metal parts start wearing out, you may experience these symptoms:
- A whirring sound while decelerating or at speeds over 15 mph
- A rumbling noise when the car is going faster than 15 mph
- A clunking sound
- A high-pitch howling noise while accelerating
- A banging or skipping sound in turns
If you hear these noises, there’s a good chance that you may already have a problem, or are well on your way to having a differential problem. For this reason we recommended you see our automotive service professionals ASAP. During a complete vehicle inspection, our certified, professional mechanics will inspect your steering and suspension parts, including the entire differential.
How Frequently Should I Come In For Differential Service?
Your vehicle needs a differential to work properly, so we suggest getting your differential inspected and the differential fluid changed as a part of your normal maintenance routine or follow the recommendations of your vehicle manufacturer. How often differential service is needed will be different, depending on the make, model and mileage.
Things Covered In Differential Service:
- Differential fluid service change
- Rear axle oil change/Axel Oil Service
- Service Rear Axel
- Four wheel drives
- Two wheel drives
More About Drivetrain:
- Drivetrain Repair Service
- Transmission Flush and Fluid Change
- Signs of Transmission Problems
- Transmission Repair and Service
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