exactly.

 

Very rarely does an open diff spin both wheels. The power will be directed to the right rear 90% of the time. that's just how open diffs work.

 

Yeah I know. I was just making a subtle reference to another thread. I was just nitpicking a nitpicky response.

I have been stuck plenty of times with open diffs. That is why I opted for the Fx4 over a platinum.

 

Effectively, 1 wheel drive. While power can go to either rear wheel, it will go to the one with the least amount of traction when not equal. If one tire is on ice and the other on dry asphalt, the tire on asphalt will not spin in opposite direction as the one on ice.

That Wiki page looks like it was written by a high school student. I like this How Stuff Works. page better.

 

effectively no its not a 1wd

from your link the first line "The open differential always applies the same amount of torque to each wheel"

 

That is correct as far as it goes. You need to add, "Until there is any change in the amount of resistance on any wheel". Even putting your hand on the wheel will keep it from spinning. That is not much difference.

 

Until the traction on each tire is not the same. Then you become a one-wheel-peel, peg leg, 1wd, etc etc.

 

so you all drive around with one wheel spinning on ice or snow, mud all the time? no you drive around on dry paved roads, so under normal driving conditions it is NOT a 1wd.

 

Guaranteed, if you floor it and peel out on a paved road, you will have one wheel spinning, and only one wheel. You will leave only one tire mark.

 

so what would happen if both wheels maintains the exact same traction?

 

Next to impossible, as all it would take would be a slightly different grain in the roadway, or a little dirt, more weight on one side, etc.
The only way I have been able to get 2 streaks of rubber is with a LS. When I had open diffs, it was always one streak.

 

As Kingfish said, there is no such thing as "same traction". Tires worn a little differently, a few more grains of dirt under one tire, different weight loading on each tire (driver, no passenger, etc. Yes, under most people's normal driving conditions, open diff is fine. but turning in the rain, and snow, ice, sand, or dirt conditions prove the effectiveness of the open differential.

Brake applied traction control can also be effective if designed and tuned well. It is not the same as LSD, but it can work very well for everything buy rock crawling.

 

i never said it was the same as a ls diff, but you guys keep confusing situations with theory. but the principle theory is both wheels receive equal amount of torque. the situation is what causes one wheel spin and the other to do nothing.

anyways this topic is dead.

 

Until the next thread crops up asking the exact same question.