How open centre diff works

[Craig09]

want to start this thread to have a very very clear picture as to how the open centre diff works so i know if mines broken and also with enough info should be a good refrence point for those wanting to know about the R180 front diff on the D22s

so heres my understanding:
both wheels will have drive until a time that it is easier to drive one wheel then the other ie one is in the air and one on the ground therefore it drives the one in the air.
when the car is turning one wheel will drive faster but both will still have drive.

now i have just been to a diff "specialist" and he says my diff is fine,mine is out of the car so load is out of the eqauition.if i spin the input shaft from my understanding BOTH drive shafts should have equal drive in the same direction,if i spin one drive shaft the other shoul go same speed oppisite direction.mine does not do this,if i spin the input shaft the right side wont turn, every so often it grips in for a sec and turns but then lets go again.if i spin the left drive shaft the right wont spin or spins slower then the left.if i spin the right drive shaft the left spins as per normal.on occation it has spun both drive shafts at the same speed when i spin the input shaft but not often.from all this i would say mine is faulty somehow,it has no missing teeth and without the right drive shaft in its socket it operates normally.so as you can see from my understanding of an open centre there is something wrong.

However the diff guy says this is how they are meant to operate as its easier to spin the left side and there is nothing wrong.but i dont agree if there is equal/no load on each side they should both spin otherwise rename the D22 3WD.

so if someone could please enlighten me as to weather im completely wrong about how a open centre diff works or im righ and the diff guy needs a new job and i need a new diff lol

Craig

 

[tweak'e]

if you spin input shaft both sides should spin IF drag on both is the same. sometimes its not sure to bearings etc.

if you hold the input shaft still and turn a wheel then the other wheel should spin the opposite way.

 

[Craig09]

thats what i thought,just cant figure out whats the go with mine,i blew my cvs and a tie rod out in the sand,i figured thats when the diff went but still cant figure out whats wrong with it

 

[Boosted]

Put a lokka into it

 

[tweak'e]

i havn't pulled the nissan one out before. any pics around of it?
as it out take some pics of the gears etc.

if one side is dragging i would guess a bearing is gone or is to tight. or its chewed a side gear shim.

 

[Craig09]

yea thats the plan,i just wanted 4x4 in the meantime haha.but the biggest reason is i hate it when i cant understand why its not working lol.
anyway i just wanted to make sure my idea of how open centre work was correct.i think ill just put up with mine until i get the lokka.
will put up a picture tonight with the diff in every piece it breaks down to so anyone who has never seen a diff (like me before i pulled this 1 apart) can have an idea of what people are saying when they talk about the idividual parts.should help alot,would of helped me alot haha.
cheers guys

 

[tweak'e]

just thinking if its the extra drag from the extra bearing of the extension tube side.
should get some idea by feel if one side has a lot more drag on it.

 

[Craig09]

i havn't pulled the nissan one out before. any pics around of it?
as it out take some pics of the gears etc.

if one side is dragging i would guess a bearing is gone or is to tight. or its chewed a side gear shim.

all bearings seem good,the shims look ok.what do they look like if there stuffed?

 

[Craig09]

will check that now

 

[Craig09]

put it back together and it turning properly in regards to turning left and right turn opp same speed.but the right still wont consistantly turn when turning the input shaft.the drive shafts have equal resistance when turning by hand so i dont thing its the right side drive shaft bearing.just cant figure it out

 

[bods]

What does it do if you hold the left side and turn the input shaft? Does the right side spin as per normal then? I am just thinking it might not seem right on the bench that only one side spins consistently but actually in the car it may be OK. If you think of it this way, in the car there is equal weight on both wheel so even though one wheel may have slightly more internal resistance than the other side but on the ground it won't be so apparent.

Even though the left side is turning now once its in the car it will have the same resistance as the right side so as long as there's nothing broken I think you'll find its OK. Just whack it back in and see how it goes I guess..

 

[Craig09]

it act as per normal,the right side turns.i get what your sayin and i had the same train of thouhgt but the reason i ripped it out is because the right cv wasnt turning with hubs unlocked and in fourby.maybe it was just the way the ute was on the driveway or maybe because the wheel was a fair way of alignhment.will let you know in about an hour or 2 when its back in the car.cheers for all the help.
will get that pic of all the diff parts up for anyone who is intrested some time later tonight.

 

[Craig09]

just want to make sure,with the front end jacked up (both wheels) and hubs locked no matter weather in 4x4 for not i shouldnt be able to turn the wheels yea??

 

[robmacca]

just want to make sure,with the front end jacked up (both wheels) and hubs locked no matter weather in 4x4 for not i shouldnt be able to turn the wheels yea??

Mate, with the front 2 wheels off the ground, Hubs Locked in, 4WD lever engaged, Gearbox in GEAR, u will still be able to turn one wheel around, but the opposite side wheel will spin in the opposite direction. IF u had installed a Locka then u wouldn't be able to turn the wheels in this situation....

 

[Craig09]

yea my bad,been up all night trying to fix it so heads a bit back to front.
mine does what its meant to (spin one side other goes opposite) but it only does it for a qauter turn the you cant spin it any further,it will move easy enough back and fourth but no more then a qauter turn,it cant do a full revolution.also when driveing something happens when turning hardish,like maybe the front is locked turning together.

 

[Craig09]

ive disconnected the input shaft and it still does it so it can only be diff (probbly fixed with lokka) or cvs but they are new.cant be hubs can it unless its both of em.
ideas?

 

[rabbit-chop]

take it to a mechanic.

 

[Craig09]

mate there useless up here,it will take em days to figure it out if they figure it out at all

 

[Aussie Frontier]

sounds like you might have a busted spider gear in the center

 

[Craig09]

ive just had it in pieces and there were no teeth missing,it all operated fine when out of the car until drive shaft was put back on and it would roll around that right side spider gear like that drive shaft was being held.we came to the conclution that that may be ok and when in the car the force is equaly spread which it seem to be as it has no trouble driveing the cvs now.just cant figure out why it wont let me rotate the wheels when jacked up,i turn them qaurter turn fine then they get stuck,with alot off rock and push i can get them past the "sticky point" but another qauter turn same thing.