Is something wrong with my AWD

[97dark_angel]

ok so im getting hit with a nor-eastern and its my winter with a dsm an awd, when i came home last night i got stock on top of small now bank, well big enough to get stuck on, the whole bottom of my car was filled with no you couldn't see under the car, when i tried to drive out of it only the 2 wheels on the passenger side were spinning not the ones that were on my side, MY question is is that normal or is some thing wrong? after i got out i took it for a drive and it was driving fine, some one please let me know what you think oh yeah its a 97 talon tsi

 

[BrokenTsi]

Its fine.

 

[hubz91talontsi]

Its the great thing called an open diff..Atleast you have 2 spinning i have 1 =D

 

[Jeff99GS]

Its Normal, because you have Open differentials. If you did NOT have differentials you could NOT drive on the road or make turns.

My Jeep has LOCKING diffs So I can make it TRUE 4X4 where all 4 tires spin NO matter what. If I drove it like that on the road I would break my transfer case among other things.

When Turning each wheel travels a different distance through the turn, and that the inside wheels travel a shorter distance than the outside wheels. Since speed is equal to the distance traveled divided by the time it takes to go that distance, the wheels that travel a shorter distance travel at a lower speed. Also note that the front wheels travel a different distance than the rear wheels.

In your case you got HIGH CENTERED the snow is holding the car off the ground or keeping you from getting traction. All you can do is dig her out...or get it pulled out.

 

[97dark_angel]

thank you all, thats been on my mind all night and was about to take it to a shop, now i can sleep ok thanks again for your help

 

[boostedinthe843]

i thought 4 bolt rear ends had lsd?

 

[Jeff99GS]

i thought 4 bolt rear ends had lsd?

LSD is still a differential. Its NOT a full LOCKED axle....It allows a Limited amount of slipage until it catches the other side and makes both wheels turn together.

Posi track is like having a locker but it opens when going around turns.

Then there is a SPOOL...That completely LOCKS the axle. Making it one solid axle.

For offroad use in Jeeps and other 4x4's alot of guys use Air lockers or electric lockers that way they can unlock them when getting back ON the road.

That's WHY I reccomend NOT welding your center diff unless you only use the car for straight line Drag Racing only. And maybe some Light street use, but its not good for the drive train components.

 

[DSMopar]

Its Normal, because you have Open differentials. If you did NOT have differentials you could NOT drive on the road or make turns.

Wrong, it's just harder .

i thought 4 bolt rear ends had lsd?

I guess not 2g versions eh?

 

[boostedinthe843]

yeah thats what i thought, 2g doesnt. lucky for us right

 

[Jeff99GS]

Wrong, it's just harder .

Have you EVER tried to make a full circle turn on concrete with ALL four axles soilid locked??? I doubt it. cause 99.9% of vehicles DO NOT have 4 locked axles unless you're driving an international harvester around town

Why do you think 100% of cars on the road have open diffs?

You might make a slight turn over a 100 ft radius but even that is HARSH on the drive train TRUST ME. Go Look up basic physics, Its a simple principal. The inner tires of the Turn travel SLOWER than the outer tires.

Some road vehicles like Jeep Rubicons, Ram Power Wagons, Land Rovers, Humvees Ect. have air lockers. But they are intended for offroad use ONLY. If you use these on the road they will void the warranty. This is because it can Damage EVERYTHING from the Tires to the tranny, transfer case, axles, U joints, driveshafts and more.

Did you maybe think I was talking about the center diff?? Cause that you can lock up and still turn...just not as easily as before at slow speeds.

 

[blackGSX2g]

I guess not 2g versions eh?

Some 2gs came with a rear LSD...just not all of them.

To the OP: You are fine...the nature of an open diff is to send power through the path of least resistance.

 

[KeelesKustome]

thats odd, i did not know this.

As for my rear end it has full pos rear end with a lsd in the front...

I know because i love playing in the snow, and some similiar stuff happened to me.

I didn't know that they had different ones though.

 

[DeNoZZo]

Some 2gs came with a rear LSD...just not all of them.

To the OP: You are fine...the nature of an open diff is to send power through the path of least resistance.

How can I find out if I have one?

 

[95TalonOwner]

Orange sticker in your door jamb.

 

[Jeff99GS]

^ Yes, and there is usually a sticker on the rear end too.

 

[97dark_angel]

what dose the sticker say ????

 

[95TalonOwner]

Says equipped with LSD. It's a big orange sticker about the same size as the sticker that has your VIN and other info on it.

 

[blackGSX2g]

what dose the sticker say ????

Rear diff label:

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[GSXOverBoost]

Oh that would be awesome Ill have to check mine too. I thought only the 1g with 4bolt rear end had lsd stock.

 

[MaxGdsm]

im pretty sure even 1g with 3bolt axle rear end has rear lsd, i have one and it has the viscous label on it. i could be wrong but im pretty sure my eyes arent failing me. it was one of the buying points for me when i picked mine up a while back

 

[DSMopar]

Have you EVER tried to make a full circle turn on concrete with ALL four axles soilid locked??? I doubt it. cause 99.9% of vehicles DO NOT have 4 locked axles unless you're driving an international harvester around town

Why do you think 100% of cars on the road have open diffs?

You might make a slight turn over a 100 ft radius but even that is HARSH on the drive train TRUST ME. Go Look up basic physics, Its a simple principal. The inner tires of the Turn travel SLOWER than the outer tires.

Some road vehicles like Jeep Rubicons, Ram Power Wagons, Land Rovers, Humvees Ect. have air lockers. But they are intended for offroad use ONLY. If you use these on the road they will void the warranty. This is because it can Damage EVERYTHING from the Tires to the tranny, transfer case, axles, U joints, driveshafts and more.

Did you maybe think I was talking about the center diff?? Cause that you can lock up and still turn...just not as easily as before at slow speeds.

I was speaking in general not specifically AWD. You have never driven with a RWD car with a spool before then... trust me it's surprisingly street friendly (at least when you have big tires).

 

[Jeff99GS]

I was speaking in general not specifically AWD. You have never driven with a RWD car with a spool before then... trust me it's surprisingly street friendly (at least when you have big tires).

I was talking about 4x4 or AWD. And yes I drive a RWD Jeep everyday with the rear locked with posilock, and it drives fine. The thing is the tires get worn and its harsh on the drive line. NOW if I locked the front and the rear all at the same time, it's virtually imposible to do any turning on concrete or on any surface with high traction.

If you are in heavy snow, Mud, dirt, sand or anything like that then its fine to have the front and rear locked together. The tires are able to SLIP in the mud.

If just the rear is locked you can still turn okay...but the tires are doing the sliping for you when you turn. The tire on the inside of the turn will always travel at a slower speed than the outer tire....so SOMETHING HAS GOT TO SLIP.

The OP's car is perfectly normal. It has a differential that allows the wheels to travel at different speeds around turns. This allows you to apply power to the wheel/s while turning and driving.

 

[DeNoZZo]

Orange sticker in your door jamb.

YES!!! I do!!!

So what advantage does that give me?

 

[boostedinthe843]

that what happend to the person who started this thread wont happen to you

 

[PieEyedPiper]

YES!!! I do!!!

So what advantage does that give me?

It now means you're 3 wheel drive when it comes right down to the nitty gritty.
Your rear end will have "full" traction but your front end will still send the power to the side with the least resistance.