Is this normal?

[Paul Ponting]

I broke a connector rod on one of the front driveshafts on a F150 Hercules
truck. Since it broke, neither of the front wheels turn (obviously the one
with the broken connector wont turn) but I would have expected the other to
turn.

Do both wheels need to have 'traction' for either to turn? If I remove both
wheels and look at the gearing when applying forward power, I can see the
gearing turning as expected (however, when one rotates forwards, the other
rotates backwards)

I know on a real car if you raise the front wheels and turn one of the
wheels the other turns in the opposite direction so I assume the R/C truck
is working correct but can anyone explain this for me.

Thanks

[TempestNightmare]

You Have an "Open Diff" rather then a posi traction diff. this is normal.
the way the pinion and ring gear are set up with the spider gears, if you
break an axle, you lose power to both wheels. With a posi diff, if you lose
traction to one wheel it is applied to the other, unless it is a locked rear
then you have permanent traction to both.
you can get the same effect buy installing a spool in your diff..it will
lock both wheels together.
Jon

"Paul Ponting" <usenet@nospam.thepontingfamily.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bbgs12$ac$1@titan.btinternet.com...
> I broke a connector rod on one of the front driveshafts on a F150 Hercules
> truck. Since it broke, neither of the front wheels turn (obviously the
one
> with the broken connector wont turn) but I would have expected the other
to
> turn.
>
> Do both wheels need to have 'traction' for either to turn? If I remove
both
> wheels and look at the gearing when applying forward power, I can see the
> gearing turning as expected (however, when one rotates forwards, the other
> rotates backwards)
>
> I know on a real car if you raise the front wheels and turn one of the
> wheels the other turns in the opposite direction so I assume the R/C truck
> is working correct but can anyone explain this for me.
>
> Thanks
>
>

[Paul Ponting]

Are there any benefits to Open Diff over Posi Diff?
Is it easy to add the spool?

Thanks


"TempestNightmare" <tempestnightmare@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:FamcnVGkCsLHZkajXTWcqg@comcast.com...
> You Have an "Open Diff" rather then a posi traction diff. this is normal.
> the way the pinion and ring gear are set up with the spider gears, if you
> break an axle, you lose power to both wheels. With a posi diff, if you
lose
> traction to one wheel it is applied to the other, unless it is a locked
rear
> then you have permanent traction to both.
> you can get the same effect buy installing a spool in your diff..it will
> lock both wheels together.
> Jon
>
> "Paul Ponting" <usenet@nospam.thepontingfamily.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:bbgs12$ac$1@titan.btinternet.com...
> > I broke a connector rod on one of the front driveshafts on a F150
Hercules
> > truck. Since it broke, neither of the front wheels turn (obviously the
> one
> > with the broken connector wont turn) but I would have expected the
other
> to
> > turn.
> >
> > Do both wheels need to have 'traction' for either to turn? If I remove
> both
> > wheels and look at the gearing when applying forward power, I can see
the
> > gearing turning as expected (however, when one rotates forwards, the
other
> > rotates backwards)
> >
> > I know on a real car if you raise the front wheels and turn one of the
> > wheels the other turns in the opposite direction so I assume the R/C
truck
> > is working correct but can anyone explain this for me.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> >
>
>

[Rick Russell]

In article <bbgs12$ac$1@titan.btinternet.com>,
Paul Ponting <usenet@nospam.thepontingfamily.co.uk> wrote:

> Do both wheels need to have 'traction' for either to turn? If I remove both
> wheels and look at the gearing when applying forward power, I can see the
> gearing turning as expected (however, when one rotates forwards, the other
> rotates backwards)

Right. It's called a differential gear. I would bore you with a lot of
explanation, but we might as well cut the crap and go here:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm

Most RC cars (including your Tamiya Ford F150) use a standard open
differential. It's fully explained on that page.

Rick R.

[Paul Ponting]

Excellent post, thanks :) I had forgotten how good that site was.



"Rick Russell" <rickr@is.rice.edu> wrote in message
news:bbiqit$3qc$1@joe.rice.edu...
> In article <bbgs12$ac$1@titan.btinternet.com>,
> Paul Ponting <usenet@nospam.thepontingfamily.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > Do both wheels need to have 'traction' for either to turn? If I remove
both
> > wheels and look at the gearing when applying forward power, I can see
the
> > gearing turning as expected (however, when one rotates forwards, the
other
> > rotates backwards)
>
> Right. It's called a differential gear. I would bore you with a lot of
> explanation, but we might as well cut the crap and go here:
>
> http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm
>
> Most RC cars (including your Tamiya Ford F150) use a standard open
> differential. It's fully explained on that page.
>
> Rick R.

[TempestNightmare]

Well if you lose traction to the wheels, with an open diff, one wheel will
just spin. With a spool you have traction to both wheels and take off much
better. And yes the spool is pretty easy to install.
Jon
"Paul Ponting" <usenet@nospam.thepontingfamily.co.uk> wrote in message
news:bbguna$qv5$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
> Are there any benefits to Open Diff over Posi Diff?
> Is it easy to add the spool?
>
> Thanks
>
>
> "TempestNightmare" <tempestnightmare@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:FamcnVGkCsLHZkajXTWcqg@comcast.com...
> > You Have an "Open Diff" rather then a posi traction diff. this is
normal.
> > the way the pinion and ring gear are set up with the spider gears, if
you
> > break an axle, you lose power to both wheels. With a posi diff, if you
> lose
> > traction to one wheel it is applied to the other, unless it is a locked
> rear
> > then you have permanent traction to both.
> > you can get the same effect buy installing a spool in your diff..it will
> > lock both wheels together.
> > Jon
> >
> > "Paul Ponting" <usenet@nospam.thepontingfamily.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:bbgs12$ac$1@titan.btinternet.com...
> > > I broke a connector rod on one of the front driveshafts on a F150
> Hercules
> > > truck. Since it broke, neither of the front wheels turn (obviously
the
> > one
> > > with the broken connector wont turn) but I would have expected the
> other
> > to
> > > turn.
> > >
> > > Do both wheels need to have 'traction' for either to turn? If I
remove
> > both
> > > wheels and look at the gearing when applying forward power, I can see
> the
> > > gearing turning as expected (however, when one rotates forwards, the
> other
> > > rotates backwards)
> > >
> > > I know on a real car if you raise the front wheels and turn one of the
> > > wheels the other turns in the opposite direction so I assume the R/C
> truck
> > > is working correct but can anyone explain this for me.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>