James Bond
would be an ordinary spy if not for the cool equipment invented by Q and
the gadget hounds in the Queen's labs. After all, how would Bond make
his great escapes from those sticky situations when a laser is about to
slice through the crown jewels or he needs to stop a centrifuge he's trapped
in from accelerating beyond 13 g's -and still save the world from certain
doom?
Well, you
might not have the suave looks and cloak and dagger career Mr. Bond has
but that doesn't mean you have to be left out in the cold when it comes
to the having the gear. Consider the folks at Eaton's Torque Control Products
Division your own personal and real-life Q-Labs, at least when it comes
to helping you perform heroic off-road maneuvers in your pickup. You still
might not be able to save the world, but you most likely will save yourself
the embarrassment of getting towed out.
Eaton's Torque
Control Products Division specializes in manufacturing traction modifying
differentials for trucks, both for manufacturers as original equipment
and the aftermarket as custom add-ons. The latest goodie to come out of
their top secret skunk works is the Eaton E-Locker, shorthand for an electronically
locking differential.
There's lots
of confusion when it comes to differentials, what they are and what they
do so here's your briefing before we proceed with the rest of the mission.
A differential's
primary reason for living, and the origin of its name, is to transfer
engine power and torque from the engine to the wheels while at the same
time allowing the wheels to turn at different speeds. The wheels have
to be able to rotate at different speeds especially when turning because
as you round a corner the inner wheel travels less distance than the outer
wheel. If they didn't turn at different rates you would do a lot of damage
to your tires and turning the vehicle would be a whole lot harder. Something
similar can be felt if you try and turn your steering wheel in a part-time
four wheel drive pickup, but this 'scrubbing' is actually caused by locking
the front and rear axles together.
There are
three different types of differential, each made to help improve traction
and driving control.
The simplest
and most common differential is an open differential. Using a set of gears
to direct torque, an open differential allows a spinning wheel to continue
spinning, even when the opposite wheel on an axle won't spin at all. There
is a drawback however. An open differential always sends power to the
wheel with the least traction. Traction is dependent on many factors including
the tires, contact surface and weather conditions. If maximum traction
is your goal, consider anything but an open differential.
