On 2014-10-27 09:14:39 +0000, Roland Perry said:

In message , at 08:35:17 on Mon, 27
Oct 2014, Neil Williams remarked:
Braking a wheel isn't the same as locking a diff. Apart from anything
else, the locked diff still powers both wheels.

Though achieves nothing by doing so, as it is spinning.

It means some power can be transmitted as soon as adhesion returns, but
most importantly because the diff is locked the other wheel is still
getting power.

Braking the wheel that is spinning causes the other wheel to get all
the power with a regular diff.

Though we may be heading off at a tangent here - a diff lock clearly
has significant advantages (if it didn't, 4x4s would not be so fitted),
but also major disadvantages in terms of cost, complexity and weight,
given that most car drivers will need what it provides once every blue
moon. OTOH traction control and similar can be provided using exactly
the same hardware as ABS which every car already has - just requires
additional software in the ECU.

Neil
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Neil Williams
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