what is the Diff - rence

[DayRider 311]

After crashing my M05 and doing a lot a of damage, I going to do a ground up re build and part of this is up grading the running gear. I am going to change the gearing ( pinion and spur gear) as well as the diff. 

So my question is, would I be better of with a Ball diff or an Oil filled diff? As always your help on this is always welcome . Thank you.

   

[TurnipJF 9192]

Personally, I think you would be better off with a grease filled diff. The ball diffs are not all that easy to set and need more maintenance, the oil diffs are more costly and and don't always keep their oil where they should. Once you have the stock gear diff tuned with the right amount and consistency of grease, it keeps going for ages with virtually no maintenance and no further adjustment required.

[Dakratfink 967]

1 hour ago, TurnipJF said:

Personally, I think you would be better off with a grease filled diff. The ball diffs are not all that easy to set and need more maintenance, the oil diffs are more costly and and don't always keep their oil where they should. Once you have the stock gear diff tuned with the right amount and consistency of grease, it keeps going for ages with virtually no maintenance and no further adjustment required.

From my general experience diffs that are intended to use tease are not sealed whereas ones intended for fluid ( oils ) are 

[DayRider 311]

2 hours ago, TurnipJF said:

Personally, I think you would be better off with a grease filled diff. The ball diffs are not all that easy to set and need more maintenance, the oil diffs are more costly and and don't always keep their oil where they should. Once you have the stock gear diff tuned with the right amount and consistency of grease, it keeps going for ages with virtually no maintenance and no further adjustment required.

The diff in my m07 is oil filled and feels smooth, but I am finding that the one in the m05 that is just greased, seem to favour one side more. There's more wear on the tyre. 

Dose a ball diff put the power to the wheel that has more contact rather than the wheel that doesn't?

I don't want to lock it but I would like it so I'm getting better traction into the corner and not the wheel spinning when the weight is transferred. Does that make sense?

[Juggular 4964]

14 minutes ago, DayRider said:

The diff in my m07 is oil filled and feels smooth, but I am finding that the one in the m05 that is just greased, seem to favour one side more. There's more wear on the tyre. 

Dose a ball diff put the power to the wheel that has more contact rather than the wheel that doesn't?

I don't want to lock it but I would like it so I'm getting better traction into the corner and not the wheel spinning when the weight is transferred. Does that make sense?

I also think ball diffs are rather tricky.  They loosen over time, so you need to re-adjust once in a while.  If you use sticky grease like AW grease, it tends to stick around. 

[1] Uneven wear could be weight distribution thing.  The motor side gets more traction compared to the other side, so the wear might be uneven.  On top of that, if you drive in a oval track, one side does rotate more than the other.  

[2] One bearing might not be freely turning.  I would lift it up, and turn right wheel and left wheel.  If they both turn freely, one side shouldn't be wearing out faster than the other, aside from above weight issues.  

Diffs should be equal, ball diff or geared diff, they shouldn't cause one side to wear more than the other.   

 

[DayRider 311]

2 hours ago, Juggular said:

I also think ball diffs are rather tricky.  They loosen over time, so you need to re-adjust once in a while.  If you use sticky grease like AW grease, it tends to stick around. 

[1] Uneven wear could be weight distribution thing.  The motor side gets more traction compared to the other side, so the wear might be uneven.  On top of that, if you drive in a oval track, one side does rotate more than the other.  

[2] One bearing might not be freely turning.  I would lift it up, and turn right wheel and left wheel.  If they both turn freely, one side shouldn't be wearing out faster than the other, aside from above weight issues.  

Diffs should be equal, ball diff or geared diff, they shouldn't cause one side to wear more than the other.   

 

Thanks for your thoughts, I'm doing a ground up re build so I will be going to check the berrings. I think I will see what the weight distribution is like at the same time so good shout mate. I am using the counter balance but I might need some more weight down one side.

[SupraChrgd82 1425]

Each diff type has its attributes.  

Some additional considerations in selecting the diff;

• the ball diff also functions as a slipper clutch when properly adjusted
• ball diff is easy to adjust
• metal spider gears in the oil diff are stronger than plastic spider gears
• aluminum outdrives are a good way to reduce weight over steel outdrives
• aluminum outdrives use plastic cushions on the dogbone requiring periodic changout
• plastic outdrives break in most crashes
• oil diff will stay buttery smooth longer due to being sealed away from dust/grit
• a spool up front may be desirable

Evaluate your driving style and driving surface to make a selection that suits your needs.