Hacker News Reader

Comment by Deestan | Hacker News Reader

> In that case the differential will spin the wheel with no traction while not sending any power to the wheel that does have traction

Boy do I ever get reminded of this every winter. It's a shame that cars that have the option to lock the differential gear are a lot more expensive.

View on HN

A limited slip differential solves most of this problem, and you don't have to worry about unlocking the diff when you are on dry road. (having a locked diff means the tyres will have to slip over the road when turning. On a dry road they won't slip as much and this can cause significant damage to various components)

And for more on limited slip differential:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_slip_differential

Thanks! Now I know what to look for. It seems the "electronic limited slip differential system" is what I want, as my main trouble is getting out of icy parking spots.

2006 (and later) Honda Civic Si's come with a limited slip differential, and are fairly affordable, from both a purchase and a maintenance perspective. While the LSD is mostly for traction under hard cornering, as accelerating out of a corner is a huge weak point of front-wheel-drive, it does work to increase traction in wintry or wet weather by distributing torque over both wheels.

Not necessarily (but availability probably depends where in the world you are). You can get a Subaru Impreza with a locking center diff.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com