Power to rear wheel

[Rreffner]

I'm new to Triking. On my GL1800 CSC does power go to both rear wheels or only one and if one, which one? Thanks

 

[Gold Rush]

Unless you have some sort of limited slip or locked differential your trike will be just like most automobiles. Power to both wheels unless/until one starts slipping for any reason. :xszpv::xszpv:

 

[99Gwing]

To deliver power to "both wheels" most trikes run a 2 pinion differential, like the auto manufactures back in the 70s. CSC & Motortrike for certain.

The upside is it's a cheap design, though I think to replace one will cost you about 10 times what it cost the trike company. The downside is the spider gears will tend to seize on their shaft under certain conditions, which is why nobody uses a 2 pinion anymore.

This video is 80 years old, but very effective in an explanation.

 

[Rreffner]

Thanks everyone.

 

[SMSgt]

I have parked my '06 GL18 with a '12 Roadsmith in my concrete driveway and laid rubber with both wheels indicating to me that it has some sort of traction locking differential.

 

[1dn5up]

I have parked my '06 GL18 with a '12 Roadsmith in my concrete driveway and laid rubber with both wheels indicating to me that it has some sort of traction locking differential.

If both tires have the same grip and weight on them, then it will act as a posi. Put one tire on dirt and the other on asphalt then do it, only the one on dirt will spin.

 

[mhgoldwing]

If both tires have the same grip and weight on them, then it will act as a posi. Put one tire on dirt and the other on asphalt then do it, only the one on dirt will spin.

That is not a correct test because both rear wheels have the same traction. The true test to have different friction elements for each rear wheel. Such as, leave one wheel on the pavement and run the other one off the edge onto sand or gravel. If the one with less traction starts spinning then you do not have a locking diff. If the tire on the pavement pulls the trike forward with little or no slippage on the wheel off-pavement, then you have a lock differential.

A true locking differential would make a trike, car or any other vehicle on hard surface very difficult to turn and tear up the diff pretty quickly. That's why I could not use my Polaris RZR on my lawn; one rear wheel would chew up the turf on any turn because both rear wheels are turning at the same rate.

 

[1dn5up]

That is not a correct test because both rear wheels have the same traction. The true test to have different friction elements for each rear wheel. Such as, leave one wheel on the pavement and run the other one off the edge onto sand or gravel. If the one with less traction starts spinning then you do not have a locking diff. If the tire on the pavement pulls the trike forward with little or no slippage on the wheel off-pavement, then you have a lock differential.

A true locking differential would make a trike, car or any other vehicle on hard surface very difficult to turn and tear up the diff pretty quickly. That's why I could not use my Polaris RZR on my lawn; one rear wheel would chew up the turf on any turn because both rear wheels are turning at the same rate.

Exactly, same idea, different wording.

 

[rhino 2]

A true locking differential would make a trike, car or any other vehicle on hard surface very difficult to turn and tear up the diff pretty quickly. That's why I could not use my Polaris RZR on my lawn; one rear wheel would chew up the turf on any turn because both rear wheels are turning at the same rate.

My Polaris Ranger side-by can be shifted into open differential [One wheel rear drive] So it won't tear up lawns.... Not sure Why they don't have that feature on all of the Polaris... :Shrug:

 

[mhgoldwing]

My Polaris Ranger side-by can be shifted into open differential [One wheel rear drive] So it won't tear up lawns.... Not sure Why they don't have that feature on all of the Polaris... :Shrug:

Me either. I sold my RZR because I couldn't use it around my property, only on trails or off road. I understand they added the "turf mode" a couple of years after I got rid of mine. My luck.

 

[consitter]

To deliver power to "both wheels" most trikes run a 2 pinion differential, like the auto manufactures back in the 70s. CSC & Motortrike for certain.

The upside is it's a cheap design, though I think to replace one will cost you about 10 times what it cost the trike company. The downside is the spider gears will tend to seize on their shaft under certain conditions, which is why nobody uses a 2 pinion anymore.

This video is 80 years old, but very effective in an explanation.

Thanks for posting this. I didn't understand how it worked until now. Old but informative. Put it down on my level.

 

[99Gwing]

Thanks for posting this. I didn't understand how it worked until now. Old but informative. Put it down on my level.

No problem. Trikes are incredibly dangerous with a (accidental) welded axle or positraction because you can't turn. On the contrary, they lose power with an open diff because every time you turn you spin at least some.

The two gears on the axle shafts are what most call "spider gears". The more of these, the more durable especially on a vehicle like a trike that is prone to lift a tire in a turn/brake situation. 2 is bad. 4 is good. I think they use a Dana Super 30 if someone out there is interested in replacing damaged ones for a fraction of the cost than thru the manufacturer. Not sure if they make a 4 pinion for Dana 30 because it is an older design intended for light use.

This is your CSC/MT carrier (2 pinion cast iron):
http://www.4wheelparts.com/Drivetra...m_term=1100908437269&utm_content=All Products

 

[FRR]

To deliver power to "both wheels" most trikes run a 2 pinion differential, like the auto manufactures back in the 70s. CSC & Motortrike for certain.

The upside is it's a cheap design, though I think to replace one will cost you about 10 times what it cost the trike company. The downside is the spider gears will tend to seize on their shaft under certain conditions, which is why nobody uses a 2 pinion anymore.

This video is 80 years old, but very effective in an explanation.

This is very good. Thanks for posting

 

[CrystalPistol]

Unless you have some sort of limited slip or locked differential your trike will be just like most automobiles. Power to both wheels unless/until one starts slipping for any reason. :xszpv::xszpv:

Even then, power still get's to both drive wheels even with open rear .... just that power to either is limited by the traction available of the other. Let's say the right rear is on snow and the left rear on dry pavement. If the right one's available traction will only support 0.05 HP, then 0.05 HP is all the left will see. Sometimes I have been able to get a seemingly stuck police car (my dept always used open rear ends, in 31+ years I never had a police car with posi) going by repeated stabs at the parking brake to add resistance to that spinning tire and that increased power fed to the not spinning tire long enough to move a little.

A standard open rear end with no locking or slip limiting mechanism is still almost always a "two pinion" open differential, two spider gears, two axle gears, one cross shaft ..... that still can seize to one of the two counter rotating spiders when spinning one wheel for long durations.

 

[Gold Rush]

Even then, power still get's to both drive wheels even with open rear .... just that power to either is limited by the traction available of the other. Let's say the right rear is on snow and the left rear on dry pavement. If the right one's available traction will only support 0.05 HP, then 0.05 HP is all the left will see. Sometimes I have been able to get a seemingly stuck police car (my dept always used open rear ends, in 31+ years I never had a police car with posi) going by repeated stabs at the parking brake to add resistance to that spinning tire and that increased power fed to the not spinning tire long enough to move a little.

You are correct. There will be exceptions to every rule. On rare occasions your trick might work. For the most part if one wheel starts spinning, it will continue to do so unless that vehicle is equipped with a limited slip or locked differential!!:xszpv::xszpv:

 

[CrystalPistol]

On rare occasions your trick might work.

I know how you're thinking ..... when I was a new Trooper back in the late '70s and a veteran who came on in 1946 that was one of several I rode with during my field training showed me .... I too was skeptical. :xzqxz:

Works more than rarely .... and whether you get unstuck or not depends on just how stuck you are. See, you are still applying power with the throttle, applying the parking brake is not gonna stop that spinning wheel, if you apply 10 HP worth of resistance to the right rear in the snow, the left rear is gonna see an additional 10 HP applied .... and it does work. Whether it's enough to get you going or not depends on your situation. If both drive wheels are on ice and/or deep snow, you might be needing a wrecker or other tow.

I know it got me going more often than not when I had pulled over off the highway working a wreck or whatever in snows and that right side was in snow.

Something else which almost is the same thing is setting the parking brake, applying a little power, then releasing the brake slowly to not abruptly let the rear wheels see power .... very controlled application .....

will also get you going when normal foot on gas pedal doesn't.

Of course, all that works better on cars that actually have the parking brake working the rear service brake. Some newer cars with rear disc use miniature drum brakes inside the rotors that aren't really capable of doing much good against a rotating wheel.