Front diff question?

[bks691]

Does my front diff always turn when my explorer is in motion? Or only when in four wheel drive? It's a 2006 4x4 Advanced Trac - RSC. Thanks in advance, I have done many searches and have not been able to get a definitive answer.

 

[wbrudi28]

well yeah, it's a 4x4 vehicle so all four wheels are moving at the same time.

this is opposed to a 2 wheel drive explorer, which i think are less common.

 

[bks691]

Ok, thanks for the clarification. Someone had told me the front pumpkin wasn't spinning unless locked in four wheel high or low.

 

[IZwack]

Just because its a 4wd doesnt necessarily mean that the front differential must spin all the time. There are 4wd vehicles with "lockouts" that disconnects the "hub" from the axle shafts - this is the case for 91-94 Explorers.

But in the world of Explorers, any 4wd or AWD that is 97 or newer Explorer (which includes your 4wd 06) will rotate the front differential all the time. The 95 and 96 models were a weird creature in that they had a vacuum disconnected front axle (CAD) which technically had the potential to prevent the differential from rotating (just the spider gears were rotating, not the carrier/gears).

 

[bks691]

Just because its a 4wd doesnt necessarily mean that the front differential must spin all the time. There are 4wd vehicles with "lockouts" that disconnects the "hub" from the axle shafts - this is the case for 91-94 Explorers.

But in the world of Explorers, any 4wd or AWD that is 97 or newer Explorer (which includes your 4wd 06) will rotate the front differential all the time. The 95 and 96 models were a weird creature in that they had a vacuum disconnected front axle (CAD) which technically had the potential to prevent the differential from rotating (just the spider gears were rotating, not the carrier/gears).

Thanks!