Back to all

Differential Service in Lincoln, Nebraska - What You Need to Know

June 25, 2018

Scratching your head? Don't worry, if you don't know what a differential is – you will in a moment. That fact is that if you drive a car anywhere in Lincoln, Nebraska, you have a differential. Whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, you have a differential. Some Lincoln vehicles might even have two or three.

Not surprisingly, a differential's job is to compensate for differences; specifically, they're the differences in wheel speed when turning. For instance, imagine taking a corner near your Lincoln, Nebraska, home. Your inside wheel has a shorter distance to travel than the outside wheel as you turn the corner. That means that your outside wheel has to turn faster to keep pace with the inside wheel.

The differential allows the wheels to turn at different speeds while still providing power to your vehicle. Without a differential, Lincoln residents' tires would scrub and hop along the pavement during turns like the early cars.

Ever noticed the big bulge in the middle of the rear axle on trucks? That's the differential. Rear-wheel drive vehicles have a differential in back. Most four-wheel drive trucks and SUVs will also have a similar differential on the front axle. A front-wheel drive vehicle's differential is called a transaxle because it combines the differential and transmission in one unit. An all-wheel drive vehicle will have a differential or transfer case that adjusts for speed differences between the front and rear drive wheels.

It can seem a little complex to some Lincoln drivers - but you can see that all of the engine's power is routed through your differentials. They're strong enough to handle the work, but- we've said it before - they need to be properly lubricated in order to stay strong. So from time to time, you need to schedule a differential service in Lincoln at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Lincoln. The used fluid is drained and replaced with clean fluid. Some advise certain differentials to have special additives installed.

Get your differential serviced at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Lincoln in Lincoln.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Lincoln
1525 Pine Lake Rd
Lincoln, Nebraska 68512
402-421-1900
http://www.tuffylincoln.com

Need Service?

Request a Quote

More articles from Tuffy Lincoln

A Clean Sweep (Fuel Injector Cleaning)

March 29, 2026

Your vehicle gets its power from burning fuel, usually gasoline, and it counts on something called fuel injectors to send gas to the engine in a spray that is easy to ignite. Its a precise operation, and when its working well, you have plenty of power and an efficient engine. But after time, con... More

U and your U-Joints (Lubricate U-Joints)

March 22, 2026

If your vehicles power goes to the rear wheels, then you have something called U-joints in the drivetrain. U-joints are connectors that allow the rotating power from your vehicles engine to deliver its power through a driveshaft to make the rear wheels rotate. You need U-joints because the surfa... More

Go with the Flow (MAF Sensor Replacement)

March 15, 2026

If your vehicle has an internal combustion engine, it depends on two things to make propulsion power for you to be able to motor on down the road: fuel and air. The engine mixes the two in just the right proportion so that they can be ignited, creating a series of tiny explosions that are coordi... More