Northwest Differential

Our Location
Northwest Differential Service
11914 124th Ave NE
Kirkland, WA 98034

Contact Us
Local Service and Parts: (425) 827-2868
Fax: (425) 820-2939
Toll Free Service and Parts: (425) 820-2939

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a differential?
In an automobile and other four-wheeled vehicles, a differential is a device, usually consisting of gears, for allowing each of the driving wheels to rotate at different speeds, while supplying equal torque to each.

What is a limited slip differential?
There are various devices for getting more traction from vehicles with differentials. One solution is the limited slip differential (LSD), the most well-known of which is the clutch-type LSD. With this differential, the side gears are coupled to the carrier via a stack of clutch plates which limits the speed difference between the two wheels.

What is a locking differential?
Another traction-adding device is the locking differential, which employs a mechanism for allowing the planetary gears to be locked relative to each other, causing both wheels to turn at the same speed regardless of which has more traction; this is equivalent to removing the differential entirely.