Torsen

Also called Torsen differential

Draft: this page has not had its final check yet, so check the sources behind anything you rely on.

A geared limited-slip differential whose name is short for torque-sensing. It is used between the axles or between the wheels of one axle.

The story

History: facts, each with the kind of source it rests on

The name blends the words torque and sensing, and the American Vernon Gleasman invented it, from a design he patented in 1958. The Gleason Corporation made it, and the trademarks are now held by JTEKT Torsen North America. A published reference

A Torsen can share torque between the front and rear axles of an all-wheel-drive car, or between the left and right wheels of one axle. Its torque bias ratio caps how uneven the split can be: at 3:1, one side can get up to three quarters of the torque and the other one quarter. A published reference

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  • A wheel in the air stops it Wherever it is fitted One source so far

    A standard Torsen acts like an open differential when a wheel is off the ground, sending no torque to the other wheel. Pulling the parking brake a little can give it drag to work against.

    A published reference