How does a car’s differential work? You may have a vague understanding. Some things spin, some don’t, and somehow the result allows your car to steer around a bend without tearing its tires or chewing through its guts. There are gears and other gears, and it’s basically magic. That was my own level of understanding, until I found This classic educational film from 1937. It’s still the best, simplest, easiest explanation of how a differential works I’ve ever found.
I love this old black and white movie so much, I wrote about it a little while back those boys. It’s worth re-introducing to a new audience, because even if you’ve got your hands on the insides of a disassembled diff, you might still struggle to explain how the ring collection, that cogwheel and cogwheel to ground, and let the two wheels on the same axle rotate at different speeds.
Our instructor in this lesson is Henry Jamison.”Jam” Handy, a fascinating character, has spent most of his career making educational films like these. Most of the time, they’re cleverly disguised commercials – most of Handy’s auto movies were made at the behest of General Motors, while others were financed by Standard Oil. Regardless of the theme, Jam Handy begins with a simple question “How does X work” and answers that question with clear, intelligent, intuitive visual aids that are instantly understandable. . Usually, the last minute of a movie is where it becomes an advertisement – Eg, hype about the latest technological advancements you’ll find at your friendly neighborhood Chevrolet dealership. But everything that leads to that brief sale is the knowledge of the brand, the common interest, that is absolutely fascinating to car enthusiasts or anyone with a curious mind.
Therefore! Back to the differential. Naturally, this 1937 movie doesn’t delve into the routines of the limited-slip differential – we’re just talking about the single-tire blowout difference here. But the pictures and explanations are so simple, even a child can grasp.
So take 10 minutes and find out the inner workings of something you’ve always wondered about. Even if you already know the difference well, I promise this movie will give you a new look at how it all works.
