Back to all

Differential Service in Waukesha, Wisconsin - What You Need to Know

October 9, 2022

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 Waukesha, Wisconsin, you have a differential. Whether your vehicle is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, you have a differential. Some Waukesha 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 Waukesha, Wisconsin, 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, Waukesha 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 Waukesha 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 Waukesha at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Waukesha. 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 Center Waukesha in Waukesha.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Waukesha
S31 W24721 Sunset Drive
Waukesha, Wisconsin 53189
262-513-9500

More articles from Tuffy Waukesha

The Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Waukesha Basic Guide To Synthetic Oil

July 28, 2025

Synthetic motor oil has been around for a long time, and more and more new vehicles are leaving factories with synthetic in their engines. But a lot of drivers don't really know much about it.Let's start with conventional oil the kind folks are used to. Conventional oil is made up of naturally o... More

Why did my vehicle fail its emissions test?

July 21, 2025

We all want to breathe clean air and keep our planet green. One of the ways to do that is by requiring all vehicles with internal combustion engines to pass an emissions test. Thats because these vehicles can be big polluters. Everyone wants their car to pass the test so they can continue the... More

Steering You Right (Power Steering Signs of Problems)

July 14, 2025

Nearly every modern vehicle on the road today has power steering, a wonderful invention that makes steering take far less effort than it did in the "good old days." Today, we take our steering for granted: until something goes wrong, that is. Most power steering these days is rack-and-pinion, th... More