Fucking Differential Gears, How do they work?
June 11, 2010 9:55 AM Subscribe
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- frimble
I've seen this before (on the Blue, I thought, but I can't find it now) and it's still the greatest explanation of the technology that I've ever seen. I'd love to see it remade with the same basic approach and an updated presentation.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 10:16 AM on June 11, 2010
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 10:16 AM on June 11, 2010
*inserts deferential comment*
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:18 AM on June 11, 2010
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:18 AM on June 11, 2010
I learned how this works when I was a kid, thanks to Lego part 73071 (Technic Differential), which it looks like has been made obsolete by 6573 (Technic Differential New).
The way they invented gears in that explanation still felt revelatory though.
posted by aubilenon at 10:18 AM on June 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
The way they invented gears in that explanation still felt revelatory though.
posted by aubilenon at 10:18 AM on June 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
Wow, that stentorian voice sounded like an over annunciating Larry David.
posted by orme at 10:19 AM on June 11, 2010
posted by orme at 10:19 AM on June 11, 2010
That's fantastic -- I never quite understand how a differential did what it does. Excellent demonstration.
posted by Pantengliopoli at 10:40 AM on June 11, 2010
posted by Pantengliopoli at 10:40 AM on June 11, 2010
That was great! Now I understand diffs.
One thing that I thought was particularly amazing about that video is that the technology they're specifically boosting in the video - the low-drive diff - involves some pretty complicated gear tooth designs. I can't imagine working out the dynamics of a hypoid gear system without computer simulation.
posted by Fraxas at 10:46 AM on June 11, 2010
One thing that I thought was particularly amazing about that video is that the technology they're specifically boosting in the video - the low-drive diff - involves some pretty complicated gear tooth designs. I can't imagine working out the dynamics of a hypoid gear system without computer simulation.
posted by Fraxas at 10:46 AM on June 11, 2010
It was probably a trial and error thing. They saw the wear patterns on gears and changed the designs over time. Never underestimate low tech.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:54 AM on June 11, 2010
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:54 AM on June 11, 2010
People actually used to be pretty smart about stuff like that and they just figured out all the math by hand. There was an article a while ago by Jay Leno (of all people) complaining how he couldn't get a hypoid-helical gear machines for one of his classic cars. Once upon a time there were lots of professional machinists who understood gears both mathematically and intuitively and could just invent stuff like this.
posted by GuyZero at 11:01 AM on June 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by GuyZero at 11:01 AM on June 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
What a great video, though it was hard to take seriously due to the voice presentation.
posted by Asbestos McPinto at 11:41 AM on June 11, 2010
posted by Asbestos McPinto at 11:41 AM on June 11, 2010
That was great! Differentials are basically magic to me - there's a cutaway "pumpkin" in the Exploratorium here and you can turn the wheels by hand and watch the gears move inside, but it's so complex and fiendishly clever it seems like a divine revelation, not something that a person could just dream up. Seeing the evolution of the design, or at least of the thought process behind it, was very cool.
My intuitive understanding of technology outside my specialty is basically at Ancient Rome levels - I feel like I could do what they did (mostly) without too much trouble. Learn a little basic metalsmithing and I could build wagons, looms and plows. I can follow along with medieval gears in windmills and waterwheels, but after that I have no idea how we got to where we are today. It would be great to see more stuff like this, explaining how modern things work by starting at Ancient Rome (wagon wheels), going through the Middle Ages (spokes and crude gears), and evolving step by step to the elegant hypoid gears of today. (Or of 1930, in this case.)
I envy people who have excellent mechanical/fixit intuition, like my husband, and I'll never be able to grok this stuff effortlessly like he does, but I find it fascinating nonetheless. More, please!
posted by Quietgal at 11:55 AM on June 11, 2010
My intuitive understanding of technology outside my specialty is basically at Ancient Rome levels - I feel like I could do what they did (mostly) without too much trouble. Learn a little basic metalsmithing and I could build wagons, looms and plows. I can follow along with medieval gears in windmills and waterwheels, but after that I have no idea how we got to where we are today. It would be great to see more stuff like this, explaining how modern things work by starting at Ancient Rome (wagon wheels), going through the Middle Ages (spokes and crude gears), and evolving step by step to the elegant hypoid gears of today. (Or of 1930, in this case.)
I envy people who have excellent mechanical/fixit intuition, like my husband, and I'll never be able to grok this stuff effortlessly like he does, but I find it fascinating nonetheless. More, please!
posted by Quietgal at 11:55 AM on June 11, 2010
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(And by "Bill Nye" I mean "awesome")
posted by DU at 10:08 AM on June 11, 2010