Subtopic: Calculation of power, torque, fuel consumption, heat load and power losses
Question Statement:
When a tractor operates with an unlocked conventional bevel-gear differential on slippery ground and one drive wheel completely loses traction (zero grip), the torque delivered to the other drive wheel with good traction is:
Options:
(A) Equal to zero (or virtually zero, limited only by the spinning wheel's negligible resistance)
(B) Equal to the total engine maximum torque capacity
(C) Double the torque of the slipping wheel
(D) Half of the input pinion torque regardless of wheel traction
Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
A standard differential splits torque equally ($T_L = T_R$). If one wheel has virtually zero traction, it can support almost zero reaction torque, limiting torque to the opposite wheel to that same near-zero value until the differential lock is engaged.