The differential serves as the mechanism for transmitting engine power to the wheels while also accommodating and adapting to variations in wheel speed during vehicle maneuvers. When your vehicle negotiates a turn, the inside wheel rotates slower than the outside wheel, necessitating the outside wheel to turn faster to maintain synchronization. The differential enables the wheels to rotate at different speeds while retaining stability. Without a differential, a vehicle would exhibit a jarring and unsteady ride, bouncing along the road surface.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles feature differentials both in the front and rear, whereas rear-wheel-drive vehicles have a differential in the rear. In front-wheel-drive vehicles, the differential—referred to as the transaxle due to its integration of the front axle and transmission—is situated between the front wheels. All-wheel-drive vehicles incorporate differentials between both the front and rear wheels, with a transfer case positioned between them to manage speed differentials between the two sets of wheels. Regardless of the vehicle configuration, the primary role of the differential is to distribute and regulate power among the wheels.