The Effect of a Viscous Coupling Used as a Front-Wheel Drive Limited-Slip Differential on Vehicle Traction and Handling1 ABCTRACTThe viscous coupling is known mainly as a driveline component in four wheel drive vehicles
Developments in recent years, however, point toward the probability that this device will become a major player in mainstream front-wheel drive application
Production application in European and Japanese front-wheel drive cars have demonstrated that viscous couplings provide substantial improvements not only in traction on slippery surfaces but also in handing and stability even under normal driving conditions
This paper presents a serious of proving ground tests which investigate the effects of a viscous coupling in a front-wheel drive vehicle on traction and handing