Quote:
Originally Posted by dcb
same thing that happens when one wheel spins on the ice. If you removed an axle shaft from the car and replaced it with something to keep the associated transmission output shaft from turning, then the other output shaft would turn twice as fast (i.e. super overdrive  ) and really give the cogs a workout too. |
But... it
won't turn twice as fast.
If the final gear ratio is 2:1, it's 2:1 with both wheels turning, and it's still 2:1 even if only one wheel is turning.
Don't believe me, jack up the car, put it on stands, put it in 5th gear, and let it idle (it will stall instantly if it falls).
Once both tires get moving at the same speed, stop one. The other one won't be spinning any faster, because the engine's speed hasn't changed, and neither has the differential speed.
All that starts spinning faster are the spider gears in the differential, and you start wearing the pin that holds them together. Eventually, it will fail, shooting into the side of the diff case and grinding itself to oblivion... at least, that's what happens when you make 1-tire-fire in a Chrysler.