A method and system for controlling the stability and yaw response of a vehicle being equipped with a front axle (24), a rear axle (26), a controllable differential (22) and a control unit (50) arranged for locking and unlocking the differential (22), the method includes: selectively locking or unlocking the differential (22) depending on the operation of the vehicle; measuring at least the longitudinal vehicle speed (v); comparing the measured vehicle speed (v) with a predetermined first reference speed (v.sub.H); and locking the differential (22) if the measured vehicle speed (v) exceeds the first reference speed (v.sub.H).

A vehicle gear-shifting control apparatus is equipped with an engine, a motor, an automatic transmission, a friction brake system, and a controller which executes, during deceleration of a vehicle during which the friction brake system is distributing a braking force to front and rear wheels, a regeneration control of imparting a regenerative braking torque to the rear wheels by causing the motor to perform a regeneration operation and a gear-shifting control of changing a shift stage of the automatic transmission by outputting a gear-shifting signal in accordance with the rotation speed of an input shaft to the automatic transmission. When the controller determines an oversteered state of the vehicle during the regeneration control, the controller increases an input torque of the input shaft so that the regenerative braking torque decreases while maintaining the regeneration operation of the motor and, at the same time, limits the gear-shifting control.

A vehicle includes an anti-lock braking system (ABS), a stability control system (SCS), and an electronic locking differential. A controller of the vehicle is programmed to unlock the differential in response to activation of the ABS or the SCS. The controller is further programmed to, responsive to the deactivation of the activated one of the ABS and the SCS, inhibit locking of the differential for a predefined period of time.

A system for managing vehicle body and wheel motion control with a dual clutch differential includes sensors and actuators disposed on the vehicle, the sensors measuring real-time static and dynamic data and the actuators altering static and dynamic behavior of the motor vehicle. A control module executes program code portions stored in memory. The program code portions receive the real-time static and dynamic data; selectively prioritize torque output from a prime mover of the vehicle through the differential to driven wheels of the vehicle to control a body and the driven wheels; model and estimate clutch torque for each clutch of the dual clutch differential; model and estimate a joint clutch torque, a tire force, and corner torque; and generate a torque output for each clutch of the dual clutch differential that is selected to maintain one or more of body control, wheel control, and stability of the motor vehicle.

The torque transmission device includes side gears having a same axis of rotation coupled to rear wheels, a case disposed around the outer circumferential side of the side gears, and rotating around the axis of the side gears, and a pinion gear rotatably supported by the case and engaged with the side gears in a straddling manner. The side gears are spur gears having a different number of teeth, and the pinion gear is a spur gear driven by a motor and having an axis of rotation that is parallel to the axis of rotation of the side gears. Forming the side gears and pinion gear from spur gears advantageously allows the side gears to be compactly arranged along their axis of rotation.

A vehicle includes a differential having an electronic locker and a controller. The controller is programmed to, when in differential-lock mode, engage the locker responsive to vehicle speed being less than a speed threshold and a steering angle being less than a threshold, disengage the locker responsive to vehicle speed exceeding the speed threshold, and prevent automatic re-engagement of the locker responsive to the steering angle exceeding the threshold.

A control apparatus for a limited-slip differential for front and rear wheels of a vehicle, the control apparatus includes: a basic LSD torque calculation module configured to calculate a basic LSD torque at least on the basis of a transfer input torque; a subtraction LSD torque calculation module configured to calculate a subtraction LSD torque that is subtracted from the basic LSD torque at least on the basis of a vehicle speed and a steering angle; a minimum LSD torque calculation module configured to calculate a minimum LSD torque on the basis of the transfer input torque; a target LSD torque setting module configured to set a target LSD torque at least on the basis of the basic, subtraction, and minimum LSD torques; and a clutch control module configured to control an engaging force of a clutch.

A vehicle includes an anti-lock braking system (ABS), a stability control system (SCS), and an electronic locking differential. A controller of the vehicle is programmed to unlock the differential in response to activation of the ABS or the SCS. The controller is further programmed to, responsive to the deactivation of the activated one of the ABS and the SCS, inhibit locking of the differential for a predefined period of time.

A vehicle includes a differential having an electronic locker and a controller. The controller is programmed to, when in differential-lock mode, engage the locker responsive to vehicle speed being less than a speed threshold and a steering angle being less than a threshold, disengage the locker responsive to vehicle speed exceeding the speed threshold, and prevent automatic re-engagement of the locker responsive to the steering angle exceeding the threshold.

A differential rotation limiting force control apparatus for a center differential includes an outwardly headed state detection processor and a limiting force control processor. The outwardly headed state detection processor makes a detection of an outwardly headed state in which a vehicle is cornering with a yaw rate and a side-slip angle of a vehicle body of the vehicle having the same sign. In response to the detection of the outwardly headed state, the limiting force control processor controls a limiting force that limits differential rotation between front and rear wheel driving devices, to reduce a difference between a motive force on a front wheel caused by an output of the travel power source and an absolute value of a braking force on the front wheel caused by internal circulation torque of the center differential.