Wheel spin in neutral, is this normal? Options

[rwilner]

My car is on 4 stands right now. When I start it up in neutral, the passenger side wheel slowly rotates clockwise while the car is idling (as if the car were moving forward). I can easily stop it with minimal force using my hands. I have not checked to see if the wheel will stop rotating once I push the clutch in, as my wife is at work and the cats aren't interested in helping.

Is this normal? if not, what does it mean -- my clutch cable is too tight?

[Rand]

I would check why only one wheel is spinning.

Both wouldn't spin unless you had a welded diff or some sort of posi/limited slip, right?

[SirAndy]

I would check why only one wheel is spinning.

Both wouldn't spin unless you had a welded diff or some sort of posi/limited slip, right?

I'm pretty sure you are right ... It's usually only one of the wheels that spins ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

[Valy]

I would check why only one wheel is spinning.

Both wouldn't spin unless you had a welded diff or some sort of posi/limited slip, right?

I'm pretty sure you are right ... It's usually only one of the wheels that spins ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

In ideal conditions both wheels will spin. If one of the wheels is blocked, even a little since there is not too much power involved there anyway, the differential will compensate for that by spinning the other wheel twice as fast.

You need to understand that when the internal friction of the differential is less than the wheel friction force, the differential will spin and turn the other wheel. Once the other wheel turns, its friction coefficient changes to a lower one and it is easier to spin it so it will continue to spin even if the other wheel friction is reduced a bit.

Anyway, if only, one wheel spins, just check the other. It may be just a bit a dirt somewhere that should not present any concern but it can also be a bad bearing or a stuck caliper. As simple as it sounds.