Here's what happens if you're riding off-road and irregular terrain leaves one of your tires in the air or on a poor traction surface and you have open differentials:

• With open differentials, power goes to the wheel with the least traction. So one tire on each axle may spin helplessly, despite having 4WD engaged. The differential action of open differentials is essential to stop tires scrubbing, to reduce transmission loads, and to reduce understeer during normal cornering. But if one wheel loses grip, due to slippery ground or through being in the air, the other wheel effectively loses all input torque and cannot propel the vehicle. 

• For example, a full-time 4WD, with an (unlocked) open center-diff loses traction if any one wheel does. A vehicle with 4WD engaged (or with a center-diff locked) and with open axle diffs loses traction if one wheel on each axle loses traction. such as getting crossed-up by being supported on diagonally opposite wheels, or if one side is on slippery ground. 

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