Drive shaft

The drive shaft is a component of automotive technology and serves the power transmission between the transmission and the driven wheel and is part of the powertrain.

In order to follow the compression movements and the steering angle, joints are present, which is why the generic term is used propeller shaft. However, especially constant velocity drive shafts are used for steering wheels.

To protect the joints cuffs, rubber and more frequently from TPE be pulled over the joints and filled with grease.

Typical failure

In normal car drive shafts are designed for the life of the vehicle and the bang start test the breaking points in the drive train. Damage occurs when the cuffs were damaged. In the typical damage pattern show especially at the front of the vehicle doors grease marks, which are ejected at full lock the steering of the torn cuff. Permeating water emulsified with the fat; dirt also causes wear on the sliding surfaces of the joint. Signs of incipient damage can also be popping sounds when the load changes.

A visual inspection of the cuffs as regular maintenance work is required by the manufacturer. Porous cuffs should be replaced soon. Only rarely can tear off axis drives and cause major damage to the vehicle while driving.

Construction

A typical construction consists of a wheel- spindle, to which a constant-velocity joint is located. This joint must above all allow the steering angle of the steering axle and is one of the components that can limit the turning circle (for driven front axle ). The transmission-side joint usually takes on even axial displacements that occur during compression. The outboard joint is usually designed as a fixed joint, but which only compensates for angular changes no changes in length.

To meet the tight spaces in the engine compartment just, it is often no longer possible, the drive shafts installed stretched at the front, even if it the best efficiency (~ 100 %, since there is no motion in the joints of the elongated drive shaft ) would mean. In practice, therefore, must the propeller shaft offset between the transmission output and wheel offset, the greater the delay is, the more difficult it is even to achieve a tight turning circle.