EXPERIMENT No: 3

Study of transfer case, propeller shaft, slip joint and universal joint

When an engine produces power and clutch and transmission convert it into required torque, some
assembly is needed to carry this torque to driving axle or usually to rear axle. This assembly is known
as drive line. A drive line consist one or more drive shaft (propeller shaft), universal joints, and slip
joints. Various types of propeller shaft, universal joint, and slip joints are used to carry engine power
from the transmission box to the driving wheels. Today I am going to tell you about drive shaft
component and there working in detail. These are the main components of drive shaft.

Propeller shaft:
The propeller shaft is a driving shaft which connects the transmission main shaft to the differential of the real axle. It
transmits the power from gear box to rear axle with the help of universal joints. The propeller shaft is also known as
drive shaft. It performs the following function:

To receive the power from the gear box output shaft and without any change in speed transmit it to the input pinion of
the differential for onward transmission to the rear axle and rear wheels. To cope with the difference in line with the
level of the gear box output shaft and the differential input pinion shaft. The propeller shaft has to operate at varied
lengths and varied angles. The engine of the automobile is somewhat rigidly attached to the frame by springs. As the
vehicle moves on the road there are jerks and bumps due to which the springs expand and contract. This changes the
angle of drive between the propeller shaft and the transmission shaft. The distance between the gear box and
differential also changes due to the movement of the springs. So the propeller shaft has to meet both the angular
change coming between the gear box and differential and change in length of the distance between the gear box and
differential. The propeller shaft is also not on the same line as the gear box output shaft but it runs to the rear axle at
an angle because the level of the rear axle is lower than the gear box. So to adjust angular motion universal joints are
provided and to adjust for the change in length of the propeller shaft , a slip joint is provided. The propeller shaft has
to withstand the torsional stresses of the transmitting torque, and yet it must be light and well balanced so that
vibrations will not occur at high speed. So it is usually made of a strong steel tube

PROPELLER SHAFT
This is the shaft which transmits the drive from the transmission to the bevel pinion or worm of final drive in front
engine, rear drive vehicles. It is also called drive shaft. It consists mainly of three parts.
(a) Shaft – As this has to withstand mainly torsional loads, it is usually made of tubular cross section. It also has to be
well balanced to avoid whirling at high speeds.
(b) One or two universal joints, depending upon the type of rear axle drive used/ the universal joints account for the
up and down movements of the rear axle when the vehicle is running
(c) Slip Joint – Depending upon the type of drive, one slip joint may be there in shaft. This serves to adjust the length
of the propeller shaft when demanded by the rear axle movements.
 Main Components of Propeller shaft:

1. Spider (universal joint) (1):

2. The propeller shaft transfers engine torque to the rear axle through one or more universal joints.
3. Sleeve (2) and
4. sliding shaft (3):
5. The splines on the ends at the propeller shaft fit perfectly into the splines in the sleeve.
6. This allows a length variation between the driving and the driven unit to vary
7. slightly without damaging the output and input bearings.
8. Main bearing (4):
9. The main bearing support and guide the propeller shaft.
10. Flange (5):
11. The flanges connect the propeller shaft to the gearbox.

Principle:
 The drive shaft, or propeller shaft, connects the transmission output shaft to the differential
pinion shaft.
 Since all roads are not perfectly smooth, and the transmission is fixed, the drive shaft has to be
flexible to absorb the shock of bumps in the road.
 Universal, or "U-joints" allow the drive shaft to flex (and stop it from breaking) when the
drive angle changes.
 The cross-shaped inner member of a universal joint is sometimes called a spider.
 Universal joints allow for a small variable angle between the axis of the transmissions output
shaft and the axis of the propeller shaft, and between the axis of the propeller shaft and the
axis of the input shaft of the rear axle (1).
  The spider (6) ends (3) are called gudgeon.
 Around the gudgeons there are rollers (4) kept in place by a cap (5), that allows them to roll
freely.
 The Circlip (7) fits into the (2) hole in the yoke and lock the cap.

Lubrication of
propeller shaft

Universal joint:
A universal joint allows driving torque to be carried through two shafts that are at
an angle with each other. A simple universal joint consist two Y- shaped yoke, one
on the driving shaft and other on the driven shaft. The four arms of spider are
assembled in needle bearings in the two yokes. The driving shaft and yoke force
the spider to rotate. The other two trunnions of the spider then cause the driven
yoke to rotate. When the two shafts are at an angle with each other, the needle
bearings permit the yokes to swing around on the trunnions with each revolution. A simple universal joint does not
transmit the motion uniformly when the shafts are operating an angle. Because of this, two universal joints are used in
a vehicle, one between the gear box and the propeller shaft and other between the propeller shaft and the differential
pinion shaft. A universal joint is a particular type of connection between two shafts whose axes are inclined to each
other. The most simple type of universal joint is the Hooke’s joint (fig. ) which is most widely used because of the
fact that it is simple and compact in construction and reasonably efficient at small angles of propeller shaft movement
up and downm say upto 18 deg The axes of shafts A and B are intersecting. Each of these shafts contains a yoke. The
cross C has four arms. The two opposite arms of the cross are supported in bushes in the yoke of shaft B. Thus shaft A
can have angular rotation about axis XX and the shaft B, about the axis YY. It is thus seen that it will be possible
with the Hookes joint for the shafts A and B to have positive drive while allowing angular movement between them.

An improved form of hooke’s joint uses needle roller bearing to support the cross in the yokes. This result in increase
of joint efficiency.
Slip joint:
Slip joint is attached to the driven yoke in order the increase or decrease the length of propeller shaft. It has outside
splines on the shaft and matching internal splines in a mating hollow shaft or yoke. When assembled the splines cause
the shafts to rotate together while they can move back and forth. This changes the length of propeller shaft.

Result: We have learnt about propeller shaft, slip joint and universal joint.