AXLES

Axles may be live or dead. Live axles are referred to as

Driving axles.
PURPOSES
• Carry rear road wheels
• Support the vehicle and its load
• Transmit power to road wheels
• Allow two shafts to rotate at different speeds during
cornering
• To increase the torque or gear down the drive from
the gear box and turn it through 90 degrees by the use of
final drive.
 CONSTRUCTION
Axles consists of
• Housing with final drive, differential and half drive
shafts.
• Thrust bearings or tapered roller bearings
• Oil seals
FINAL DRIVE
The final drive comprises the crown wheel and the pinion.
Various gears can be used.
Final drive is used to change direction of drive through 90
degrees.
Increase the available torque by reducing the speed.
 DIFFERENTIAL
This is a gear assembly bolted to crown wheel and rotates together with the
crown wheel. It consists of planet gears and sun gears.
FUNCTIONS
• Allows two shafts to rotate at different speeds but under the same
torque.
• Reduces tire sideways dragging in curves
• Reduces tire wear, stress on shaft and bearings.
• Skidding is also reduced.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION OF A DIFFERENTIAL
The sun gears with great resistance hold back through planet gear. Sun gear
with less resistance pull forward through the same planet gears. Sun gear
which holds back is slower in rotation. The other one which is pushing
forward is faster in rotation. This is made possible by planet gears.
Revolutions lost by the slower sun gear is gained by the faster sun gear.
Reaction force or torque remains the same in both sun gears.
 VEHICLE RUNNING STRAIGHT
The sun gears, road wheels and half shafts offer the same resistance as the
planet gears are being turned and the differential gearing does not operate.

VEHICLE CORNERING
The outer wheels move a longer arc of greater radius than the inner wheel.
Outer wheel moves faster than inner wheel. Inner wheel slows down which
increases resistance on the sun gear.
NOTE: Differential only operates when there is resistance by the turning
road wheels.
DIFFERENTIAL LOCK
This locks the two driving shafts together. It allows one wheel to drive even
if one is slipping.
 TYPES OF DRIVING AXLES
These are identified by the way the hubs are secured on the axle. Axles
may be split or integral.
TYPES
• SEMI FLOATING AXLE
It has a single thrust ball bearing inside the half shaft axle housing. It is
mostly used in small vehicles.
• THREE QUARTER FLOATING AXLE
This has a bearing around the outside circumference of the half shaft axle
housing. Commonly used on light trucks.
• FULLY FLOATING AXLE
It has double taper roller bearings located around the circumference of
the half shaft axle housing. Commonly used on commercial vehicles.
Axle shafts transmit the drive from the differential sun gear to the rear
hubs.
 AXLES SHAFTS MUST BE ABLE TO
RESIST THE FOLLOWING FORCES:
• Torsional stress - this comes about due to driving
and braking torque.
• Shear stress – this comes about due to weight of
the vehicle.
• Bending stress – this comes about due weight and
load of the vehicle.
• Tensile and Compressive stress – this comes
about due to cornering forces.
 DIFFERENTIAL TROUBLE SHOOTING
NOISE DIFFERENTIAL
• Less lubricating oil
• Low viscosity or poor quality oil
• Wrong adjustment of crown wheel and pinion wheel teeth.
• Worn planet and sun gear teeth.
• Wrong outer hub bearing.
NOISE DURING ACCELERATION
• Heavy contact on heal ends of gear teeth.
• Worn or broken crown wheel teeth or pinion.
NOISE ON CURVES
• Pinion gears or planet gears tight on spider shafts
• Less backlash or clearance on crown or pinion.
• Worn out bearings
• Miss aligned crown wheel cage
 VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE
• Broken propeller shaft.
• Broken axle shaft.
• Broken pinion flange key or worn flange
and pinion splines.
• Broken teeth of both crown and pinion.