Why is a drive axle in a car? What role do the front, rear and center drive axles play? Drive system design

Interestingly, the bridge in the transmission is used on cars and off-road trucks. This is one of the necessary elements of the transmission system. Currently, engineers are looking to increase the ratio of sprung to unsprung masses, so they use a rudimentary shell containing the final drive and differential. What is worth knowing about this mechanism?

How is the drive system arranged?

The power unit is used to drive the vehicle components. It transfers mechanical energy from the engine to the road wheels. The drive consists of:

• flywheel or dual mass;
• clutch with gearbox;
• differential;
• drive shaft;
• drive hub and bridge;
• additional gearbox, main gear and viscous coupling.

What is a drawbridge?

These are load-bearing elements that are part of the drive mechanism, performing the tasks of an axle that takes on part of the vehicle's weight. In addition, the drive axle transmits torque from the drive shaft to the road wheels. In cars, we can find rear, middle and front drive axles. In addition, we can divide axles according to the way they are connected to the wheels into rigid axles and those with independent wheel suspension.

Tasks on the water bridge

The main task of the drive axle installed in modern passenger cars is to transfer energy from the drive shaft to the wheels. In addition, the bridge is responsible for changing the magnitude of the torque, affects the speed of rotation, allows you to embed road wheels, as well as elements of the brake system. In addition, it can transmit vertical forces arising from vehicle weight and load. In addition, it also reduces lateral forces, longitudinal forces and torques.

Drive axle design - transmission, mechanism and axle shafts

Drive axles include final drive, differential, cardan shafts and gearbox. The design is located in the body or in the subframe. Now the torque is transmitted to the wheels through the cardan shafts. In addition, there is a rear-wheel drive option, even if the engine is installed in the front. The internal elements of the bridge may be in a common housing with the gearbox if the vehicle has a locked drive system. For rear-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, the body is made of aluminum alloys, as it is not affected by the weight of the car and the load.

Drive axle - repair and maintenance

If you want to use your car without problems, you should change the oil regularly. It is worth regularly checking the level of engine fluid and the tightness of individual connections, because over time they can fail and, as a result, lead to problems with the drive. You should also use high-quality oil - it is best to check its parameters in the car's instruction manual or on the manufacturer's website. After replacement, it is recommended to conduct a test drive. It is worth taking care of the drive system because it can be time consuming and costly to repair.

The mechanisms in a car interact closely and often influence each other. For this reason, it is important to ensure the correct operation of the drive axle. Its mechanism is relatively simple, but extremely important. It transmits torque from the engine to the road wheels, so that the car can be set in motion. The above information will certainly help you understand the operation of the drive axle.