The half shaft, also called the drive shaft, is the shaft that connects the differential to the drive wheels. The half shaft is a shaft that transmits torque between the transmission reducer and the drive wheel. There is a universal joint on each of the inner and outer ends, which are connected to the reducer gear and the inner ring of the hub bearing through a spline on the universal joint.
There are two types of semi-floating types: semi-floating type and semi-floating type. (There are also three types, namely full-floating, 3 / 4-floating, and semi-floating.)
Full floating axle When working, it only bears torque, and its half shafts that do not bear any force and bending moment are called full floating half shafts. The flange at the outer end of the axle shaft is fastened to the hub with bolts, and the hub is mounted on the axle shaft sleeve through two bearings located far apart. The inner end of the full-floating half shaft is splined on the structure, and the outer end is flanged, and there are several holes on the flange. It is widely used in commercial vehicles due to its reliable operation.
3/4 floating axle In addition to the full torque, a part of the bending moment is also required. The most prominent structural feature of the 3/4 floating axle is that there is only one bearing at the outer end of the axle, which supports the wheel hub. Due to the poor bearing rigidity of a bearing, in addition to the torque, this half-shaft must also bear the bending moment caused by the vertical force, driving force and lateral force between the wheel and the road. 3/4 floating axles are rarely used in cars.
Semi-floating half shaft The semi-floating half shaft is directly supported on the bearing located in the inner hole of the outer end of the axle housing by a journal near the outer end. The end of the semi shaft is fixedly connected to the hub by a journal with a tapered surface and a key, or directly with a flange The wheel disc and the brake hub are connected. Therefore, in addition to transmitting torque, it also needs to withstand the bending moments caused by the vertical, driving, and lateral forces from the wheels. The semi-floating half-shaft is used in passenger cars and some common cars due to its simple structure, small quality and low cost.