What is an Axle in Cars & How it Works?

One of the primary components of your vehicle, axles, are shafts or rods that rotate the wheels of your vehicle. If you are wondering what an axle is, you can consider this component that drives your vehicle along the road. 

The purpose of an axle is to deliver power from the engine to the car’s wheels. If you want to know the working of the components of a car axle, consider reading through the following sections:

The drive axle is a crucial component of your car. Typically, drive axles are kept within an axle housing, which provides more protection and enhanced efficiency. These axles are present in both front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive vehicles.

It is a significant component that is responsible for transferring rotational power from the engine to the driveshaft. It is also called differential because it functions as a differentiator, which enables distinct rotational movements between the left and right tyre shafts, especially during turns.

• Now that you know what an axle is, it is crucial to know the working of this component. Read the below pointers to know more:
• During a car turn, the wheels on the inside experience increased resistance as the front wheels change direction. This creates greater weight on the left wheel side gear and leads to the rotation of the pinion gear. Consequently, the right gear will move faster. This results in rotations of the two wheels in opposite directions.
• When the car travels in a straight line, the torque generated by the axle enters the pinion drive gear. 
• Moreover, the rotary power is transmitted to the ring gear with more teeth. In a straight position, the car axle causes the ring gear's RPM or revolutions per minute to be lower than the pinion gear's RPM. 
• This allows the ring gear rotation to be forwarded to the differential case. The power flow from the differential case returns to the pinion shaft, which then redirects to the pinion gear and side gear. 
• It results in the change of sides for the right and left wheels' rotation. As the steering wheel remains straight, the right and left wheels' load remains the same.

There are three different types of axles. Find about them below:

1. Rear Axle

It gives the wheels power and has two half shafts. The differential further connects them. If you are wondering what rear axles are, know that in most cases, they are live, meaning they rotate along with your car’s wheels.

What Are the Types of Rear Axles?

There are further three types of rear axles. They are:

1. Semi-floating: Semi-floating axles are commonly found in cars, SUVs, and mid-size trucks. They secure the wheel by connecting it to the flange on the axle shaft’s outside.
2. Full-floating: Larger vehicles come with full-floating axles. The design of the axle focuses solely on transmitting driving torque.
3. Three-quarter: They are also more reliable. Three-quarter axles excel in maintaining wheel alignment, handling driving torque, and side thrust.

2. Front Axle

Front axles must be exceptionally robust, and hence, they are constructed with nickel steel or carbon.

What Are the Types of Front Axles?

The sub-types of the rear axle are:

1. Live: They provide driving force from the transmission to the vehicle’s front wheels.
2. Dead: These axles support the vehicle’s overall weight but are not responsible for moving the wheels

3. Stub Axle

Apart from knowing the front axle, you must also learn about stub axles. They are attached to your car's front wheels and connected to the front axle by kingpins.

What Are the Types of Stub Axles?

The types of stub axle include the following:

1. Elliot: It uses a yoke, kingpin, and a cotter to establish contact with the front axle.
2. Reverse Elliot: Reverse Elliot works exactly opposite of the standard Elliot type.
3. Lamoine: This axle uses an L-shaped spindle instead of a yoke-type hinge.
4. Reverse Lamoine: The layout of this axle is the opposite of the standard Lamoine type.

Apart from knowing what an axle is and its types, you must be well-versed with the components present under this. For the axle housing to function properly, the following components work in tandem:

• Spider gear
• Ring gear
• Side gear
• Differential carrier
• Spider gear shaft
• Drive pinion gear
• Axle shaft bearing
• Drive pinion shaft
• Adjuster nut
• Axle shaft housing
• Axle shaft oil tube
• Bearing cap
• Universal joint flange
• Gasket

Now that you know about the different types of axles, their sub-types and functions, be sure to check this component before your next big purchase!