Automotive Servicing

DIFFERENTIAL

Name: Raye Matthew A. Villegas

Section: St. Basil the Great

Introduction

What is differential?

The differential is a device that splits the engine torque two ways, allowing
each output to spin at a different speed. The differential is found on all modern cars
and trucks, and also in many all-wheel-drive (full-time four-wheel-drive) vehicles.

These all-wheel-drive vehicles need a differential between each set of drive

wheels, and they need one between the front and the back wheels as well,
because the front wheels travel a different distance through a turn than the rear
wheels.

Part-time four-wheel-drive systems don't have a differential between the

front and rear wheels; instead, they are locked together so that the front and rear
wheels have to turn at the same average speed. This is why these vehicles are
hard to turn on concrete when the four-wheel-drive system is engaged.
What is drive lines?

The function of the drive lines is to transfer the engine torque from the gearbox or
differential to the wheels. It must also compensate for all variations in angle or length
resulting from manoeuvring and deflection for perfect synchronisation between joints.

Drive shafts for cars with front wheel drive consist of the outboard fixed joint, the
inboard constant velocity joint and the connecting shaft. They also include elements such
as the anti-lock system ring and the torsion damper. The basic design of the outboard
fixed ball joint, the constant velocity joint, dates from the 1930s.

In most cases the inboard CVJ takes the form of a slip joint to allow the drive shaft
to follow the movements of the wheel suspension. At the front axle (leading axle) the
outboard joint must transfer the torque effectively through a large angle (up to 52
degrees). At the rear axle the angles of the outboard joints are considerably smaller.

Constant velocity drive shafts are exposed to maximum stress all the time that the
vehicle is in operation. Alongside the extremely significant displacement angles and
translational movement, the joints and bellows must be able to withstand temperatures of
between minus 40 and plus 120 °C as well as speeds of up to 2800 rpm. In order to
transmit the required torque in all engine speed and velocity ranges with reliable
constancy (ideally throughout the entire service life of the vehicle), all components must
be maintenance-free.

Drive shafts and constant velocity joints are components of modern cars, which
demand maximum safety.

Most problems with the drive shaft manifest themselves in the form of knocking
noises when driving round tight corners, accelerating, or when the suspension is being
compressed and extended. To avoid putting the safety of the vehicle at risk, make an
appointment with a specialist garage if any of these symptoms occur. Specialists can be
relied upon to detect damage to the drive shaft and provide the necessary assistance in
good time.
 Wear over time is one of the most frequent causes of damage to outboard and
inboard joints. Damage can also be caused by faulty sleeves, by use of low-quality grease
and in many cases by not following the correct procedures for installation and removal.

To avoid putting the safety of the vehicle at risk, make an appointment with a
specialist garage if any of these symptoms occur. Specialists can be relied upon to detect
damage to the drive shaft and provide the necessary assistance in good time.

To maximise their service lives, drive shafts must be inspected regularly at a

specialist garage. Such inspections are carried out as part of the regular service checks
prescribed by vehicle manufacturers. Another good time to check the condition of drive
shafts is when switching from summer to winter tyres or vice versa.

The specialist checks that the drive shaft is seated firmly and is clean and that the
sleeves are in good order. Damaged sleeves must be replaced immediately to prevent
damage to the joint caused by dirt penetration or grease escaping. If sleeves are loose
or worn, there is a risk that dirt or moisture will already have penetrated into the joint. If in
doubt, both the damaged sleeve and the entire joint should be replaced for safety
reasons.

Most joint sleeves on newer vehicles are made from TPE. As a general rule: A
TPE sleeve must not be replaced with a rubber sleeve. The relevant specification must
also be complied with when topping up with grease. High-performance greases are able
to withstand temperatures up to 160 °C for short periods; standard joint lubricants are
designed to withstand only 110 °C for short periods. Use of a standard grease in a high-
performance application can cause gas evolution from the grease and ultimately lead to
the total failure of the joint.

Both brand new replacement drive shafts for passenger vehicles and
professionally reconditioned drive shafts are available on the market. When used drive
shafts (most of which will have been damaged) are reconditioned, the old parts are taken
back from vehicle garages for professional recycling in special production plants in
accordance with the standards set for original equipment.
 As part of this process, all usable steel parts are reused. The old shafts are
inspected, taken apart, cleaned, remachined and then put back together for the car
repairs market. Other materials resulting from the reconditioning process (old grease,
metal chips or worn steel parts, for example) are disposed of in the correct and proper
way in accordance with applicable environmental guidelines. Recycling significantly
reduces the consumption of both raw materials and energy and makes a significant
contribution to active protection of the environment.
What is universal joint?

The main concept of the universal joint is based on the design of gimbals, which have been in
use since antiquity. One anticipation of the universal joint was its use by the ancient Greeks
on ballistae.[2] In Europe the universal joint is often called the Cardano joint or Cardan shaft, after the
Italian mathematician Gerolamo Cardano; however, in his writings, he mentioned only gimbal
mountings, not universal joints.[3]

The mechanism was later describAed in Technica curiosa sive mirabilia artis (1664)
by Gaspar Schott, who mistakenly claimed that it was a constant-velocity joint.[4][5][6] Shortly afterwards,
between 1667 and 1675, Robert Hooke analysed the joint and found that its speed of rotation was
nonuniform, but that this property could be used to track the motion of the shadow on the face of a
sundial.[4] In fact, the component of the equation of time which accounts for the tilt of the equatorial
plane relative to the ecliptic is entirely analogous to the mathematical description of the universal joint.
The first recorded use of the term universal joint for this device was by Hooke in 1676, in his
book Helioscopes.[7][8][9] He published a description in 1678,[10] resulting in the use of the term Hooke's
joint in the English-speaking world. In 1683, Hooke proposed a solution to the nonuniform rotary speed
of the universal joint: a pair of Hooke's joints 90° out of phase at either end of an intermediate shaft,
an arrangement that is now known as a type of constant-velocity joint.[4][11] Christopher Polhem of
Sweden later re-invented the universal joint, giving rise to the name Polhemsknut ("Polhem knot") in
Swedish.

In 1841, the English scientist Robert Willis analyzed the motion of the universal joint.[12] By
1845, the French engineer and mathematician Jean-Victor Poncelet had analyzed the movement of
the universal joint using spherical trigonometry.[13]

The term universal joint was used in the 18th century[10] and was in common use in the 19th
century. Edmund Morewood's 1844 patent for a metal coating machine called for a universal joint, by
that name, to accommodate small alignment errors between the engine and rolling mill
shafts.[14] Ephriam Shay's locomotive patent of 1881, for example, used double universal joints in the
locomotive's drive shaft.[15] Charles Amidon used a much smaller universal joint in his bit-
brace patented 1884.[16] Beauchamp Tower's spherical, rotary, high speed steam engine used an
adaptation of the universal joint circa 1885.[17]

The term Cardan joint appears to be a latecomer to the English language. Many early uses in
the 19th century appear in translations from French or are strongly influenced by French usage.
Examples include an 1868 report on the Exposition Universelle of 1867[18] and an article on
the dynamometer translated from French in 1881.[19]\
 The Cardan joint suffers from one major problem: even when the input drive shaft axle rotates
at a constant speed, the output drive shaft axle rotates at a variable speed, thus causing vibration and
wear. The variation in the speed of the driven shaft depends on the configuration of the joint.

A configuration known as a double Cardan joint drive shaft partially overcomes the problem of
jerky rotation. This configuration uses two U-joints joined by an intermediate shaft, with the second U-
joint phased in relation to the first U-joint to cancel the changing angular velocity. In this configuration,
the angular velocity of the driven shaft will match that of the driving shaft, provided that both the driving
shaft and the driven shaft are at equal angles with respect to the intermediate shaft (but not necessarily
in the same plane) and that the two universal joints are 90 degrees out of phase. This assembly is
commonly employed in rear wheel drive vehicles, where it is known as a drive shaft or propeller (prop)
shaft.

Even when the driving and driven shafts are at equal angles with respect to the intermediate
shaft, if these angles are greater than zero, oscillating moments are applied to the three shafts as they
rotate. These tend to bend them in a direction perpendicular to the common plane of the shafts. This
applies forces to the support bearings and can cause "launch shudder" in rear wheel drive
vehicles.[20] The intermediate shaft will also have a sinusoidal component to its angular velocity, which
contributes to vibration and stresses. Mathematically, this can be shown as follows: If and are the
angles for the input and output of the universal joint connecting the drive and the intermediate shafts
respectively, and and are the angles for the input and output of the universal joint connecting the
intermediate and the output shafts respectively, and each pair are at angle with respect to each other,
then:

A double Cardan joint consists of two universal joints mounted back to back with a center yoke;
the center yoke replaces the intermediate shaft. Provided that the angle between the input shaft and
center yoke is equal to the angle between the center yoke and the output shaft, the second Cardan
joint will cancel the velocity errors introduced by the first Cardan joint and the aligned double Cardan
joint will act as a CV joint.
What is slip joint?

Slip joints can be designed to allow continuous relative motion of two components
or it can allow an adjustment, by unclamping from one fixed position, and re-clamping to
another. Examples of the latter are tripods, hiking poles, or similar telescoping device.
The clamping mechanism is based on a cam, a set screw or similar locking mechanism.
Slip joints can also be non-telescoping, such as the joints on some older wooden
surveyor's levelling rods. These use a joint that keeps the sections offset from each other
but able to be slid together for transport.

Slip joints in large structures are used to allow independent motion of large
components while enabling them to be joined in some way. For example, if two tall
buildings are to be joined with a pedestrian skyway at some high level, there are two
options in structural engineering. If the buildings are identical in mass and elasticity they
will tend to respond similarly to ground motion induced by earthquakes. In this case it may
be appropriate to construct a rigid connection between the buildings, although this may
require additional supporting members within the structures. On the other hand, a lower
cost connection may be made by using a lightweight structure that is not coupled rigidly
but instead which is allowed to slide or "float" relative to one or both structures. This is
especially suitable where the two structures may respond differently to ground motion.
The structure will not be completely free to move but rather may use elastic materials to
locate it near the center of its range of motion and viscous shock absorbers to absorb
energy and to restrict the speed of relative motion. When a sliding connection is used it
is extremely important that there be sufficient range of motion without failure to
accommodate the maximum credible relative motion of the structures. Additional "fail
safe" flexible connections may be added to ensure that the structure does not fall,
although it may be damaged to a point of being unserviceable or unrepairable.

Slip joints are common under conditions where temperature changes can cause
expansion and contraction that may overstress a structure. These are generally referred
to as expansion joints. Bridges and overpasses frequently have sliding joints that allow a
deck to move relative to piers or abutments. The joints can be constructed with
elastomeric pads that permit motion or can use rollers on flat surfaces to allow the ends
to move smoothly. The exact details are limited by the imagination of the designer.

Slip joints are sometimes found in tubular structures such as piping, but are
generally avoided for this application due to requirements for sealing against leakage,
instead using either a large loop that is allowed to flex or a semi-rigid bellows. Slip joints
are used when the main problem is a large axial movement. [1] Pipe supports often are slip
joints to allow for the thermal expansion or contraction of the pipe relative to the support.

Slip joint connections are also commonly used in waste water plumbing, most
commonly under kitchen sinks. Here, the slip joint provides a water-tight seal for non-
pressurized drainage, with adjustability to aid installation. The slip joint includes a gasket
that fits snugly on a pipe end, with a threaded nut behind the gasket, but with gasket
position adjustable as needed. This pipe end fits loosely into another with a flange for the
gasket to seal against, and threads for the nut to clamp the gasket to the flange.
Driveshaft for independent suspension

Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each

wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road)
independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system
in which the wheels are linked – movement on one side does not affect the wheel on the
other side. "Independent" refers to the motion or path of movement of the wheels or
suspension. It is common for the left and right sides of the suspension to be connected
with anti-roll bars or other such mechanisms. The anti-roll bar ties the left and right
suspension spring rates together but does not tie their motion together.

Most modern vehicles have independent front suspension (IFS). Many vehicles
also have an independent rear suspension (IRS). IRS, as the name implies, has the rear
wheels independently sprung. A fully independent suspension has an independent
suspension on all wheels. Some early independent systems used swing axles, but
modern systems use Chapman or MacPherson struts, trailing arms, multilink,
or wishbones.

Independent suspension typically offers better ride

quality and handling characteristics, due to lower unsprung weight and the ability of each
wheel to address the road undisturbed by activities of the other wheel on the vehicle.
Independent suspension requires additional engineering effort and expense in
development versus a beam or live axle arrangement. A very complex IRS solution can
also result in higher manufacturing costs.

The key reason for lower unsprung weight relative to a live axle design is that, for
driven wheels, the differential unit does not form part of the unsprung elements of the
suspension system. Instead, it is either bolted directly to the vehicle's chassis or more
commonly to a subframe.

The relative movement between the wheels and the differential is achieved through
the use of swinging driveshafts connected via universal joints (U joints), analogous to
the constant-velocity (CV) joints used in front-wheel-drive vehicles.
Front wheel drive drivelines

A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller

shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a mechanical component
for transmitting torque and rotation, usually used to connect other components of a drive
train that cannot be connected directly because of distance or the need to allow for
relative movement between them.

As torque carriers, drive shafts are subject to torsion and shear stress, equivalent
to the difference between the input torque and the load. They must therefore be strong
enough to bear the stress, while avoiding too much additional weight as that would in turn
increase their inertia.

To allow for variations in the alignment and distance between the driving and
driven components, drive shafts frequently incorporate one or more universal joints, jaw
couplings, or rag joints, and sometimes a splined joint or prismatic joint.

The term drive shaft first appeared during the mid 19th century. In Stover's 1861
patent reissue for a planing and matching machine, the term is used to refer to the belt-
driven shaft by which the machine is driven.[1] The term is not used in his original
patent.[2] Another early use of the term occurs in the 1861 patent reissue for the Watkins
and Bryson horse-drawn mowing machine.[3] Here, the term refers to the shaft
transmitting power from the machine's wheels to the gear train that works the cutting
mechanism.

In the 1890s, the term began to be used in a manner closer to the modern sense.
In 1891, for example, Battles referred to the shaft between the transmission and
driving trucks of his Climax locomotive as the drive shaft,[4] and Stillman referred to the
shaft linking the crankshaft to the rear axle of his shaft-driven bicycle as a drive shaft.[5] In
1899, Bukey used the term to describe the shaft transmitting power from the wheel to the
driven machinery by a universal joint in his Horse-Power.[6] In the same year, Clark
described his Marine Velocipede using the term to refer to the gear-driven shaft
transmitting power through a universal joint to the propeller shaft.[7] Crompton used the
term to refer to the shaft between the transmission of his steam-powered Motor Vehicle of
1903 and the driven axle.[8]
Outer and inner cv joint

All front-wheel drive cars have Constant Velocity joints or CV joints on both ends
of the drive shafts (half shafts).
Inner CV joints connect the drive shafts to the transmission, while the outer CV joints
connect the drive shafts to the wheels. Many rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive cars
as well as trucks also have CV joints.
The CV joints are needed to transfer the torque from the transmission to the drive wheels
at a constant speed, while accommodating the up-and-down motion of the suspension.
In front-wheel drive cars, CV joints deliver the torque to the front wheels during turns.
There are two most commonly used types of CV joints: a ball-type and a tripod-type. In
front-wheel drive cars, ball-type CV joints are used on the outer side of the drive shafts
(outer CV joints), while the tripod-type CV joints mostly used on the inner side (inner CV
joints).

A CV joint is packed with a special grease and sealed tight with the rubber or plastic
boot, that is held in place with two clamps. A CV joint doesn't need any maintenance and
can last very long, as long as the protective CV joint boot is not damaged. It's not
uncommon to see a car with over 300,000 miles with still original CV-joints.
The most common problem with the CV joints is when the protective boot cracks or gets
damaged. Once this happens, the grease comes out and moisture and dirt get in, causing
the CV joint to wear faster and eventually fail due to lack of lubrication and corrosion.
Usually outer CV-joint boots break first, as they have to endure more movement than the
inner ones. CV boots are typically inspected during regular maintenance visits. Your
mechanic will look for cracks, tears and other damage.

Grease coming out of a small crack or tear is the early sign of the CV joint boot failing. If
the damage is bigger, you might see dark grease splattered on the inside of the wheel
rim and around the area inside of the drive wheel like in the photo.
If a car is continued to be driven with a damaged CV joint boot, the CV joint will wear out
and eventually fail. A most common symptom of a badly-worn outer CV joint is a clicking
or popping noise when turning. Usually the noise gets louder when accelerating in turns.
In worst cases, a badly-worn outer CV joint can even disintegrate while driving. This will
make your car undrivable.
Inner CV joints failures are rare. One of the symptoms of a failed inner CV joint is shudder
or side-to-side shake during acceleration. A worn-out inner CV joint may also cause
clunking when shifting from Drive to Reverse.

If a damaged CV joint boot is caught early, simply replacing the boot and repacking
the CV joint with a fresh grease is all that is usually needed. This is much cheaper than
replacing the whole CV joint or drive shaft. The CV joint boot replacement costs from
$180 to $350. The part is usually not very expensive, but a fair amount of labor is involved
to replace it. A CV joint boot is typically sold as a kit, with a fresh grease and new clamps.
If a CV joint itself is worn out, it cannot be repaired; it will have to be replaced with a new
or reconditioned part. Sometimes, a CV joint does not come separately. In this case, a
whole drive shaft will need to be replaced. The replacement of the drive shaft could cost
from $380 to $800 in a repair shop.
If you are planning to replace the CV joint boot or a drive shaft yourself, you will need a
strong torque wrench (or a breaker bar) and the right size socket to break loose the main
CV joint lock-nut or hub nut (in the photo) because it's very tight. Also, be prepared that
the lower ball joint will have to come out, and it could be quite difficult to do without special
tools. The hub nut will also have to be re-torqued to the specified torque after the repair
is completed. Check the repair manual for instructions and torque specifications.
Function of rear wheel drive axle

An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the
axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels
rotating around the axle.[1] In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the
mounting points where the axle is supported. In the latter case, a bearing or bushing sits
inside a central hole in the wheel to allow the wheel or gear to rotate around the axle.
Sometimes, especially on bicycles, the latter type axle is referred to as a spindle.

On cars and trucks, several senses of the word axle occur in casual usage,
referring to the shaft itself, its housing, or simply any transverse pair of wheels. Strictly
speaking, a shaft which rotates with the wheel, being either bolted or splined in fixed
relation to it, is called an axle or axle shaft. However, in looser usage, an entire assembly
including the surrounding axle housing (typically a casting) is also called an axle.

An even broader (somewhat figurative) sense of the word refers to every pair of parallel
wheels on opposite sides of a vehicle, regardless of their mechanical connection to each
other and to the vehicle frame or body. Thus, transverse pairs of wheels in
an independent suspension may be called an axle in some contexts. This very loose
definition of "axle" is often used in assessing toll roads or vehicle taxes, and is taken as
a rough proxy for the overall weight-bearing capacity of a vehicle, and its potential for
causing wear or damage to roadway surfaces.

Axles are an integral component of most practical wheeled vehicles. In a live-axle

suspension system, the axles serve to transmit driving torque to the wheel, as well as to
maintain the position of the wheels relative to each other and to the vehicle body. The
axles in this system must also bear the weight of the vehicle plus any cargo. A non-driving
axle, such as the front beam axle in heavy duty trucks and some two-wheel drive light
trucks and vans, will have no shaft, and serves only as a suspension and steering
component. Conversely, many front-wheel drive cars have a solid rear beam axle.

In other types of suspension systems, the axles serve only to transmit driving torque to
the wheels; the position and angle of the wheel hubs is an independent function of the
suspension system. This is typical of the independent suspensions found on most newer
cars and SUVs, and on the front of many light trucks. These systems still
have differentials, but will not have attached axle housing tubes. They may be attached
to the vehicle frame or body, or integral in a transaxle. The axle shafts (usually constant-
velocity type) then transmit driving torque to the wheels. Like a full floating axle system,
the drive shafts in a front-wheel drive independent suspension system do not support any
vehicle weight

A straight axle is a single rigid shaft connecting a wheel on the left side of the
vehicle to a wheel on the right side. The axis of rotation fixed by the axle is common to
both wheels. Such a design can keep the wheel positions steady under heavy stress, and
can therefore support heavy loads. Straight axles are used on trains (that is, locomotives
and railway wagons), for the rear axles of commercial trucks, and on heavy duty off-road
vehicles. The axle can optionally be protected and further reinforced by enclosing the
length of the axle in a housing.

In split-axle designs, the wheel on each side is attached to a separate shaft. Modern
passenger cars have split drive axles. In some designs, this allows independent
suspension of the left and right wheels, and therefore a smoother ride. Even when the
suspension is not independent, split axles permit the use of a differential, allowing the left
and right drive wheels to be driven at different speeds as the automobile turns, improving
traction and extending tire life.

A tandem axle is a group of two or more axles situated close together. Truck
designs use such a configuration to provide a greater weight capacity than a single axle.
Semi trailers usually have a tandem axle at the rear.

Axles are typically made from SAE grade 41xx steel or SAE grade 10xx steel. SAE
grade 41xx steel is commonly known as "chrome-molybdenum steel" (or "chrome-moly")
while SAE grade 10xx steel is known as "carbon steel". The primary differences between
the two are that chrome-moly steel is significantly more resistant to bending or breaking,
and is very difficult to weld with tools normally found outside a professional welding
shop.[2]

An axle that is driven by the engine or prime mover is called a drive axle.
Modern front-wheel drive cars typically combine the transmission (gearbox and
differential) and front axle into a single unit called a transaxle. The drive axle is a split axle
with a differential and universal joints between the two half axles. Each half axle connects
to the wheel by use of a constant velocity (CV) joint which allows the wheel assembly to
move freely vertically as well as to pivot when making turns.

In rear-wheel drive cars and trucks, the engine turns a driveshaft (also called
a propellor shaft or tailshaft) which transmits rotational force to a drive axle at the rear of
the vehicle. The drive axle may be a live axle, but modern rear wheel drive automobiles
generally use a split axle with a differential. In this case, one half-axle or half-shaft
connects the differential with the left rear wheel, a second half-shaft does the same with
the right rear wheel; thus the two half-axles and the differential constitute the rear axle.

Some simple vehicle designs, such as leisure go-karts, may have a single driven
wheel where the drive axle is a split axle with only one of the two shafts driven by the
engine, or else have both wheels connected to one shaft without a differential (kart
racing). However, other go-karts have two rear drive wheels too.

A dead axle, also called a lazy axle, is not part of the drivetrain, but is instead free-
rotating. The rear axle of a front-wheel drive car is usually a dead axle. Many trucks and
trailers use dead axles for strictly load-bearing purposes. A dead axle located immediately
in front of a drive axle is called a pusher axle. A tag axle is a dead axle situated behind a
drive axle. Dead axles are also found on semi trailers, farm equipment, and certain heavy
construction machinery serving the same function. On some vehicles (such as
motorcoaches), the tag axle may be steerable. In some designs the wheels on a lazy axle
only come into contact with ground when the load is significant, thus saving unnecessary
tire wear.

Some dump trucks and trailers may be configured with a lift axle (also known as
an airlift axle or drop axle), which may be mechanically raised or lowered. The axle is
lowered to increase the weight capacity, or to distribute the weight of the cargo over more
wheels, for example to cross a weight restricted bridge. When not needed, the axle is
lifted off the ground to save wear on the tires and axle, and to increase traction in the
remaining wheels. Lifting an axle also alleviates lateral scrubbing of the additional axle in
very tight turns, allowing the vehicle to turn more readily. In some situations removal of
pressure from the additional axle is necessary for the vehicle to complete a at
all.[3]

Several manufacturers offer computer-controlled airlift, so that the dead axles are
automatically lowered when the main axle reaches its weight limit. The dead axles can
still be lifted by the press of a button if needed, for better maneuverability.

Lift axles were in use in the early 1940s. Initially, the axle was lifted by a mechanical
device. Soon hydraulics replaced the mechanical lift system. One of the early
manufacturers was Zetterbergs, located in Östervåla, Sweden. Their brand was Zeta-
lyften.

The liftable tandem drive axle was invented in 1957 by the Finnish truck
manufacturer Vanajan Autotehdas, a company sharing history with Sisu Auto.

A full-floating axle carries the vehicle's weight on the axle casing, not the halfshafts;
they serve only to transmit torque from the differential to the wheels. They "float" inside
an assembly that carries the vehicle's weight. Thus the only stress it must endure is torque
(not lateral bending force). Full-floating axle shafts are retained by a flange bolted to the
hub, while the hub and bearings are retained on the spindle by a large nut. In contrast, a
semi-floating design carries the weight of the vehicle on the axle shaft itself; there is a
single bearing at the end of the axle housing that carries the load from the axle and that
the axle rotates through.

The full-floating design is typically used in most 3/4- and 1-ton light trucks, medium
duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks, as well as most agricultural applications, such as large
tractors and self-propelled agricultural machinery. There are a few exceptions, such as
many Land-Rover vehicles and in American stock car racing since the early 1960s. The
overall assembly can carry more weight than a semi-floating or non-floating axle
assembly, because the hubs have two bearings riding on a fixed spindle. A full-floating
axle can be identified by a protruding hub to which the axle shaft flange is bolted.

The semi-floating axle setup is commonly used on half-ton and lighter 4x4 trucks
in the rear. This setup allows the axle shaft to be the means of propulsion, and also
support the weight of the vehicle. The main difference between the full- and semi-floating
axle setups is the number of bearings. The semi-floating axle features only one bearing,
while the full-floating assembly has bearings in both wheel hubs. The other difference is
about the axle removal.

Components of differential

Pinion Gear – The pinion shaft attaches to the driveshaft. Each pinion shaft will
have a pinion seal, which is used to ensure that fluid does not leak out of the differential
past the pinion shaft. Depending on the setup, you may have a rear pinion shaft, or a front
and rear pinion shaft.

Ring Gear - The transmission system is a sophisticated configuration that includes

many components with various functions. ... Within the gearbox of an vehicle,
the function of the ring gear is to transport the torque coming from the secondary shaft to
the differential.

Axle Shafts - Axles are rods or shafts that connect to the drive wheels. The main
purpose of axles is to transfer power from the transmission to the wheels. As
the axle turns, the wheels go around, and without a functioning axle, wheels do not
move. Axles also serve to bear the weight of the vehicle and its passengers and cargo.

Spider Gear - What Is a Spider Gear? Spider gears are a part of your car's gear set
allowing its rear wheels to turn at different speeds when necessary without affecting the
movement of the car as a whole.
References
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential1.htm

https://www.my-cardictionar8y.com/drive-train/drive-shaft.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_joint

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slip_joint

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_suspension

https://www.samarins.com/glossary/cv_joint.html

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Components-of-a-differential_fig1_268270864

https://www.google.com/search?q=Components+of+differential&oq=Components+of+differential&aqs
=chrome..69i57j0l7.576j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axle

https://www.google.com/search?ei=JWH3XdDNCYzZhwOM-
KToCw&q=what+is+function+of+Ring+gear&oq=what+is+function+of+Ring+gear&gs_l=psy-
ab.3..33i22i29i30l10.67898.71807..72523...0.4..1.298.2933.0j13j4....2..0....1..gws-
wiz.......0i71j0j0i22i30j0i22i10i30.sDNMLBsXpPk&ved=0ahUKEwiQ9MSw_7nmAhWM7GEKHQw8Cb0Q4d
UDCAs&uact=5

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Components-of-a-differential_fig1_268270864