The Drive

Train
The drivetrain, also frequently spelled
as drive train, or sometimes drive-train, is
the group of components of a motor vehicle
that deliver power to the driving wheels. This
excludes the engine or motor that generates
the power. In contrast, the powertrain is
considered to include both the engine and/or
motor(s), as well as the drivetrain
A drivetrain may be the least understood part of a
vehicle. This is due to several factors, including
the fact that the term “drivetrain” is often used
interchangeably with powertrain and driveline.

The drivetrain includes the transmission, the

driveshaft, the axles, and the wheels. Simply put,
it works in conjunction with the engine to move
the wheels. The drivetrain system is an essential
component of a vehicle and the transmission is an
integral part of the drivetrain.
Parts of a Drivetrain
The drivetrain is composed of a collection of
components in a vehicle that transfer power
from the transmission to the wheels/ drive it
forward. These components include the
driveshaft, CV joints, the differential, the axle
shafts and the U-joints.
 A driveshaft is a long tube of steel that is linked to a car’s transmission at
one end and the wheels at the other. It transfers the mechanical power
from the transmission to the other components of the vehicle.
A U-joint, or universal joint, is a flexible pivot point that
transmits power allowing for varying angles of the driveshaft.
CV joints, or constant-velocity joints, are part of the driveshaft. These
joints are designed to be able to bend in any direction while continuing
to turn the drive wheels at a constant velocity.
 The differential is where the power makes its last stop before
spinning the wheels (see ‘How Differentials Work’)
 Axle shafts are a single rotating shaft, on either side of the
differential, which delivers power from the final drive assembly
to the drive wheels.
The function of the drivetrain is to couple the engine that
produces the power to the driving wheels that use this
mechanical power to rotate the axle. This connection
involves physically linking the two components, which may
be at opposite ends of the vehicle and so requiring a long
propeller shaft or drive shaft. The operating speed of the
engine and wheels are also different and must be matched
by the correct gear ratio. As the vehicle speed changes, the
ideal engine speed must remain approximately constant for
efficient operation and so this gearbox ratio must also be
changed, either manually, automatically or by an automatic
continuous variation.
The Drive Train is also called the Power
Train
Parts include:
◦Transmission
◦Drive Shaft (or drive line)
 (in 4-wheel or rear-wheel drive vehicle, described
later)
◦Differential

The Drive Train

Input from Engine to Transmission
Atransmission has gears (like a bicycle)
which provide different output ratios.

Transmission Gears and Output

The ratio is the input of the crankshaft to
the output of the transmission
1st Gear might have a 4:1 ratio
◦(4,000 RPM input would have 1,000 RPM
output)
2nd Gear might have a 3:1 ratio
3rd Gear might have a 2:1 ratio
4th Gear might have a 1:1 ratio
◦Aka direct drive, there is no gear reduction
Overdrive, 0.75:1 ratio (better gas
mileage)

Output Ratios
Transmissions have gears
Automatic Transmission has “sun and
planet” gears

Automatic vs Manual
Manual or Standard Transmission has
conventional gears that are always
turning when engine is running and clutch
is released

Manual Transmission
Driveshaft connects transmission to rear
differential

Driveshaft
Differentials have gears
◦Transmit the direction of power 90
degrees (from driveshaft to axle)
◦Allow an outside tire to turn faster than an
inside tire during a turn

Differentials
Front-wheel drive vs
Rear-wheel drive vs 4-
wheel drive
Transmission and differential combined
into one piece called a transaxle

Front Wheel Drive

Notice the
transfer case
and 2 drive
shafts in top
image.
Which do you
expect is a
truck vs a
sedan with 4-
wheel drive
for the snow?