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Front-wheel drive axles, also called axle shafts or front drive shafts, transfer power from the transaxle differential to the hubs and wheel of a vehicle. Front-wheel drive axles turn much slower than a drive shaft for a rear-wheel drive vehicle. They turn about one third slower. They are connected directly to the drive wheels and do NOT have to act through the reduction of the axle ring gear and pinion gears. Front-wheel drive axles typically consists of the following: INNER STUB SHAFT- the short shaft splined to the side gears in the differential and connected to the inner universal joint. OUTER STUB SHAFT- the short shaft connected to the outer universal joint and the front-wheel hub. INTERCONNECTING SHAFT- the center shaft that fits between the two universal joints. Universal joints that connect the drive axle are called CV joints. The outer CV joint is a FIXED (nonsliding) ball and cage or Rzeppa-type joint that transfers rotating power from the axle shaft to the hub
Figure 5-26.- Constant velocity universal joints. assembly. The inner CV joint is called a PLUNGING (sliding) ball and housing or tripod-type joint that acts like a slip joint in a drive shaft for a rear-wheel drive vehicle. The plunging action of the inner CV joint allows for a change in distance between the transaxle and the wheel hub. As the front wheels move up and down over bumps in the road, the length of the drive axle (inner joint) must change. |
 
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