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Student Workbook

LV25
Drive Shafts
(2)

LV25/SWB
 Student Workbook for Technical Certificates in
Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair

MODULE LV25
DRIVE SHAFTS (2)

Contents
Page Page
Introduction 3 Traction Control: 15
Advantages of traction control 15
Drive Shaft and Test Methods 3 Disadvantages of traction control 15
Progress check 1 16
Common Faults: 7
Grease leaks 7
Noisy operation 7
Vibration 8
Loss of drive 8

Drive Layouts (Nomenclature)

Features and Benefits: 9
Advantages of four wheel drive 9
Exercise 1 11
Disadvantages of four wheel drive 11
Advantages of rear wheel drive 12
Disadvantages of rear wheel drive 12
Advantages of front wheel drive 13
Disadvantages of front wheel drive 14

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Introduction
Drive shafts and related systems are generally very reliable. However, when
faults do occur it is important to understand the effects that such faults will
have on the vehicle and be able to recognise the symptoms.

Drive Shaft Inspection and Test Methods

As with most diagnostic procedures, a visual inspection should be carried out
first. This would involve checking that the drive shaft is correctly located and
all the components associated with it are in good order.

The areas that should be checked are the driveshaft gaitors, the constant
velocity joint, the tripod, the damper and the shaft itself. When carrying out an
inspection on the gaiters they need to be checked for splits, cracks and
correct location.

There is little to check with the damper other than its position, to ensure that it
is not damaged and that it is securely fixed to the drive shaft.

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The shaft itself is simply a steel tube. Visually all you can do is make sure it is
correctly located and it is not damaged in any way. Look for any signs to
indicate if anything is rubbing against it such as an under body panel.
Although components such as under body panels are just made of plastic, the
process of components rubbing against a drive shaft for long periods of time
will wear a groove in the drive shaft. This groove will weaken the drive shaft
and make the chance of a drive shaft failure occurring more likely.

If further examination of the drive shaft is necessary the drive shaft will need
to be removed. Once it has been removed several checks should be made.
One of the first checks would be to measure the drive shaft run out. This
should be carried out by placing the shaft on two V blocks and placing a dial
gauge centrally on the shaft which is then rotated through 360º. Any
fluctuation of the dial gauge needle indicates the drive shaft is bent.

The tripod should now be inspected. Before it is removed from the drive shaft
its orientation should be marked to ensure it fits back onto the drive shaft in
the same position that it was removed from. This is necessary as incorrect
reassembly can lead to the drive shaft being out of balance. The balls on the
end of the tripod should be inspected first, they should have a smooth surface
and have no signs of pitting. If there are any signs of pitting they need to be
replaced. If pitting is present the faces that the balls run against inside the
tulip will also need to be checked.

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There are many needle rollers in between the balls and the tripod and it is
possible for these to pit. They should be inspected and replaced if there are
any signs of pitting or overheating.

The old grease should be thoroughly cleaned off to make sure there are no
foreign particles present in the grease. This is important, as any foreign
particles in the grease will lead to exaggerated wear and reduce the life of the
components. Upon reassembly refer to the manufacturers’ specifications to
ensure the correct grease is used.

The position of any matchmarks should be noted, ready for reassembly.

At the other end of the drive shaft is the constant velocity joint. This should be
checked to ensure that there is no play present. It should have a smooth
action and no binding should occur.

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When the joint is stripped down all of the components should be cleaned and
inspected. Once the components are clean it will be relatively clear if there is
any unusual wear, namely pitting, although heat damage can occur (blueing
and general discolouration). The shaft should be a tight fit on the inner face
and there should be no backlash present. If any backlash is present the worn
component(s) should be replaced.

Upon reassembly the correct grease should be used. It will normally be a

grease with a high graphite content; always use the manufacturer’s
recommended grease as it has to cope with high temperatures and loads that
an inferior grease would be unable to. If the grease degrades prematurely,
component failure will not be far behind.

When reassembling the components on the drive shaft all the spring clips and
circlips should be replaced. Reusing clips greatly increases the chance of a
drive shaft failure and for the small amount they cost it is well worth replacing
them.

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Common Faults
Common faults associated with drive shafts and related components are
grease leaks, noisy operation, vibration, and loss of drive to the road wheels.

Grease leaks

Grease leaks from drive shafts are relatively common and split drive shaft
gaiters are usually the cause. They are easily identified as there are normally
signs of grease on the car body or suspension arms because it sprays out due
to centrifugal force and the gaiter will also be covered in grease. This needs
to be rectified reasonably quickly as the grease not only lubricates the joint but
it also cools it. If there is a substantial reduction in the available grease within
the gaiter the lubrication affect will be reduced along with the cooling affect.
Both of these problems will lead to premature drive shaft failure.

Noisy operation

Noisy operation is a fault more commonly associated with front wheel drive
vehicles. The most common noise experienced is ‘clunking’, which occurs in
phase with wheel speed and is most prominent when cornering. If a clunking
sound is present, the outboard constant velocity joint is most likely at fault and
it will need replacing. It may be the case that the whole drive shaft will need
replacing, as separate constant velocity joints aren’t always available.

Replacement drive shafts are regularly purchased from outlets on a return

basis, so the old drive shaft will need to be kept.

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Drive shafts and related components do wear out over time and periodically
the drive shafts of any front wheel drive vehicle will need replacing. However
it tends to be the more powerful front wheel drive vehicles that wear out drive
shafts on a regular basis along with vehicles fitted with modified engines, as
often the drive shafts are not upgraded to cope with the increase in torque.

Noise often precedes complete failure. This tends to be when the vehicle has
been driven with a split drive shaft gaiter. If the gaiter is split, not only does
the essential grease get displaced, but also dirt and grit can enter the area
where the moving parts are.

Dirt and grit cause wear to occur at an accelerated rate and so it is important
to make sure the drive shaft gaiters are kept in a good state of repair. The
clips holding the gaiters in position can occasionally break or become loose
causing the gaiter to move on the shaft. If this occurs, dirt and grit can access
the moving parts which can lead to premature joint wear. Make sure the clips
are in position firmly and replace them if they are in a poor condition. Ensure
that good quality metal clips are fitted as it is common for plastic cable ties to
be used on replacement gaiters and they are unsuitable.

Vibration

Drive shafts can become imbalanced and this is most likely caused through
bending of the shaft. Vibration will be felt through the steering, clutch pedal
and through the car body. The vibration will increase relative to road wheel
speed and is usually cured by replacement of the drive shaft, although a slight
imbalance can be cured by on vehicle wheel balancing.

Loss of drive

Drive shafts do break and although is rare on standard road cars it is not
uncommon on modified vehicles as they are often driven hard. Revving the
engine to 6000 rpm and sidestepping the clutch will take its toll!

If a drive shaft has broken, there is little that can be done except replace it.
Drive shafts can become dislocated. This is normally caused by mechanical
failure although altering the suspension set-up can cause the distance
between the hub and differential to increase during rebound to the point
where the drive shaft pops out. If this happens at high vehicle speed the
consequences can be serious as the drive shaft will ‘whip’ and destroy most
things in its path.
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Drive Layouts (Nomenclature) Features and Benefits

Four-wheel drive vehicles have a number of advantages over two wheel drive
vehicles and fall into two main types:

• full-time 4WD (permanently engaged)

• part time 4WD (driver selectable).

It should be noted that 4WD systems are fitted to cars of different designs for
differing reasons. A high performance saloon with 4WD uses the system to
achieve better acceleration and handling, whereas 4WD fitted to an off-road
vehicle is primarily aimed at improving the vehicles ability to cross very rough,
undulating terrain. A 4WD system fitted to a performance saloon is seldom
suited to improving the vehicle’s ability in rough terrain and often damage can
be caused if the vehicle is used this way. The following points highlight the
advantages and disadvantages of 4WD systems in a general sense and the
suitability for use should always be taken into consideration.

Advantages of four wheel drive

As all four wheels are driven, the chances of wheel spin occurring are
considerably reduced. This will lead to improved acceleration and good off-
road capability. In the case of off-road vehicles with differential locks, even if
three wheels lose traction, providing one of the wheels has good grip the
vehicle will continue to move.

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As all four wheels are driven the tyres tend to wear evenly. On two wheel
drive vehicles the driven axle always wears out first, providing the suspension
geometry is correct on all four wheels.

As engine braking can occur on all four wheels the vehicle will slow down
faster as a result.

Vehicles with permanent four-wheel drive systems often handle better on

corners. This is because all four wheels are driven and can “pull” the vehicle
round the corner at higher speeds, as loss of traction is less likely to occur.
As 100% of the vehicle’s weight is distributed over the driven wheels the
system utilises the vehicle’s weight to increase the tractive effort that can be
applied and as a result an improvement in handling and acceleration is
achieved.

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Exercise 1

Working from the figures supplied in the diagram below, complete the table for
a front wheel drive vehicle:

Disadvantages of four wheel drive

As there are more mechanical items that need to be fitted to four-wheel drive
vehicles they are often more expensive.

Servicing is also more expensive as there are more oils to change and more
components to inspect and maintain.

As four wheels are driven there are more frictional losses. This leads to a
reduction in power at the road wheels and an increase in fuel consumption.

The clutch often needs replacing at more frequent intervals due to the extra
loads placed on the assembly.

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Vehicles with four-wheel drive have more complex drive trains and so there
are more things to go wrong.

Off-road vehicles often have a selection lever for the driver to choose whether
the vehicle is driven in four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive mode. Four-wheel
drive should only be used off-road as drive train wind-up can occur on hard
surfaces.

Transmission wind-up is when the front wheels have revolved at a different

rate to the rear wheels and the components connecting them together (the
drive train) ‘twists’ or loads up. This seldom happens off-road as the tyres can
slip on the soft surfaces relieving any wind-up that may have occurred. If four-
wheel drive is used for any substantial distance on a hard surface, serious
damage can occur to the drive train often leading to costly replacement of
components. Additionally it has been known for injuries to occur when drive
train wind-up is present and the vehicle is jacked clear of the floor (wheel
free). The wind-up will release with considerable force.

Always ensure that four-wheel drive is disengaged (part time 4WD vehicle)
before jacking up.

Advantages of rear wheel drive

As rear wheel drive vehicles have less mechanical components when

compared to four-wheel drive vehicles they cost less to manufacture
(relatively).

It is easier to drift a rear wheel drive vehicle round corners and in certain
driving conditions this is desirable, i.e. track motor racing.

Often a good weight distribution is achieved with rear wheel drive vehicles as
the weight of the differential and drive shafts is at the rear, the engine at the
front and the gearbox in the middle. The handling qualities of a car that has
an even 50/50 weight distribution are often superior.

Rear wheel drive vehicles never suffer from torque steer as all the torque is
transmitted to the back wheels.

Disadvantages of rear wheel drive

Sometimes rear wheel drive vehicles can be “tail happy”. This is when the
rear of the vehicle kicks out during heavy acceleration or cornering. For the
inexperienced driver this can lead to a spin occurring, which is obviously very
dangerous.

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Rear wheel drive vehicles do not have as high a level of traction as four
wheels drive vehicles and so cannot accelerate as hard.

The prop shaft and gearbox in the centre of the floor pan results in less
passenger compartment space. Vehicles with front engine front wheel drive
layouts avoid this problem.

The engine tends to be mounted longitudinally and so often the bonnet has to
be longer or the space in the passenger compartment reduced. With four
wheel drive and front wheel drive it is possible to fit the engine transversally.

The 1932 BUCCIALI TAV12 - one of the first front wheel drive road cars.

Advantages of front wheel drive

More passenger cabin space due to the absence of any transmission tunnel.

The engine can be mounted transversely which can lead to a reduced length
in bonnet or increased cabin space.

Front wheel drive vehicles generally have good traction as the bulk of the
vehicles weight is sitting directly over the driven wheels.

Front wheel drive vehicles often have good steering stability as the vehicle
follows the thrust angle that the steered and driven wheels generate.

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Disadvantages of front wheel drive

Poor weight distribution as the vast majority of the weight is over the front
wheels only.

Complicated suspension and drive shaft arrangement as the driven wheels

are also the steered wheels.

As the engine tends to be fitted transversely very large engines such as V12s
tend not to be fitted to front wheel drive vehicles.

Front wheel drive vehicles often suffer from torque steer. This is a steering
snatch that occurs during acceleration due to different length drive shafts.

Some front wheel drive vehicles have an idler shaft fitted in the middle of the
vehicle to prevent this from becoming a problem, or sometimes the longer
shaft (which is more susceptible to twist) has a larger diameter.

Front wheel drive vehicles tend to wear out front tyres at an increased rate.
This is due largely to the fact that the front tyres have to cope with both
steering and driving/braking forces.

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Traction control
Traction control is an electronic system that helps to prevent wheel spin due
to hard acceleration. Think of traction control as the mirror image of ABS.

The driven wheels are prevented from spinning in the following way:

• retarding the ignition timing (reducing engine power)

• closing the throttle (reducing engine power - electronic throttles only)
• cutting the fuel (switching off the injectors)
• applying the vehicle brakes (driven wheels only).

Advantages of traction control

Traction control prevents wheel spin during acceleration and so relatively

stable and rapid acceleration can be achieved regardless of road conditions.

Disadvantages of traction control

Some vehicles have very good, progressive traction control systems others
are less subtle. With the less subtle systems, power reduction can be quite
violent.

Sometimes traction control systems can be over sensitive leading to regular

unnecessary intervention.

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Progress check 1

Answer the following questions

1. List four general methods of diagnosing drive shaft faults:

2. Is it acceptable to re-use circlips and snap rings when rebuilding drive

shafts?

3. List the benefits of four-wheel drive (full time and part time):

4. When driving a selectable four-wheel drive vehicle with no centre

differential, should two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive be selected
when driving on asphalt? Why is this?

5. Why do front tyres tend to wear more quickly on front wheel drive
vehicles?

6. What is the purpose of traction control?

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