DRIVESHAFTS AND UNIVERSAL JOINTS

1. DRIVESHAFTS AND UNIVERSAL JOINTS

2. CONSTRUCTION • SEAMLESS STEEL TUBING • U-JOINTS AND YOKES • ONE OR TWO PIECE • EXTENSION OF TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SHAFT • HAS NATURAL VIBRATION TENDENCY

3. TYPES OF DRIVESHAFTS • HOTCHKISS DESIGN • EXTERNAL SHAFT AND U-JOINTS • USED WITH LEAF OR COIL SPRINGS • ONE OR TWO PIECE • TORQUE TUBE (REAR MOUNTED TRANSAXLE) • RIGIDLY CONNECTED AT BOTH ENDS • FLEXIBLE TUBE

4. DRIVESHAFT VIBRATION • CAUSED BY: (BY DESIGN) • TOO LONG OF A SHAFT • TOO SMALL DIAMETER • TOO MUCH DRIVESHAFT ANGLE • CRITICAL SPEED - SPEED WHEN IT REACHES NATURAL FREQUENCY

5. DRIVESHAFT IMBALANCE CONTINUED • TO CORRECT IMBALANCE • BALANCE WEIGHTS • CARDBOARD LINERS • RUBBER INSERTS (HELP NOISE TOO) • TUBE IN TUBE WITH RUBBER INSERTS • LINEAR STIFFNESS • FIBER COMPOSITE

6. INSPECTION OF DRIVESHAFTS • DENTED • BENT • UNDERCOATING • BALANCE PADS FALLEN OFF • BROKEN TRANS OR ENGINE MOUNTS

7. U- JOINTS • TYPES OF UNIVERSAL JOINTS • SINGLE CARDAN JOINT • DOUBLE CARDAN UNIVERSAL JOINT • CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINTS • SLIP JOINTS

8. U-JOINTS PARTS • CROSS (SPIDER) • FOUR MACHINED TUNNIONS • NEEDLE BEARINGS • DRIVEN AND DRIVING YOKES • SNAP RINGS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE • CAPS • U-BOLTS OR STRAPS

9. U-JOINT FACTORS • ALLOWS ANGLE VARIATION OF DRIVESHAFTS • SLIP JOINTS ALLOWS LENGTH VARIATION • SPEED VARIATION OF JOINT IS A FACTOR OF DESIGN

10. SPEED VARIATION • NATURAL TENDENCY TO SPEED UP AND SLOW DOWN TWICE DURING ONE REVOLUTION • SPEED VARIATIONS MAY BE FELT AS TORSIONAL VIBRATIONS • THE MORE THE ANGLE, THE MORE THE VELOCITY WILL CHANGE EACH REVOLUTION OF THE SHAFT

11. PHASING OF U-JOINTS • TORSIONAL VIBRATIONS ARE TRANSFERRED DOWN THE SHAFT TO THE NEXT U-JOINT • TO CANCEL THIS VIBRATION, THE SHAFT SHOULD HAVE TWO JOINTS AND EQUAL AND SLIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER

12. CANCELING ANGLES

13. U-JOINT SERVICE • MUST KNOW U-JOINT SIZE • OUTSIDE YOKE SPAN • INSIDE YOKE SPAN