FINAL DRIVE

Function:
1. To change direction of drive through a right angle. (90 0)
2. To increase the available torque by reducing the speed; (power =torque x speed). Ratio in cars
are about 4:1 and commercial vehicles is 10:1.
3. The differential unit (planet and sun gears assembly) reduces the tendency of the tyre dragged
sideways when the vehicle is cornering, hence stress imposed on the shaft, bearings and
reduces tyre wear.

Construction:
The unit consist of:

1) Crown wheel and pinion. (1stgear assembly)

2) Differential (2nd gear assembly sun and planet gears)

The crown wheel and pinion

 They are made from hardened and tempered steel bevel gear. There axles are arranged at
right angles.
 The crown wheel is mounted over the differential casing.
 The pinion is integral to a short shaft which is bolted to the propeller shaft. The pinion shaft
is housed inside the tubular part of the casing (pinion nose) and supported to it by plain
roller bearings.
 The casing (differential) also at the rear forms two arms which are used to support the
crown wheel; through ball or taper roller bearings at each side.
 A provision is made to allow the meshing of the pinion and the crown wheel either by
screwed sleeves, shims etc.

Differential.
  It consists of a casing which is riveted or bolted to the inner side of the crown wheel. The
casing and the crown wheel rotates together.
 It has two or four planet gears mounted upon a spider shaft inside the differential case. As
the casing and crown wheel rotates, the spider shaft is turned end over end.
 The sun gears are also fitted in the casing and mesh with the planet gears. The sun gears
have internal splines which support and drive the half shafts.

Operation
Vehicle running straight:

 The driving torque is increased and speed is reduced (in small cars 4:1 and heavy
commercial vehicles 10:1) between the pinion and crown wheel.
 The differential spider is rotated end over end carrying planet gears which don’t rotate. The
road wheels at this point offers the same resistance together with the sun gears and half
shaft, hence the differential gearing does not come into operation.

Vehicle cornering:
  When the vehicle is cornering the outer wheel moves a greater radius than the inner wheel.
As the inner wheel slows, the planets gears are forced to rotate on the spider shaft and
about the inner sun gear (that with greater resistance).
 This makes the speed of the outer sun gear and road wheel to increase in the same speed
proposition as of the inner sun gear that is reduced. The torque is the same to both wheels
but the speed is different.

NB:
The differential system operates only when there is a difference in resistance of the turning
road wheels.
When one wheel loses grip the differential comes into operation, hence all the available
torque drives it and the outer remains stationary.

Types of final drives:

Final drives differ in relation between the axis of the pinion and that of the crown wheel.

They also differ in teeth shape, form of frictional contact and lubrication used.

1. Plain bevel:
This is an old design which is no longer used. The axis of the pinion when produced pass
through the centre line of the crown wheel.
Straight radial teeth are used and they make a rolling contact.

Disadvantages:
a) Weak due to straight teeth used
b) Noisy
c) Wear quickly.

2. Spiral bevel:
This is an improvement of plain bevel and it still in use.
The axis of the pinion when produced passes through the centre line of the crown wheel.
The teeth are curved and radially arranged and they make a rolling contact.
 Spiral bevel advantages of spiral bevel type:

a) Length of teeth hence increasing its strength

b) Not noisy
c) Longer life service.

3. Hypoid spiral bevel:

 This is the modern design. The axis of the pinion when produced passes above or
below the centre of the crown wheel.
 This allows thedesigner to produce either:
a) A body having normal ground clearance but with a flat floor or
b) A body which retains the propeller shaft tunnel but has much less ground
clearance.

 When the pinion axis is below, the weight of the vehicle is brought near the ground
hence improving road holding qualities.
 The teeth are curved and arranged radially but are of different shape to those of the
spiral bevel.
 The tooth contact is a combination of rolling and sliding friction which produces
higher contact pressures.

Advantages of hypoid type:

a) Strong teeth
b) Longer life service
c) Vehicle stability is increased by lowering it to have less ground clearance.
d) Propeller shaft tunnel can be eliminated.

Disadvantages:
a) Noisy than spiral bevel; this noise can be reduced by use of rubber type of spring
bushes and rubber pads fitted between the rear spring and axle bed plate.
b) It’s expensive
c) Special oil is required
d) In-case crown wheel or pinion is worn-out they must be replaced as a pair.
WORM AND WHEEL FINAL DRIVE
 The reduction of speed and the corresponding increase of torque, and the
necessary change of torque and direction are obtained by the use of a
worm and a wheel.

 The wheel is made of bronze and the worm from hardened alloy steel. The
worm may not be parallel but hour-glass-shape. This shape results in a
large area of tooth contact and lower end thrust forces.

 The worm and the wheel are supported and located by opposed thrust,
tapered-roller bearings. An extra bearing is being fitted to control the
end thrust.

 The worm may be arranged above or below the wheel to make possible
either greater ground clearance or a lower platform height. i.e the worm
may be over slung or under slung.
Advantages.

1. Very quiet in operation

2. More efficient than most crown wheel type (i.e. power loss being 2% as
against 4-5% of crown wheel type).
3. Much longer service life
4. Requires less adjustments

Disadvantages

1. Very much more expensive to manufacture

2. Special lubrication is used; which must be checked weekly intervals and
changed at the correct intervals.
3. Casing incorporates a fairly large sump which makes it heavy.

NB:

Sump casing is normally finned to dissipate excess heat

LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL

PURPOSE:

If one drive wheel is on mud or ice then the driving torque is limited to that,
the slipping wheel can transmit. This occurs because the differential gives equal
torque to each wheel which is limited to torque that can be generated by the
slipping wheel.

Types of L.S.D

Mechanical type:

-‘V’-Ramp type.

- Cone clutch type.

Hydraulic type:

-viscous coupling type.

‘V’-Ramp type.
Construction:
It’s basically a standard differential plus two extra spider gear (planet) and
multiple disc clutches.
The sun gears are driven by for planet gears. The unit has two spider shafts
which are machined with two flat surfaces that have a shallow ‘V’.

This ramp like ‘V’ surface engages a similar ramp cut on the difference case with
a pair facing the ring gear and the other away from it (ring gear).

A multiple disc clutch is assembled