Passenger Car Drive Axle Technology

Course Number: M-2068
Credit: 2 PDH
Subject Matter Expert: Eric Myers, BSME
Price: $59.90
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Overview

In Passenger Car Drive Axle Technology, you'll learn ...

  • Understand how rear and front drive axles are mounted and function
  • How power flows through drive axles
  • Understand the function of the various components in a drive axle
  • Understand the function of the all-important "differential" in the drive axle

Overview

PDHengineer Course Preview

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Credit: 2 PDH

Length: 37 pages

This course studies one of the least known assemblies of a passenger car, the "drive axle", probably because of its near flawless performance over the many years of existence. Drive axles are mounted on the rear wheel centerline of front engine vehicles and on the front wheel centerline of front engine, four- wheel drive vehicles where they deliver engine power that provides vehicle mobility.

This course starts out with a description of drive axles and traces the flow of power from the vehicle engine to the drive wheels. Included in this line of events is the "differential". The differential is an ingenious device that was invented in 1885 and hasn't had any major changes since. The differential allows power to be sent to both drive wheels regardless of their rotational speed making rounding a corner a much smoother event than if there were no differential. The various types of drive axles and their internal components are examined along with an equation and graph that give an approximate size of the main right angle bevel drive gear and bevel differential gears that are inside a drive axle for a given application.

This course is written for Mechanical Engineers, Automotive Engineers, Power Train engineers, Design Engineers and any other discipline dealing with mechanical power transmission.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain how rear and front drive axles are mounted and function.
  • Describe how power flows through drive axles.
  • Explain the function of the various components in a drive axle.
  • Describe the function of the all-important differential in the drive axle.
  • Explain the reason why the various types of gears are used in drive axles.
  • Describe how rigid and independent suspension systems operate.
  • Explain the difference between floating and semi-floating axles.
  • Distinguish between swing and parallel type drive axles.
  • Explain the three different types of axle housings that are used.
  • Describe what a transaxle is and where it is used.
  • Use an equation and tables to predict drive axle gear size.

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 24 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.

Board Acceptance
This course is applicable to professional engineers in:
Alabama (P.E.) Alaska (P.E.) Arkansas (P.E.)
Delaware (P.E.) District of Columbia (P.E.) Florida (P.E. Area of Practice)
Georgia (P.E.) Idaho (P.E.) Illinois (P.E.)
Illinois (S.E.) Indiana (P.E.) Iowa (P.E.)
Kansas (P.E.) Kentucky (P.E.) Louisiana (P.E.)
Maine (P.E.) Maryland (P.E.) Michigan (P.E.)
Minnesota (P.E.) Mississippi (P.E.) Missouri (P.E.)
Montana (P.E.) Nebraska (P.E.) Nevada (P.E.)
New Hampshire (P.E.) New Jersey (P.E.) New Mexico (P.E.)
New York (P.E.) North Carolina (P.E.) North Dakota (P.E.)
Ohio (P.E. Self-Paced) Oklahoma (P.E.) Oregon (P.E.)
Pennsylvania (P.E.) South Carolina (P.E.) South Dakota (P.E.)
Tennessee (P.E.) Texas (P.E.) Utah (P.E.)
Vermont (P.E.) Virginia (P.E.) West Virginia (P.E.)
Wisconsin (P.E.) Wyoming (P.E.)
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More Details

PDHengineer Course Preview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 2 PDH

Length: 37 pages

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