A Look at the Common Rear Wheel Drive Energy Transmission Configuration

If you are someone who tends to work on their very own vehicles when issues come up you are likely already familiar with this data but for those of us who’ve typically had a mechanic function on our vehicles this may be some new facts. Today we’ll check out the ways in which most vehicles on the road ordinarily get the power produced by the engine, transferred to the wheels and into the forward motion we all use to obtain us from point A to point B on a day-to-day basis.

If you think about how an automobile is configured you have got the engine mounted within the front -except on some much more exotic or unusual models- and either the front or rear wheels are powered by the engine and propel the car. There are actually All Wheel Drive models but this really is a bit far more unusual and definitely was not a popular variant till lately.

For our initially example take a rear wheel drive automobile: the engine is within the front along with the powered wheels inside the rear. The power does not magically flow from front to back so how is it transferred? Commonly you will find an automatic or manual transmission mounted behind the engine. The transmission makes it possible for you or the car’s automatic technique to pick the very best gear ratio for the existing road conditions and load. The engine can function much more efficiently below heavy load when in a low gear whereas to move at maximum speed you would want a gear that minimizes engine revolutions-per-minute- when maximizing wheel speed.

In rear wheel drive models a drive shaft is attached towards the rear of the transmission -typically this attachment point is roughly under the center console- and runs back towards the final drive on the rear axle which apportions energy in between the two rear wheels. Considering that the drive shaft requirements to have some flexibility to move up and down as the suspension compresses and extends over rough roads you’ll find normally a couple joints at particular points in the drive line. These are normally U joints that are a bit different and normally longer lasting than the CV joints you’ll find inside the drive systems of front wheel drive cars. U-joints are probably a bit less difficult than the typical CV joint replacement also.

In case you are curious to find out precisely how this technique looks 1 of the simplest and easiest methods to get a visual picture of it truly is to find an older truck like a 80s or 90s model Chevy pickup truck. These sorts are generally tall sufficient that you can effortlessly take a peak underneath and see the drive shaft attachment points in the transmission finish along with the rear differential.

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