how-your-driveshaft-works

[eagle19952]

interesting stuff here

http://speedsociety.com/this-is-a-perfect-demonstration-on-how-your-driveshaft-works/?source=htc

[stanton]

Thanx !

[HB of CJ]

Wow.  Very basic drive shaft and U joint knowledge 101 taught way back in Auto Shop 1 in high school over  50 years ago.  Also they did not go into required off sets and why.  Also did not go into proper drive shaft balancing and why.  Weird vibrations.  Just pointing that out.  Respectfully.

[TomC]

This is why front wheel drive drive axles use constant vilocity U joints-which look like two U-joints joined together. Good Luck, TomC

[bevans6]

Original Austin Mini used a rubber joint on the inside and a CV joint on the hub.  Later Cooper S used a universal joint on the inside and the CV joint at the hub.  Shouldn't have worked, but the extremely limited range of angularity at the U-joint let it work.  Funny the stuff you remember.  When we started putting an honest 130 hp through those axles we changed a lot of U-joints.

[TomC]

Now considering most all cars are front wheel drive, the amount of power going through the CV joints is amazing.
We just bought a Subaru Forester. I'm quite amazed at the turning radius-only about 3ft less than my rear wheel drive Mercedes 300 TurboDiesel. Good Luck, TomC