The drive axle housing is categorized into 3 types according to the structural form: integral type, divisible type and combined type.
Separable axle housing
It consists of left and right axle shells and half shaft casing. After the left and right axle shells are made by casting, half-axle casing is pressed into the outer end of each axle shell, and then the bolts arranged along the circumference of the two combined surfaces are fastened together, constituting a divisible axle shell. This bridge shell structure is simple, manufacturing process is good, the main gearbox support rigidity is good. But disassembly, adjustment, maintenance is very inconvenient, the stiffness and strength of the bridge shell by the structural limitations, was used in the total mass of the car is not big, is now less used.
Integral bridge shell
The whole bridge shell is a hollow beam, the bridge shell and the main reducer shell for the two bodies. Has the advantages of rigidity, strength and thus reliable work, but the quality of large, difficult to process, suitable for large loading mass of commercial vehicles.
According to the different manufacturing process, the overall axle housing can be divided into:
① Integral casting type bridge shell. By both ends of the pressure into the seamless steel tube made of half shaft casing, bridge shell and rear cover and other major components. The whole shell for a hollow beam.
② steel plate stamping and welding type axle shell. By the main part of the bridge shell, steel plate spring seat, half shaft sleeve Jane, rear cover and other components. Will be two bridge shell, triangular inserts, steel plate spring seat and half-axle sleeve welded together to form a welded drive axle axle shell (see Figure 1 shows). It has the advantages of small mass, easy manufacture, reasonable material utilization, good impact resistance and low cost. Widely used in passenger cars and commercial vehicles with small loading mass.
③Expanded into a form bridge shell. It consists of a steel tube that has been expanded in the center and rolled and thinned at both ends, a flange and a spring seat, etc. The flange and spring seat are welded to the steel tube. The flange and spring seat are welded to the steel tube to form the bridge shell. Expansion into the form of the highest utilization rate of the bridge shell material, small mass, and strength and stiffness is also enough, so the mass production of passenger cars and loading mass in the medium commercial vehicles are suitable for this structure.
(3) Combined axle housing by the main reducer shell, seamless steel tube composition. Characterized by the main reducer shell and part of the bridge shell cast as one, and then pressed into the seamless steel tube at each end and constitute. Combined axle housing has the main reducer driven gear bearing support stiffness is better, the main reducer assembly, adjustment than can be divided into axle housing convenient advantages, but the machining accuracy requirements are high, only in passenger cars and commercial vehicles with small total mass.