REAR AXLE

DRIVES
Hotchkiss Drive
Torque tube Drive

Hotchkiss Drive

Hotchkiss Drive
This type of drive is commonly used on passenger cars
and heavy commercial vehicles.
This arrangement (Fig) uses two rear leaf springs, which
are longitudinally mounted, and are connected to the
frame by a fixed pivot at the front, and swinging shackles
at the rear.
A universal joint is mounted at each end of the propeller
shaft, with provision for accommodating change in shaft
length due to the deflection of the springs.
This drive, therefore, incorporates an open propeller shaft
with two universal joints and a slip joint.

Hotchkiss Drive

Torque tube Drive

Torque tube Drive

This drive system is generally used in passenger cars and Heavy
commercial vehicles.
Figure illustrates a layout using laminated springs, which are connected to
the frame by a swinging shackle at each end.
A tubular member called torque-tube, encloses the propeller shaft and is
bolted rigidly to the axle casing.
The torque-tube is positioned at the front by a ball and socket joint, which
is located at the rear of the gearbox or cross-member of the frame.

A small-diameter propeller shaft is installed inside the torque tube and

splined to the final-drive pinion.
A universal joint is installed in the centre of the ball joint to allow for
angular deflections of the drive.

In this design the torque reaction and driving thrust are taken up by
the torque tube.