The axle, also known as the shaft, is an important component of the car. It is closely connected to the frame or load-bearing body through the suspension, and wheels are installed at both ends to ensure the stable driving of the car. It is worth noting that the subframe, as the supporting structure of the front and rear axles, plays the role of a skeleton in the structure of the car. But it should be noted that the subframe is not a complete frame, but a bracket that supports the front and rear axles and suspension.
The main function of the axle is to bear the load of the car and maintain the normal driving state of the car on the road. However, it is not the axle but the suspension system that transmits force and torque between the frame and the wheel.
There are many types of axles, which we usually call front axles and rear wheel axles. According to the difference in the role of the wheel on the axle, the axle can be divided into four types: steering axle, drive axle, steering drive axle and support axle. Among them, steering axle and support axle belong to the category of driven axle.
In actual applications, different types of vehicles will use different axle configurations. For example, most trucks use front and rear drive, while buses use rear drive, so the front axle mainly serves as a steering axle, while the rear axle or intermediate axle assumes the driving function. For front-drive vehicles, the front axle combines the steering and driving functions into a steering drive axle, while the rear axle mainly plays a supporting role.
