Drive shafts

The drive shaft connects the gearbox to the wheels of the vehicle. Cars have suspension to absorb the the shock from the road to create a smother ride for the driver this means that the wheels move up and down according to the road. The drive shaft connecting to the wheels need to be able to move up and down while supplying the driving force, the constant velocity, universal and tripod joints make it possible for the drive shaft to move with the motion of the wheels while rotating them.

Constant velocity and tripod joints


The cv/tripod joint configuration allows the drive shaft to rotate at greater angles (45-52 degrees) than universal joints and it has less friction than the universal joints. The CV and Tripod joints have boots that cover them if the boots get worn and it tears then the joints may get contaminated by dust and water resulting in the CV/Tripod joints to wear out faster.

To service the CV joint we removed it from the shaft and dismantled everything. Then we cleaned it and  checked for signs of wear.

CV Joint

Tripod Joint

Universal joints


Universal joints are generally used in rear wheel drive and heavy vehicles. They cannot work at large angles like the CV joints but they are able to withstand larger rotational forces.

When servicing the universal joints we removed the snap rings and pressed out the spider/cross. When fitting the new cross make sure that needle bearings are in place before pressing it in.