Axle shafts of the front drive axle Ford Focus 2003.50 (Part 2)

What are axle shafts, why are they needed and how are they designed?

In rear-wheel drive cars, which the “seven” actually belongs to, the rear wheels are driving. It is they, rotating, that make the car move. The torque is transmitted to them from the gearbox through the drive (cardan) shaft, gearbox and axle shafts. There are only two axle shafts: one for each rear wheel. Their role is to transmit torque from the corresponding gear of the gearbox to the wheel rim.

Axle shaft design

The axle shaft is an all-metal shaft made of steel. At one end there is a flange for attaching the wheel disk, and at the other there are splines for engagement with the gearbox gear. If we consider the axle shaft assembly, then in addition to the shaft, its design also includes:

• oil deflector;
• sealing gasket;
• oil seal (cuff);
• bearing.

Each of the axle shafts is installed in the corresponding (left or right) rear axle housing. An oil deflector with a gasket and an oil seal are used to prevent lubricant from leaking out of the casing. The bearing is designed to ensure uniform rotation of the axle shaft and distribute shock loads coming from the wheel to the rear axle of the vehicle.

Popular spare parts codes GKN-Spidan drive - axle shafts - CV joints

In our avto.pro database there are 4479 catalog codes GKN-Spidan drive - axle shafts - CV joints

Main technical characteristics of VAZ 2107 axle shafts and their elements

Axle shafts for the “seven” in Russia are produced under catalog number 21030–2403069–00. The right and left parts, unlike some other rear-wheel drive cars, are absolutely identical in the VAZ 2107. They have a diameter of 30 mm (for the bearing) and 22 slots. On sale you can also find so-called reinforced axle shafts with 24 splines, but to install them you will need to change the design of the gearbox.

Axle bearing

The bearing is the element that bears most of the loads. And although its declared resource is about 150 thousand kilometers, it can become unusable much earlier. It all depends on the operating conditions of the car, the serviceability of other transmission parts, as well as the quality of its manufacture. The most reliable today are considered to be bearings from the Vologda Bearing Plant, produced under article numbers 2101–2403080 and 180306. Imported analogues have catalog number 6306 2RS.

Table: dimensions and technical characteristics of bearing 2101–2403080

Stuffing box

The axle shaft cuff has a much shorter lifespan than the bearing, since its main working material is rubber. It needs to be changed every 50 thousand kilometers. Axle shaft seals are available under catalog numbers 2101–2401034.

Table: dimensions and technical characteristics of the VAZ 2107 axle shaft seal

Malfunctions of VAZ 2107 axle shafts, their causes and symptoms

The main failures of axle shafts include:

• shaft deformation;
• fracture;
• wear or cutting of splines;
• Damage to the wheel rim mounting threads.

Deformation

The axle shaft, although made of high-strength steel, can become deformed under high loads. Such a malfunction is often a consequence of gearbox jamming, bearing problems, or the corresponding wheel falling into a deep pothole. A sign of deformation of the axle shaft is strong vibration of the wheel rim, sometimes accompanied by a hum, knocking, or crackling noise.

Fracture

The result of a wheel hitting a pothole or a strong impact on a bump can be a fracture of the axle shaft. In this case, the car loses control because one of the drive wheels stops rotating. If the axle shaft is broken, the gears of the gearbox may also fail, so if such a malfunction occurs, it must be checked.

Worn or cut splines

Natural wear of the axle shaft splines may appear after 200–300 thousand kilometers. More often they are cut off, which occurs when one of the wheels jams and the gearbox malfunctions. Also, the splines are cut off due to wear of the axle gear teeth that mesh with them.

A sign of wear or cutting of the splines is a crunch (crack) from the axle shaft, which usually occurs when starting or moving downhill. The crunching sound indicates that the gear teeth are slipping between the axle shaft splines.

Damage to wheel threads

It is quite difficult to damage the threads on the flange, but such troubles still happen. The reason for this may be non-compliance with the tightening torque of the wheel bolts, incorrectly set direction of the bolts when tightening, or violation of the thread pitch on the bolts. A sign of thread damage is vertical play in the wheel, or beating in the rear of the car while driving.

If the listed malfunctions are detected, the axle shaft (one or both) must be replaced. Continuing to drive a vehicle with faulty axle shafts is extremely dangerous.

What kind of service is this?

The axle shaft is the long part that connects the wheel to the transmission.
Axle shafts are part of the system that rotates the vehicle's wheels. One end of the axle shaft is connected to the transmission, and the other end is connected to the wheel. The transmission turns the axle shafts, which in turn turn the wheels. Without axle shafts, the wheels would not rotate and the car would not be able to move. Drive shafts have four components: the shaft, CV joints (constant velocity joints), grease, and boots (grease containers). The most common failure of the drive shaft is rupture of the boots (lubricant leakage). Without lubrication, the CV joints are not lubricated, dirt gets inside the joint, which ultimately ends in failure of the drive shaft. This also includes cleaning the hub bearing and replacing the clutch fluid. The drive shaft of the front and rear axles of the car transmits the driving force of the engine to the drive wheels, provides the necessary steering angles of the drive wheels and compensates for the swing of the suspension, and isolates unwanted vibration-noise effects. Each axial drive shaft structurally includes two constant velocity joints (CV joints): one fixed joint, installed on the drive wheel side, the second (movable) plunger-type joint, located on the gearbox (differential) side. The hinges are interconnected by a profile shaft. If the joint boot is damaged, dirt gets inside and the bearing is destroyed, which leads to the replacement of the axle shaft or drive shaft. The main help will be the replacement of the clutch slave cylinder.

Replacing the axle shaft

Let's look at the process of replacing the axle shaft, its bearing and oil seal in detail. Tools you will need:

• wheel wrench;
• a jack and a safety stand (in extreme cases, a stump or a few bricks);
• wheel stops;
• reverse hammer;
• wrenches 8 mm, 17 mm;
• slotted screwdriver;
• Bulgarian;
• round nose pliers;
• hammer;
• chisel;
• workbench with a vice;
• blowtorch or gas torch;
• spacer made of wood or soft metal;
• a piece of steel pipe with a wall diameter of 33–35 mm;
• Litol type lubricant;
• dry clean rag.

Removing the axle shaft

To dismantle the axle shaft, you should:

1. Place the car on a flat surface and place chocks under the front wheels.
2. Use a wheel wrench to unscrew the wheel bolts.
3. Raise the car body with a jack.
4. Unscrew the wheel bolts and remove the wheel.
5. Using a size 8 wrench, unscrew the drum guide pins.
6. Remove the drum. If it does not come off the blocks, carefully knock it down using a spacer and a hammer.
7. Using a 17mm wrench (preferably a socket), unscrew the nuts (4 pcs) securing the axle shaft. They are located behind the flange, but you can access them through specially provided holes by turning the axle shaft.
8. Using round-nose pliers, remove the spring washers that are located under the axle nuts.
9. Disconnect the axle shaft from the rear axle by pulling it towards you. If it does not give in, use a reverse hammer. To do this, the tool flange must be screwed to the axle flange with wheel bolts. By sharply moving the hammer weight forward, knock out the axle shaft. If you don't have a reverse hammer in your tool arsenal, you can use a removed wheel instead. It needs to be screwed with the back side to the axle shaft flange and struck with a hammer on the tire from the inside until the axle shaft comes out of the casing.
10. Remove the axle shaft assembly with the bearing and its retaining ring.
11. Remove the sealing gasket located between the brake shield and the axle shaft flange.
12. Using round nose pliers or pliers, remove the oil seal from its seat.

Intermediate shaft

General equipment

• Fixing clamp (Hazet 1847-1)
• Technological plugs

Removal

1. NOTE: To prevent the piston rod from turning, use a socket wrench.

Loosen the right suspension strut upper nut five turns.

2. Raise the car.

3. Disconnect the right suspension arm.

!!! CAUTION: The inner joint must not be tilted more than 18 degrees.

4. NOTE: Be careful not to damage the protective cover.

Disconnect the right front drive axle from the intermediate shaft.

• Separate the clamp clamp and move the cover back.
• Remove the front drive axle from the tripod joint housing.
• Remove grease.
• Secure the front drive axle.

5. NOTE: Oil leakage

Remove the intermediate shaft.

• Remove the clamp.
• Remove the intermediate shaft from the gearbox.
• Plug the transmission holes.