What are the four types of trailer axle?

The axle is an important part of the chassis of the vehicle, which is related to the walking, braking, steering and load-bearing of the vehicle. According to the different functions, common axles can be mainly divided into four types: steering axle, drive axle, steering drive axle and support axle.

1. Steering bridge.

Refers to the axle that undertakes the steering task in the vehicle, in addition to the vertical load of the vehicle, but also the longitudinal force and lateral force and the torque caused by it.

The working principle of the steering bridge is mainly to use the steering knuckle in the axle to deflect the wheels at both ends at a certain Angle to achieve the steering of the vehicle, which is generally used in the front of the vehicle, so it is often called the front bridge, and the structure is mainly composed of the front beam and the steering knuckle.

The steering bridge can be divided into two types: integral and broken:

The integral steering bridge usually adopts I-beam of I-section or tubular beam of tubular section, the middle is bent downward, the kingpin and steering knuckle are installed at both ends, and the leaf spring suspension is adopted. This structure is generally selected for cargo vehicles.

The wheels at both ends of the disconnected steering axle are connected to the body by independent suspension, which is mostly used in the steering axle of mini cars.

2. Drive axle.

The transaxle is an axle that is installed at the end of the transmission system and can change the speed and torque from the transmission and transmit them to the drive wheels. In simple terms, the function of the drive axle is mainly to distribute the torque of the engine to the left and right driving wheels after reducing the speed and increasing the torque, changing the direction of power transmission, and driving the vehicle, which is generally mainly composed of the reducer, differential, half-shaft and axle housing.

The drive axle can also be divided into two types of non-breaking and breaking, but also by whether to use independent suspension to distinguish, under normal circumstances, more applications of non-breaking drive axle on freight vehicles.

In addition, from the structural form, the drive axle can also be divided into three categories: central single-stage deceleration drive axle, central double-stage deceleration drive axle, and central single-stage wheel side deceleration drive axle:

The central single-stage deceleration drive axle is the simplest one in the drive axle structure, which is dominant in heavy goods vehicles.

The central two-stage reduction drive axle is a type derived when the speed ratio of the single-stage axle exceeds a certain value or the total traction mass is large.

Wheel deceleration drive axle is more widely used in oil fields, construction sites, mines and other off-road vehicles and military vehicles.

3. Steering drive axle.

For front-wheel drive vehicles and all-wheel drive vehicles, the front axle should bear the steering function and transmit power, so it is called the steering drive axle, which has both the main reducer, differential and semi-shaft in the structure of the general drive axle, and the steering knuckle and kingpin of the steering axle.

4. Support the bridge.

The support bridge, as the name suggests, refers to the trailer axle that has neither steering function nor driving function and is specially used to bear the weight of the body, which is generally used on the chassis of the semi-trailer behind the tractor, mainly composed of the shaft beam, metal support seat, wheel assembly and other components. In addition to the weight of the load body, it can also ease road bumps, ensure vehicle braking, and maintain vehicle driving.

Although from the functional point of view, the support bridge is relatively simple in the four types of axle classification, its structure and composition are not simple, and a support bridge light parts are as high as nearly 100, which belongs to the veritable precision machinery.

Support Bridges can be subdivided into many types according to the use requirements and structural forms. Taking the DARO trailer axle as an example, it can be divided into disc type, drum type, low flat plate, single/twin tire, internal/external, concave, three-line six-axis, special axle and so on.

Among them, the disc trailer axle is mainly suitable for dangerous chemicals, precision instruments, vegetables, fruits and vegetables, flowers and other goods transport "delicate", the cargo loss rate requirements of the transport scene; Drum trailer axle is mainly used for heavy cargo transportation or general cargo transportation, low cost, simple maintenance; The low flat trailer axle and three-line six-axis are mainly used in large pallet trucks or large transport vehicles, with low center of gravity, strong stability and passability, convenient loading and unloading of goods, and stronger load-bearing capacity.

As for which kind of axle is best, it is also necessary to comprehensively consider the transportation needs and working conditions of the vehicle, after all, what is suitable is the best, and do not blindly follow the trend.