Forklift Steer Axle - The definition of an axle is a central shaft meant for turning a wheel or a gear. Where wheeled motor vehicles are concerned, the axle itself could be attached to the wheels and revolve along with them. In this case, bushings or bearings are provided at the mounting points where the axle is supported. On the other hand, the axle can be fixed to its surroundings and the wheels could in turn revolve around the axle. In this case, a bushing or bearing is placed inside the hole within the wheel to enable the gear or wheel to rotate all-around the axle.
Whenever referring to cars and trucks, some references to the word axle co-occur in casual usage. Usually, the word means the shaft itself, a transverse pair of wheels or its housing. The shaft itself revolves with the wheel. It is normally bolted in fixed relation to it and referred to as an 'axle' or an 'axle shaft'. It is also true that the housing around it which is usually called a casting is otherwise known as an 'axle' or at times an 'axle housing.' An even broader sense of the word means every transverse pair of wheels, whether they are connected to one another or they are not. Therefore, even transverse pairs of wheels inside an independent suspension are frequently referred to as 'an axle.'
In a wheeled motor vehicle, axles are an essential part. With a live-axle suspension system, the axles work to transmit driving torque to the wheel. The axles also maintain the position of the wheels relative to one another and to the motor vehicle body. In this particular system the axles should likewise be able to bear the weight of the motor vehicle together with whichever load. In a non-driving axle, as in the front beam axle in several two-wheel drive light vans and trucks and in heavy-duty trucks, there will be no shaft. The axle in this particular condition serves only as a steering component and as suspension. Many front wheel drive cars have a solid rear beam axle.
There are various types of suspension systems wherein the axles function just to transmit driving torque to the wheels. The position and angle of the wheel hubs is a function of the suspension system. This is normally seen in the independent suspension seen in the majority of new sports utility vehicles, on the front of several light trucks and on nearly all brand new cars. These systems still have a differential but it does not have fixed axle housing tubes. It could be fixed to the motor vehicle frame or body or likewise can be integral in a transaxle. The axle shafts then transmit driving torque to the wheels. The shafts in an independent suspension system are like a full floating axle system as in they do not support the motor vehicle weight.
To finish, in reference to a vehicle, 'axle,' has a more ambiguous definition. It means parallel wheels on opposing sides of the motor vehicle, regardless of their mechanical connection kind to one another and the vehicle body or frame.
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