The half shafts commonly used in modern automobiles are available in both full float and semi-floating depending on the type of support. (There are also three types, namely full floating, 3/4 floating, semi-floating)
Full floating half shaft
It is only subjected to torque when working, and its half-axis is called full-floating half shaft without receiving any force and bending moment. The outer end flange of the axle shaft is bolted to the hub, which in turn is mounted on the axle sleeve by two bearings that are further apart. The inner end of the structural full floating half shaft is splined, the outer end is flanged, and the flange has a plurality of holes. Widely used in commercial vehicles due to reliable work.
3/4 floating half shaft
In addition to bearing all the torque, it also has to bear a part of the bending moment. The most prominent structural feature of the 3/4 floating half shaft is that there is only one bearing at the outer end of the axle shaft, and the bearing supports the wheel hub. Due to the poor bearing stiffness of a bearing, the half shaft is subjected to the bending moment caused by the vertical force, the driving force and the lateral force between the wheel and the road surface in addition to the torque. The 3/4 floating half shaft is rarely used in automobiles.
Semi-floating half shaft
The semi-floating half shaft is directly supported by a bearing near the outer end on a bearing located in the inner hole of the outer end of the axle housing, and the end of the semi-shaft is fixedly connected with the journal with a tapered journal and a key, or directly with the flange The wheel disk and the brake hub are connected. Therefore, in addition to transmitting torque, it also bears the bending moment caused by the vertical force, the driving force and the lateral force transmitted from the wheel. The semi-floating half shaft is applied to passenger cars and some vehicles for common use because of its simple structure, small quality and low cost.