Application

Double cardan shafts for motor vehicles with front-wheel drive should be defined
in such a way that the highest short-time torque that can be transmitted is not exceeded
in relation to the vehicle's total mass and while maintaining optimum ground adhesion of
the tires.
Whether differential locks, if any, must been considered or not, depends on the actual
application. The permanent torques of applications with permanent drive must also be
considered. The ability of cardan shafts to transmit force is the poorer the larger the
angle (figure 1).
Front-wheel drives should therefore not be designed without consulting us.

Arrangement of double cardan shafts

Used especially for pivoted rigid axles, the uncentred-joint version requires, in radial
direction, a statically determined support of the two connected shafts.
One of them has to be fixed axially, while it must be ensured, that the other shaft can
move by the amount l_V.
The pivot point S should coincide with the centre of the joint or be shifted towards the side
of the axially movable shaft (measure x/figure 2).
In centred-joint double cardan shafts, the centring acts as an inner support of
the joint. Unlike the uncentred arrangement, this one eliminates the need for the bearing
on the joint end of the one shaft, but necessitates the arrangement of another joint on the
other end.
The design should allow axial displacement for one of the two connecting drive forks.