Forklift Steer Axle - The description of an axle is a central shaft meant for turning a gear or a wheel. Where wheeled motor vehicles are concerned, the axle itself can be fixed to the wheels and rotate together with them. In this instance, bushings or bearings are provided at the mounting points where the axle is supported. Conversely, the axle may be fixed to its surroundings and the wheels could in turn rotate around the axle. In this particular case, a bushing or bearing is positioned inside the hole in the wheel so as to enable the wheel or gear to turn around the axle.
Whenever referring to cars and trucks, some references to the word axle co-occur in casual usage. Usually, the term refers to the shaft itself, a transverse pair of wheels or its housing. The shaft itself turns along with the wheel. It is frequently bolted in fixed relation to it and referred to as an 'axle' or an 'axle shaft'. It is likewise true that the housing surrounding it which is normally called a casting is otherwise referred to as an 'axle' or sometimes an 'axle housing.' An even broader definition of the word refers to every transverse pair of wheels, whether they are attached to one another or they are not. Therefore, even transverse pairs of wheels in an independent suspension are generally called 'an axle.'
In a wheeled motor vehicle, axles are an important component. With a live-axle suspension system, the axles serve to be able to transmit driving torque to the wheel. The axles even maintain the position of the wheels relative to one another and to the motor vehicle body. In this particular system the axles should also be able to support the weight of the motor vehicle plus whichever cargo. In a non-driving axle, like for instance the front beam axle in some two-wheel drive light trucks and vans and in heavy-duty trucks, there will be no shaft. The axle in this condition works just 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 operate only to transmit driving torque to the wheels. The angle and position of the wheel hubs is a function of the suspension system. This is usually found in the independent suspension found in the majority of new sports utility vehicles, on the front of several light trucks and on most brand new cars. These systems still consist of a differential but it does not have fixed axle housing tubes. It can be fixed to the vehicle frame or body or even 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 vehicle weight.
Lastly, with regards to a vehicle, 'axle,' has a more vague description. It means parallel wheels on opposing sides of the vehicle, regardless of their mechanical connection kind to one another and the motor vehicle frame or body.
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