Gleason PASSENGER CAR DRIVE AXLE GEAR DESIGN© GLEASON WORKS 1970, 1972 CONIFLEX, FORMATE, HELIXFORM, REVACYCLE, and SINGLE CYCLE are registered trademarks of the Gleason WorksForeword This publication has been prepared by the Gleason Works as a handbook to provide a convenient reference for the axle designer in the choice of gear type, gear size, and gear tooth specifications. Detailed instructions on the calculation of stresses, gear tooth proportions, machine settings, and cutter specifications may be found in other Gleason Works’ publications to which reference is ‘made in this book. New empirical formulas and procedures are introduced in these pages. These reflect the design philosophy represented in a very high percentage of the passenger cars presently in use In certain sections, particularly Chapter 1, historical back~ ground material has been provided for general reference by the ew engineer. The emphasis of each description has been placed on the effect of the different concepts on the gears. As a result, the explanations may not be in strict accordance with definitions used by other organizations. There was no intent toward favoring particular types of axle designs, suspensions, bearings or other components. Any such conclusion drawn trom these paragraphs is purely the responsibility of the reader.Chapter 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ‘TYPES OF DRIVE AXLES 3 Description of various axles, emphasizing the effects of their design differences on drive axle gear mountings. SELECTION OF DRIVE-GEAR TYPE . 13 Discussion of the use of hypoid or spiral bevel gears in passenger car drive axles. SELECTION OF DRIVE~GEAR AND DIFFERENTIAL GEAR SIZE. a : ” Introduction of a new method (including revised formulas) ‘for estimating torque loads on axle drive gears and differential ‘gears. GEAR SPECIFICATIONS 33 Explanation of various parameters used in axle drive-gear design. DIFFERENTIAL GEARS 33 Discussion of parameters pertaining to the design of differential gears STRESS DETERMINATION AND SCORING RESISTANCE 37 Explanation of recommended allowable stress limits, with ‘formulas for calculating operating stresses on axle drive gears and differential gearsChapter 1 TYPES OF DRIVE AXLES 1.1 INTRODUCTION designs utilize a drive axle whose purpose is to transmit power employ a right an e axle includes a set of diffe to rotate at ‘when turning a corner. Th a variety of drive-axle arrangements, each having particular charactoristies Modern passenger from the engine to t! er the rear axle, Fig, 1-1, or the front axle, Fig. 1-2. When the ive axle may i also includes the steering mechanism in addition to the torque is the front a 18 parts nor drive trans Figure 1-2. Front (Steering) Drive Axle 3Automotive drive axles may be classified as either rigid, Fig. 1-3, or independent suspension, Fig, 1-4 ; | Figure 1-3. Rigid Axle Figure 1-4. Independent Suspension Axle 1.2 RIGID AXLES The rigid axle is one having a rigid housing enclosing the two axle shafts; thus displacement of one wheel will directly result in a displacement of the opposite wheel. There are three variations of the rigid axle, namely, full-floating, Fig. 1-5, three- quarter-floating, Fig. 1-6, and semi-floating, Fig, 1-7. The difference between the three types refers to the wheel bearing arrangement. In each case the axle shaft is splined to the differential side gear, Ina full-loating axle, Fig. 1-5, the wheel is supported by two bearings located on the outside of the axle housing, and none of the wheel reaction forces are transmitted to the axle shaft. The axle shaft, therefore, transmits only torsion to the driving wheel. In the three-quarter-floating type, Fig. 1-6, the wheel is supported by a single bearing located on the outside of the housing and is also rigidly fixed to the wheel end of the axle shaft. In this case the wheel reaction force, due to side thrust, is transmitted to the axle shaft and the shaft is subjected to both bending and torsion, This type is seldom used. In the semi-floating type, Fig. 1-7, which is presently used in most passenger cars, the wheel is directly attached to one end of the axle shaft. The wheel end of the axle is supported by a bearing mounted inside the axle housing. In this case, all of the wheel reaction forces ate carried by the axle shaft which is subjected to both bending and torsion, 4 ——Figure 1-7, Semi-Floating Axle 51.3 RIGID-AXLE HOUSINGS The housings for the rigid axle ure of three major types; the unitized carrier (Salisbury, Spicer), the separable cartier (banjo), and the trumpet, The unitized carrier-type, Fig. 1-8, is composed of a differential carrier unit into which two tubes are inserted to enclose the axle shafts and act as load bearing members. An opening is provided at the rear of the carrier housing to allow assembly of the parts in the unit. A sheet metal cover is used to enclose this opening after assembly. In this design, the differential bearings are enveloped by the casting, and the basic shape, formed by the tube sockets and pinion housing, is suitable for ample sibbing. The resulting carrier provides excellent axial and radial support of the drive gear. In most designs, the differential bearings are shimmed for preload and for backlash of the drive gear, and the housing must be spread during assembly with a special tool to allow for the insertion of the shims. The unitized cartier-type axle is economical to manufacture and may be adapted toa y of vehicles by changing only the tuhes and axle shafts, but in order to remove this axle from the vehicle it is necessary to disconnect the suspension system and brake lines. UNITIZED CARRIER UNIT aA: TUBES INSERTED INTO CARRIER, SHEET METAL cover Figure 1-8. Unitized Carrier-Type Axle (Salisbury, Spicer)ADJUSTING NUT FOR AXLE HOUSING Figure 1-9a, Separable Carrier-Type Axle (Banjo) Figure 1.9, Axle Housing for Separable Carrier-Type Axle‘The trumpet-type, Fig. 1-10, consists of a center section carrying the pinion and enclosing the differential housing and ring gear. Attached to this are two long tubular members with flared ends which carry the differential bearing seats. Since this design allows complete encirclement of the differential bearings by an adequately ribbed housing, it is possible to achieve a very rigid unit, but because a blind assembly results, it is relatively difficult to manufacture and service. This type is therefore not frequently used. Figure 1-10. Trumpet-Type Axle 1.4 INDEPENDENT-SUSPENSION AXLES An independentsuspension axle is one in which each wheel is suspended from the frame independently of the other. There ate two maior types of independent-suspension axles; the swing-type and the parallel-type. Each of these types has a differential carrier unit which is fixed to the chassis, ‘and axle shafts which are attached by universal joints to the differential side gears. Thus, the angle between the horizontal axis of the car and the axle shafts can vary. 8‘The swing-type, Fig. 1-11, has axle shafts which attach directly to the wheels. Thus, the wheel axes are not necessarily parallel to the road, ‘The parallel-type, Fig. 1-12, has a second set of universal joints at each wheel and the two wheels are mounted to maintain a parallel position. Thus, when the axle shaft is at an angle to the road, the wheel remains normal to the road. There are many variations of each of these types and it is beyond the scope of this publication to describe them all. 1.5 COMBINATION AXLE The DeDion-type axle combines features of both the rigid and independent-suspension types. It consists of a differential unit fixed to the frame with separately suspended axles. A separate heam connects the two wheels such that a displacement of one will directly affect the other. Figure 1-11. Swing-Type Independent Suspension Axle Figure 1-12, Parallel-Type Independent-Suspension Axle 91.6 TRANSAXLE The term iransaxte, Fig, 1-13, pertains to an axle generally independently sprung, in Which the differential unit and the transmission are combined in one housing 1.7 ADVANTAGES OF THE RIGID AXLE 1. Universal joints are not required since there is no angular movement of the axle shatts, 2. The axle housing provides a simple method for supporting the axle shafts and driving wheels. 1.8 ADVANTAGES OF INDEPENDENT-SUSPENSION AXLE 1. The unsprung weight is decreased because the differential unit is fastened directly to the frame of the car. 2. Gear forces are absorbed directly into the frame without requiri system to transmit these forces, the suspension Figure 1-13. Transaxle 101.9 TORQUE REACTIONS When the driving torque is transmitted through the drive pinion and gear, two torque reactions occur which result in a weight transfer. One reaction causes a transfer of weight from the front axle to the rear axle in forward drive. This is a result of the reaction to the gear driving torque. The second reaction results from the pinion driving torque. This torque reaction tends to transfer weight from the right wheel to the left wheel of a conventional rigid rear axle, When driving torque is applied to the wheels, both a torque and thrust reaction result ‘arious systems are used to transmit these forces to the frame. When both torque and thrust are carried to the frame from a rigid axle through springs, the system is a Hotchkiss drive, Fig. 1-14, Another system is the forque-tube drive, Fig. 1-15, which transmits the torque reaction to the center area of the frame through # tube surrounding the drive shaft. With this system, no universal joint is required where the drive shaft joins the drive pinion. The thrust reactions may or may not be taken through the torque tube, When coil springs are used without a torque tube, torque arms must be employed to absorb the torque. This system may also be designed to transmit either combined thrust and torque, or pure torque. Figure 1-15. Torque-Tube Rear SuspensionChapter 2 SELECTION OF DRIVE-GEAR TYPE 2.1 INTRODUCTION Spiral bevel and hypoid gears are both used for passenger cur drive axles. Each type exhibits special characteristics which should be considered by the axle designer. These characteristics are listed in Table 2-1 and discussed in more detail below Table 2-1 Charactoristies Hypoid Spiral Bevel Quietness Quieter Quiet Strength [As much as 30 percent higher Lower loads depending on offset - also better strenath balance Pitting Resistance AAs much as. 175 percent higher Lower loads depending on offset ‘searing Resistance Lower ‘As much 98 200 percent higher loads Sliding Velocity [As much as 200 percent higher Lower | depending on the offset Efficiency As high as 96 percent de {As high as 99 percent depending pending on load and ratio ‘on load and ratio Lubricant EP (extreme pressure) Mita EP Sensitivity to Misalignment Varies with mounting rigidity | Varias with mounting rigicity and cutter diameter ‘and cutter diameter Manufacture Larger point width cutter Smaller point width cutter Easier to lap More difficult to lap Ratio Better for high ratios Better for low ratios Position of Vehicle Center Lower drive shaft Higher drive shaft of Gravity Outside Diameter of Differen-| Smaller - due to less available | Larger - due to greater available tial Case space as a result of drive pinion | space interference Bearing Reaction Greater thrust on pinion Less thrust on pinion2.2 QUIETNESS One of the advantages associated with hypoid gears is the ability to more easily lap the entire tooth surface, since there is lengthwise sliding between the teeth at every point. This improved ability to lap the gears will generally result in smoother and quieter running gears. 2.3 STRENGTH Hypoid gears, because of their offset, have different spiral angles on gear and mating pinion, This means that, for the same normal pitch on the two members, the transverse pitch will be different. With the usual arrangement, the pinion transverse diametral pitch will be coarser than the gear pitch and therefore the pinion diameter will be larger than the diameter of the corresponding spiral bevel pinion. The degree of enlargement is dependent on the amount of offset. The larger pinion diameter results in a bending fatigue life from two to ten times that of the corresponding spiral bevel gear ratio. Furthermore, this larger pinion permits the use of a large shank on the pinion member of a high ratio. As the gear ratio decreases, a hypoid design may result in an exeessively large diameter pinion, Therefore, in these cases a spiral bevel design may prove more advantageous. 2.4 PIITING RESISTANCE Because of the increased size of the hypoid pinion and the higher pinion spiral angle, the relative radius of curvature between the mating gear teeth is preater than for the corresponding spiral bevel pair. This results in a lower contact stress between the tooth surfaces with consequent reduction in the likelihood of pitting. Hypoid gears can carry as much as 175 percent higher loads, depending on the offset. 2.5 SCORING RESISTANCE Spiral bevel gears are generally less susceptible to scoring than hypoid gears. This is due to the elimination of the lengthwise component of sliding between the teeth. However, with the normally available axle lubricants, scoring seldom presents a problem in automotive passenger car gears of either type. 2.6 SLIDING Spiral bevel and hypoid gears both have sliding in the profile direction. In addition. hypoid gears have lengthwise sliding, The resultant increased sliding on the hypoid gear teeth results in an increase in the heat generated. Therefore, a careful study of gear lubrica- tion and cooling must be made to assure the maintenance of a reasonable operating temperature. 2.7 EFFICIENCY The efficiency of both hypoid and spiral bevel gears is very high. Hypoid gear ef- ficieney is slightly less, due to the inerease in gear tooth sliding, Efficiencies as high as 99 percent have been obtained with spiral bevel gears, while values of 96 percent have been obtained with hypoid gears, The efficiency will depend on the amount of hypoid offset and, more importantly, on the load transmitted. The efficiency will be highest at high loads, 2.8 LUBRICANT Both spiral bevel and hypoid gears have combined rolling and sliding between the teeth. The rolling action has the beneficial effect of maintaining an oil film between the 4tooth surfaces which, in large part, is a hydrodynamic film. However, with high sliding velocities the frictional heating may result in very high temperatures at the point of contact, which will cause the lubricant film to fail. For this reason, special lubricants are usually required. Under normal operation, spiral bevel gears and hypoid gears should be lubricated with an EP (extreme pressure) lubricant. 2.9 SENSITIVITY TO MISALIGNMENT The sensitivity of either spiral bevel or hypoid gears to mounting misalignment in assembly or under load is essentially the same. It is controlled by the lengthwise curvature fof the tooth (diameter of the cutter) and the tooth contact development. Rigid mountings reduce the adverse effects of gear sensitivity. 2.10 MANUFACTURE Spiral bevel and hypoid gears are produced on the same equipment. Therefore, the actual cost of production will be approximately the same for either type. However, there are two advantages which the hypoid has over the spiral bevel. First, because of the larger pinion, the cutter point width will be larger and therefore more durable. Second, because of the lengthwise tooth sliding, the teeth may be lapped more rapidly and more uniformly. 2.41 RATIO. For high ratios, the hypoid pinion, being larger in diameter than the corresponding spiral bevel pinion, permits the use of a larger shank. This has been advantageous for ratios of 4.5 to I and higher. Therefore, the hypoid pait may be a more suitable choice for these high ratios, For moderate ratios, either spiral bevel or hypoid gears will be satisfactory. With the trend toward lower ratios, note should be made of the growth in the hypoid pinion diameter. For ratios below 2 to 1, the hypoid pinion diameter may become excessive, thereby reducing the road clearance. In these cases, spiral bevel gears should be considered 2.12 POSITION OF VEHICLE CENTER OF GRAVITY With spiral bevel gears, the drive shaft is in the same horizontal plane as the axle shaft. With the usual arrangement of hypoid gears, the drive shaft is below the axle shaft because of the pinion offset. This lowers the center of gravity of the vehicle and reduces the height of the tunnel inside the passenger compartment. One limitation to be considered is the reduced road clearance beneath the drive shatt. 2.13 OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF DIFFERENTIAL CASE Spiral bevel gears permit the use of the largest differential case, when it is placed in front of the ring gear, which is the usual situation. With hypoid gears, as the offset increases, the pinion Is displaced axially toward the gear center line, thereby reducing the available space for the differential gears. 2.14 BEARING REACTIONS Considering both a spiral bevel and corresponding hypoid gear design having the same average spiral angle, the hypoid pinion will have a higher spiral angle and the hypoid gear will have a lower spiral angle than the spiral bevel pair. Because of the higher spiral angle on the hypoid pinion, the axial thrust on the pinion bearings will be greater and the axial thrust on the gear bearings will be less.