Cardan shaft crosspiece, device, signs of malfunction to the driver's hearing
The PTO is part of the transmission of all four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles. This is the shaft that transmits torque from the gearbox or gearbox to the rear or front axle gearbox. It should be noted that the driveshaft is so unique and simple that its design has not changed for many decades.
Cardan shafts can be one-, two- and three-section. They consist of several elements - two crosses, a shaft, seals, retractable forks, fastening parts and many other elements that usually depend on the design. The weight, thickness and length of the shaft are determined by the dimensions of the vehicle. It is worth noting that sports cars are usually equipped with single-section shafts. For example, the Nissan GT-R uses a single-section driveshaft.
The driveshaft is one of the most maintenance-intensive parts of a car. Its dismantling is quite simple, and the repair consists of replacing the suspension bearing and crosspiece.
Signs of lateral driveshaft failure may include:
- Feeling of running and knocking in the chassis.
- When starting off, you can hear a distinct metallic clang from the chassis.
- Presence of vibration in the car interior.
The device of the VAZ 2107 cross
The VAZ 2107 driveshaft crosspiece is a flexible connection between the gearbox and the rear axle of the car. This hinge ensures the coincidence of the rotation axes of the cardan parts and makes it possible to transmit torque when bending the cardan parts. The cross connects the forks of the cardan halves, which are attached to its ends. The main element of the cross is needle bearings, which ensure the mobility of the hinge. The bearings are inserted into the fork holes and secured with retaining rings. Bearing wear causes joint play, knocking and other extraneous noise when moving. In this case, it is necessary to replace the VAZ 2107 crosspiece.
Diagnosis of a breakdown, how to diagnose it yourself
To carry out self-diagnosis, you need to crawl under the car. Secure the shaft with one hand and the drive gear flange with the other. Then turn them towards you.
The presence of even the slightest backlash proves that the matter really is in the cross. Although, if only one bearing is worn out, there may be no play.
In this case, the condition can only be checked visually; to do this, disconnect the drive shaft from the gear flange using the “13” key and check the condition. Marks before disassembly to avoid incorrect assembly.
Removing the VAZ 2107 cardan
It is better to remove the cardan on a lift or inspection hole. In the latter case, it is necessary to secure the car wheel with boots and secure it with the handbrake so that the car does not roll away. Only after this can you begin dismantling.
The work is performed in the following sequence:
- unscrew the bolts connecting the cardan to the gearbox flange;
- unscrew the nuts securing the outboard bearing to the bottom of the car;
- Carefully, using a wooden hammer, knock the cardan out of the splines of the elastic coupling.
You need to knock on the cardan parts with a wooden hammer or use a regular hammer and a wooden spacer. Otherwise, the cardan pipes may be deformed.
How to remove the crosspiece, step-by-step instructions
The first thing to do is note where the spider forks are located because they are balanced at the factory and will generate vibration when the driveshaft is reassembled. First you need to remove the retaining rings. This is best done with special sharp tongs.
In specialized workshops, bearings are pressed using a hydraulic or manual press, but if you do it yourself, this problem can be solved with a hammer and a mallet made of soft material. Next, remove the pair of bearings from the fork. Perform a similar operation with the second pair of spider bearings. Also clean the mounting holes and grooves for the retaining rings. You can use sandpaper (fine or medium).
In addition, it may be necessary to remove small burrs that sometimes appear when bearings detonate.
The main stages of repair work on the cardan shaft
Removing a Worn Cross
Before you begin the process of dismantling the old cross, you should make notes about the clear location of the forks. As a result of incorrect installation, you will also not have to expect a high-quality result.
Having marked the necessary places, the retaining rings are dismantled in conjunction with the removal of the bearings. The bearings are knocked out using a hammer and a metal drift. Professional specialists for this type of activity use a special puller, the presence of which in private hands is quite rare. As a rule, ordinary car owners use their own funds. By dismantling the crosspiece, the joints and holes are freed from foreign elements that could damage the new part in the future.
Replacing the driveshaft crosspiece. Reasons, sequence of actions, important points,
The driveshaft spider may need to be replaced if there is a humming, grinding or vibration sound. The sound is caused by play in the bearing in the joint spider, and the vibration can be caused by "curvature of the joint spider." Read on to learn more about this and how to change the driveshaft spider.
“The drive shaft is an integral part of the transmission that transmits torque from the transmission (or transfer case) to the front and rear axle gears. An important part of the driveshaft is the universal joint, which, like an articulated mechanism, allows the shafts to rotate at different angles in relation to this fastener, which most often requires replacement (approximately every 10,000 km).
If the driveshaft has already been disassembled
There are cases when the driveshaft inadvertently splits in the splines during dismantling. Or, due to inexperience, the car enthusiast did not put marks in advance when replacing the crosspiece or outboard bearing.
Take a close look; on some European-made driveshafts, marks are placed at the factory in the form of convex triangles, arrows and dots; sometimes curved balancing plates and even grease nipples act as marks.
Note: there are marks on all cardan shafts with offset crosspieces relative to each other.
If you do not find marks, you have two options - contact a specialist to balance the driveshaft or try to find the correct position yourself.
Pressing cups
The pressing of the cups of the cross occurs in this way: the cross is moved in the direction of the already installed cup, and then the next one is put on, similar to the method described above.
To install the outboard bearing, you will need to unscrew the nut securing the universal joint fork to the front shaft of the vehicle.
When carrying out all stages of work, you should be extremely careful and careful. All necessary parts of the mechanism must be treated with lubricant, old fasteners, if possible, should be replaced with new ones, and installation of the crosspiece should not occur with distortions and deviations, as this will cost the car owner a waste of time and possibly new financial waste associated with the purchase another set of spare parts. For those people who do not know how to lubricate the elements of the driveshaft, we inform you that this will require lubricant No. 158 or a foreign-made equivalent.
The final installation of the driveshaft occurs in the reverse order, taking into account the marks set in advance. However, all stages of this process can be clearly seen in the photo and video materials present in the article.
Which crosspiece to choose
When choosing a crosspiece, you cannot rely only on its cost. This is a heavy-duty part, so it must be high quality. Experts recommend choosing a cross with a special grease nipple. The presence of lubricant will extend its service life. You can even conduct a simple test on the quality of the part in the store itself. To perform this you need to prepare a small mirror or piece of glass. Place the crosspiece on the surface of the glass and, holding its two opposite ends, swing the crosspiece. After this, repeat the operation with the other ends.
Turn the part over and do it all over again. If during the test the cross makes a characteristic knock, then it is still better to refuse to purchase it. To avoid such problems when purchasing in the future, it is better to give preference only to well-known manufacturers. Below are the world's best brands.
Table. Review of popular manufacturers of crosspieces.
| Brand name, photo | Description |
| GMB | The company was founded back in the 40s, producing driveshafts, steering components, transmissions and other automotive components. Over the years, GMB has managed to become a leader in its field. |
| Sicit | A well-known Italian manufacturer specializing in the production of cardan shaft crosspieces and other car chassis parts. |
| Welte | A German industrial company that began its work back in 1952. Specializes in the production of cardan shafts and their components for cars. For many works, the company has managed to gain trust among motorists around the world, providing only high-quality products. |
| ADS | A domestic manufacturer operating in the production of quality spare parts for 60 years. (abbreviated as ADS) is the main supplier of the Russian automobile industry. The products are of high quality and at the same time low cost. |
| JSC Avtovaz | Another representative of the domestic automobile industry. Production is concentrated in the well-known city of Togliatti, where the company creates reliable and high-quality elements that contribute to the long-term operation of the vehicle. |
| FBCardan | A well-known global manufacturer of cross couplings for cardan shafts. The product is suitable for most modern car models. The company is located in Italy. |
On a note! If you decide to change the shaft cross yourself, then in this case you need to replace the other one too, so as not to encounter problems in the future. It also makes sense to change the suspension bearing. A comprehensive replacement will extend the life of your car's chassis.
Symptoms of a problem
The main harbinger of a failure of the driveshaft crosspiece is a metallic knock that occurs when driving. But in addition to knocking, the driver may hear a crackling, grinding or even squeaking sound. These signs cannot be ignored, since even minor faults in the crosspiece can negatively affect the functioning of the entire system, which can ultimately lead to an accident. As practice shows, most often the crosspiece bearings wear out or the clearance in the propeller shaft joint increases.
Of course, the condition of the crosspiece is influenced by many different factors, including the quality of the roads and driving style. And if in the first case nothing depends on the driver, then in the second he can himself influence the performance of his car’s systems. Regular cross-country trips, which create serious loads on the vehicle, have a bad effect on the condition of the chassis. The location of the cross itself is not the most favorable in this case (it is quite close to the ground), so the part is constantly exposed to external factors such as water, dirt and dust.
What is a crosspiece puller and why is it needed?
A cardan shaft cross puller is a tool that is used to dismantle various parts and assemblies (pulleys, gears, bushings, wheels, couplings, bearings) that have an interference fit. This tool consists of two support plates, two ties, two nuts, two pieces of pipe and a bolt. As a rule, it is made of structural steel.
A driveshaft spider puller can effortlessly remove bearings from their forks without damaging adjacent parts. The puller can also act as a device for repairing a universal joint, since universal joints serve an average of 70-80 thousand km, during which time they wear out sufficiently and require replacement. In this case, the puller helps to extend the working life. In this case, you need to know that the spikes of the cross wear out more intensively only on one side. Therefore, when removing the hinge, it is necessary to make appropriate notes, wash and lubricate its parts, and then reassemble and install it, while rotating the cross 180°C around one of the axes relative to the previous position, in this case the main load during operation will fall on less worn side. As a result, such a hinge will last for more than one thousand kilometers.
Replacement procedure
Having decided to carry out a replacement, you first need to take care of everything necessary. It's not just about buying a new cross, but also about preparing the work area and all the tools. The step-by-step instructions given below are suitable for most VAZ car models from 2101 to 2107. You can also use it to replace the crosspiece on foreign cars such as Ford Transit, Toyota Camry, Niva Chevrolet and so on. The process itself can be roughly divided into several stages: preparing tools, removing the cardan, replacing the crosspiece and installing the cardan shaft in place. Let's consider each of these stages separately.
Preparing tools
As noted earlier, to replace the cross, you need to prepare all the necessary tools:
- Screwdriver Set;
- chisel;
- pliers;
- universal crosspiece puller;
- mandrels for removing crosspiece bearings;
- hammer;
- attachment made of aluminum or copper;
- set of socket and open-end wrenches.
Crosspiece replacement tools
As a rule, when repairing an old car, fasteners can become very rusty, so it is advisable to replace them with new nuts and bolts. Once everything is ready, you can start replacing.
