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Your car’s drivetrain is the series of parts that make it move, excluding the engine. The components work together to transfer the power in your engine to your wheels, which controls your vehicle’s amount of torque (turning power). Learning about it will help you take better care of your car, especially if you ever need drivetrain repairs. Here’s what you should know about the most common arrangements.

Rear-Wheel Drivetrain 

If you have a rear-wheel-drive car, your drivetrain consists of these parts: 

1. Transmission

Located in the rear of your engine, the transmission is a component that transfers the torque, or turning power, from the engine to the driveshaft. 

2. Driveshaft

The driveshaft is a long, spinning tube. One end connects to the transmission, while the other joins to the wheels. It transfers the torque it receives from the transmission to the differential. 

There are two designs for driveshafts. With the torque tube, the driveshaft is inside a tube that connects the transmission and differential through a joint called a universal joint or U-joint. Hotchkiss is a tubeless design that connects the transmission and differential through two U-joints instead of just one. 

3. Differential

drivetrain repairsA device the size of a melon, the differential is located between the two rear wheels. It transfers the torque it receives from the driveshaft to the rear wheels, making them spin and move the car.

Front-Wheel Drivetrain

A front-wheel drivetrain’s components are in the front of the car since they power the front wheels. The parts differ from those in a rear-wheel drivetrain:

1. Transaxle

The transaxle is a device that functions as both the transmission and differential. It transfers torque to the half-shaft.

2. Half-Shaft

While rear-wheel-drives require long driveshafts to transfer torque to the wheels, a front-wheel-drive only needs a half-shaft. That’s because all the drivetrain components sit in the front of the car. The half-shaft transfers the torque it receives from the transaxle to the wheels

3. CV Joints

Just as a rear-wheel-drivetrain uses U-joints to connect the transmission and differential, a front-wheel-drivetrain uses constant velocity (CV) joints to join the transaxle and the wheels. CV joints can bend in any direction while turning the wheels at a constant velocity.

 

When you need reliable drivetrain repairs, turn to the team at Mr. Transmission. Serving Cincinnati and Sharonville, OH, for 15 years, the experienced technicians diagnose and fix drivetrain issues on cars, trucks, and any other kind of domestic or foreign vehicle. They offer nationwide warranties as well as lifetime warranties. Learn more about their trusted services online, and call (513) 769-3111 to schedule your drivetrain repair today.

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