Rear axle drives

In all the drives employed for the rear axle the springs take the weight of the body The two important rear axle drives are,
Hotchkiss Drive Torque tube drive

Hotchkiss drive
Simplest and most widely used rear axle drives Springs take torque reaction, driving thrust, side thrust and weight of the body Propeller shaft is provided with two universal joints and a sliding joint The spring is fixed in the middle to the rear axle The front end of the spring is fixed rigidly on the frame, while rear end is supported in a shackle The driving thrust is transmitted to the frame by the front half of the springs

 When the springs take torque reaction it deflects along the axis of axle If there is only one universal joint there would be bending of propeller shaft The length of propeller shaft has to change when the spring moves up and down

Torque tube drive

Spring takes only the side thrust besides supporting the weight of the vehicle. The torque reaction, braking torque, and the driving thrust are taken by a member known as torque tube. One end of the torque tube is attached to the axle casing, while the other end is fitted to the frame.