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Without a set of gears, flexible joints, and shafts to transfer the power from the engine and transmission, the vehicle would not be able to propel itself up hills, handle turns, or hold itself back as it goes down hills. In a conventional rear-wheel drive vehicle, the engine and transmission are mounted longitudinally at the front. ehicles with rear- or mid-mounted engines normally use a transaxle and transfer the drive to the road wheels by independent half-shafts. !he front-engine front-wheel drive vehicle typically, but not always, uses a crosswise-mounted "transverse# engine coupled to a transaxle. $ joints allow for smoother transfer of power and allow for the vehicle to turn more tightly without the joint binding. $ joints are most often used on the half-shafts of front-wheel drive vehicles and may be mounted at the end of the drive axles in some rear-wheel drive vehicles. !he most common type of joint is the universal joint or simply %&-'oint( "the correct term for it is a )ooke*s joint#. !he driveshaft itself allows power transfer from one component to another such as from the transmission output shaft to the differential and drive axles. !he rear-wheel driveshaft transfers the power from the transmission to the final drive at the rear of the vehicle. +ince the maximum length of a driveshaft is approximately ,-. "/01 cm#, to prevent twisting from the tor2ue output, two or more sections may be used. !he front section of the two-piece driveshaft is supported at its rear end by a center bearing, called the carrier bearing. !he &-joint is capable of working at a maximum angle of 1 degrees3 beyond this, vibration and damage will result from &-joint binding. When working with a two-piece driveshaft or a splined driveshaft, it is critical that the yokes of the driveshaft "the portion of the shaft that has the holes in it for the &-joint end caps to fit into# line up with each other from one end of the driveshaft to the other. In front-wheel drive vehicles, the driveshafts transfer the drive directly from the differential inside the transaxle to the front wheels. 4 front-wheel drive transaxle typically does not place the differential directly in the center of the vehicle3 instead it is offset to one side since it is bolted to the end of the transversely mounted engine. !or2ue steer is caused by the flexing of the longer half-shaft, resulting in lower tor2ue to one side than the other, creating the pulling condition. !o combat this condition, many manufacturers use an intermediate shaft. !he differential provides the means of transferring power from the driveshaft "propeller# to the drive wheels, while allowing the vehicle to turn smoothly. 5inal drives can be found in axles either at the front or rear of the vehicle or can be found in the transaxle of a front-wheel drive vehicle. 4 ring gear and pinion gear located in the final drive transfer power through 67 degrees and provide a final gear reduction to the driving road wheels. !he transfer case or power take-off "8!9# allows the transfer of power to the front and rear axles. :imited slip differentials allow normal differential action under normal driving conditions, but when road conditions are not normal, the limited slip differential reduces or prevents differential action so that a wheel cannot spin freely. )elical-geared limited slip differentials respond very 2uickly to changes in traction. !hey also do not bind from friction in turns and do not lose their effectiveness as wear develops in the clutch-style units. !here are different final drive setups. +ome are semi-floating and others are full floating axle assemblies. !he difference is how they are attached to the final drive. !he purpose of axle seals is to maintain the re2uired amount of oil in the differential to maintain 2uiet operation of the differential and related parts and to ensure lubrication for the bearings and gears. !he transmission control module "!$;# manages line pressures, shift functions, etc., and even

incorporates a %self-healing( adjustment capability, along with the ability to memori<e driver preferences=behaviors. 8roper diagnosis of vibration, noise, and other problems can keep a vehicle running and lasting longer. 4lways ask clarifying 2uestions when a customer complains of noises or vibrations.