Steer Axles for Forklift - The definition of an axle is a central shaft used for rotating a gear or a wheel. Where wheeled vehicles are concerned, the axle itself may be connected to the wheels and rotate along with them. In this particular instance, bushings or bearings are provided at the mounting points where the axle is supported. On the other hand, the axle can be connected to its surroundings and the wheels can in turn revolve around the axle. In this situation, a bearing or bushing is positioned in the hole inside the wheel to allow the wheel or gear to rotate around the axle.
With trucks and cars, the term axle in some references is utilized casually. The term generally refers to the shaft itself, a transverse pair of wheels or its housing. The shaft itself revolves together with the wheel. It is normally bolted in fixed relation to it and called an 'axle shaft' or an 'axle.' It is equally true that the housing surrounding it which is generally known as a casting is also known as an 'axle' or at times an 'axle housing.' An even broader definition of the word refers to every transverse pair of wheels, whether they are attached to one another or they are not. Therefore, even transverse pairs of wheels inside an independent suspension are frequently known as 'an axle.'
The axles are an integral component in a wheeled motor vehicle. The axle serves so as to transmit driving torque to the wheel in a live-axle suspension system. The position of the wheels is maintained by the axles relative to one another and to the motor vehicle body. In this particular system the axles should also be able to bear the weight of the motor vehicle together with any load. In a non-driving axle, like the front beam axle in several two-wheel drive light trucks and vans and in heavy-duty trucks, there would be no shaft. The axle in this particular situation works only as a steering part and as suspension. Several front wheel drive cars consist of a solid rear beam axle.
The axle works only to transmit driving torque to the wheels in various types of suspension systems. The position and angle of the wheel hubs is part of the operating of the suspension system seen in the independent suspensions of newer sports utility vehicles and on the front of many brand new light trucks and cars. These systems still consist of a differential but it does not have connected axle housing tubes. It could be fixed to the vehicle body or frame or even could be integral in a transaxle. The axle shafts then transmit driving torque to the wheels. The shafts in an independent suspension system are similar to a full floating axle system as in they do not support the motor vehicle weight.
Last but not least, in reference to a vehicle, 'axle,' has a more ambiguous classification. It means parallel wheels on opposing sides of the vehicle, regardless of their mechanical connection type to one another and the motor vehicle body or frame.
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