Reduction Of Generated Axial Force by Constant Velocity Joint Using Contact Optimization of Tripod Joint

Abstract

Constant velocity (CV) joints are the primary component of a vehicle that transmits the driving force from an engine/transmission to a wheel at a constant speed. A CV joint comprises numerous mechanical parts. The roller and housing are in contact and, therefore, subjected to contact stresses. Contact stress causes sliding friction because of microslip in the contact area inside the CV joint. This internal friction generates an axial force, dependent on the kinematics. A generated axial force (GAF) is caused by the internal friction in a plunging-type CV joint. This force can have a direct impact on the degradation of the noise, vibration, and harshness characteristics of a vehicle. The typical vibration of a CV joint transmitted to the vehicle is shudder, which degrades the lateral oscillation of the vehicle. Shudder is generated by the GAF and results from the rotation of the CV joint during rapid acceleration, stimulating the lateral movement of the vehicle and causing discomfort to passengers. In this study, the radii of the roller and the housing were selected as the design parameters, and the contact stress was minimized through the sensitivity analysis. The GAF of the existing CV joint and optimized CV joint are compared through a multibody dynamic simulation. An axial force test is performed on the CV joint of a C-segment vehicle to verify the dynamic simulation results. The friction characteristics of the greases used in the CV joint were also confirmed by the schwingung reibung verschleiss (SRV) friction test. The results obtained can be used to reduce the GAF of the CV joint and to build an optimized CV joint model.