Mechanical Property Analysis And Research On Driving Axle Housing Of Light Truck

The driving axle housing is main bearing part and force transforming part on automobile. The driving axle housing is bearing complicated load when vehicle is in motion, especially passing the rugged road. In case of improper designs or fabrication technology problems, the impact load between the wheel and the ground will bring about the deformation or break of driving axle housing. Furthermore, Tractive force and lateral force which use the driving wheel pass the automobile frame and the automobile body by driving axle housing. Therefore, driving axle housing should have enough strength and stiffness, and have a good dynamical property.Influenced by alternating load, fatigue breakdown happens easily to axle housing. Fatigue breakdown normally happens suddenly without any obvious symptom and bring out serious accident. So it is necessary to make fatigue life calculation to axle housing.This paper treats the light-duty truck driving axle housing as research object. Finite element model of driving axle housing is built firstly. Strength and stiffness of the finite element model of axle housing under typical working conditions is analyzed and stress distribution and deformation are obtained. The fifteenth modal shape and natural frequency under free state are obtained through modal analysis of axle housing. Dangerous area and its fatigue life are obtained by fatigue life calculation under vertical bending condition using fatigue life software.The result shows that strength and stiffness of axle housing under all working condition meet requirement, but there is an obvious stress concentration in weld region between flange and axle sleeve. The minimum frequency is larger than driving frequency of road, so axle housing can not have resonance during the driving. Fatigue life of dangerous part on axle housing can meet criterion too.Finally, axle housing structure is improved according to finite element analysis results. Axle housing stress under each working condition is reduced after improvement and stress concentration is relieved. Fatigue life of dangerous part on axle housing increased greatly.