A steel shaft that connects the differential to the drive wheels The axles are driven by the differential, which is driven by the transmission All are ultimately driven by the engine AMERICA'S CAR SHOW with Tom Torbjornsen provides this glossary of automotive terms so Joe Average can discuss car repair and maintenance with Technician Bob If you find a word or term you don't understand in Tom's Corner or the Forum, search for it here
What a wheel of a car spins or rotates on A "drive axle" is an axle that is actually powered and turns the wheel (such as the rear axles on a rear wheel drive car), otherwise the wheel will spin on bushings or bearings on the axle
A shaft on which a wheel revolves or which revolves with a wheel Also, a solid beam that connects the two wheels at one end of the car In the latter sense an axle is called "live" if it transmits power as in a front-engine rear-drive car It's called a "beam" or "dead" axle if the axle does nothing but support the wheels as at the rear of a front-wheel-drive car
A transverse bar or shaft connecting the opposite wheels of a car or carriage; an axletree
a shaft on which a wheel or wheels rotate The axle may be fixed in the wheel so that the wheel turns when the axle rotates, or alternatively, the wheel may turn freely on the axle
the shaft on which wheels are carried The wheels are either fixed so that they turn with the axle or able to spin freely on the axle
The steel shaft on which the locomotive wheels are mounted The axle not only holds the wheels to gauge , but also transmits the load from the Axle-boxes to the wheels