Do-it-yourself gazelle cardan repair

To change the universal joint of the universal joint you will have to work hard ... you cannot do without a Russian mat and a strong hammer ... for example, in the video you can see the process of replacing the joint of the GAZel's universal joint shaft with your own hands. The procedure is quite long ... until you knock out the old cross, then while you put another in its place, it will take at least half an hour. The only thing that pleases on this car is the removal / installation of the cardan - it is quite simple (you will need to unscrew a few fastening bolts). For details on replacing the crosspiece on the driveshaft in a gazelle car, see the video clip.

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Is it possible to change the crosspiece of the Turkish universal joint?

Vibration in the chassis of the Gazelle

How to remove the old crosspiece from the driveshaft on the Gazelle Business?

Very good video. I understand how hard it is. So far, he has little experience in this matter. Recently it was necessary to balance the gimbal, he himself, of course, could not cope without special equipment and without skills. The guarantor went to the cardan, they were balanced there, real pros.

Owners of a gazelle and sable 4x4 car, as well as in other cars, where torque is transmitted using a cardan transmission, from time to time face the problem of a cardan shaft cross (hinge) breakage. Naturally, in such a situation, its replacement is recommended. A part such as a gazelle cardan, although it is quite large in size, is so simple in design that any layman can repair it.

Cross joint for the driveshaft Gazelle

The process of removing the propeller shaft cross is similar for most cars. According to the scheme, which will be described below, you can dismantle it both from a gazelle car and from a 4x4 sable. The removal of the hinges installed on 4x4 sable cars, those in the front axle, instead of the SHRUS will take place somewhat differently, since there will be a slightly different dismantling of the forks themselves.

So, first you need to clean the gazelle gimbal of dirt and dust, and then dismantle it. How to remove the gimbal from a gazelle or a 4x4 sable car, you can find a lot of information, so we will not describe this operation, but recall that before dismantling and disassembling the propeller shaft, apply marks with paint or a chisel to all mating elements. This is necessary in order to subsequently deliver all the parts during assembly with the same arrangement as before disassembly, thereby avoiding possible imbalance.

Next, we proceed to remove the hinge itself:

• With a hammer, we apply light blows to the glasses of needle bearings, this is necessary so that they settle somewhat and thereby weaken the pressure on the retaining rings;
• Using a screwdriver or pliers, as it is more convenient, the retaining rings are removed;
• The needle bearing glass is pressed out of the fork using a vise or press; to facilitate the procedure, it is better to use a mandrel from a piece of pipe or head of the same size as the glass;
• The cardan rotates 180 degrees and the second glass is pressed out, the easiest way to do this is by striking the cross-piece trunnion through the mandrel;
• The fork and end caps of the bearings are removed;
• Applying the same scheme, the remaining bearings are pressed out and the crosspiece itself is removed.

Of course, there are situations when it is quite difficult to remove the crosspiece from the propeller shaft, and it is precisely the replacement of the hinge that is required, and not its repair.In this case, to facilitate the procedure, it is worth cutting it with an ordinary grinder and after that it will be much easier to squeeze out the glasses.

It is worth noting the fact that if one hinge is being replaced, then it is imperative to change the second one, on the back of the propeller shaft.

This applies not only to gazelle and sable cars, 4x2 and 4x4 wheel schemes - this is the rule for absolutely all cases.

Repair of the cross-piece of the propeller shaft Gazelle

Installation is much easier, as all our assemblies are already cleaned and generously lubricated.

Let's start the procedure:

• A free spike spike is inserted into the fork eyelet, which is located on the back of the oiler, and the opposite spike with the bearing and retaining ring already installed on it is inserted into the opposite eyelet;
• The bearing is inserted into the fork eyelet and put on the free spike spike;
• After making sure that both bearings are aligned with the holes of the yoke and the joint is clamped in a vice;
• The process of pressing the bearing is carried out until the lock washer comes into contact with the yoke eye;
• The second circlip is installed on the opposite bearing;
• Repeat the procedure for the other half of the joint.

Again, we remind you that you should not forget about the previously applied marks and carry out the assembly according to them.

Well, the hinges have been replaced and the gazelle gimbal can be installed in place.

Suspended bearing of the propeller shaft Gazelle - do-it-yourself replacement for GAZ 3302, Next, Business with photo and video

The outboard bearing of the Gazelle is the rolling bearing of the cardan transmission. It also provides additional rigidity to the cardan shaft, and in the event of its breakdown, the shaft itself is endangered, the cost of repairing which is ten times more expensive than the price of the outboard bearing of the Gazelle cardan shaft.

To prevent costly repair of the cardan, transfer case or rear axle when operating a Gazelle car (3302, Next, Business, etc.), special attention should be paid to the cardan transmission, to monitor the state of the intermediate support, runout, backlash, and rotation noise. Replacing the outboard bearing with a Gazelle will be required if you notice leakage of grease, torn rubber, backlash or other defects on the cardan support.

Instructions with recommendations, photo and video materials are contained in this article, it is additionally described how to choose a Gazelle outboard bearing - price, size, number, manufacturers, which is better.

The cardan shaft support on the Gazelle: Business, Next, 3302 and others from this model range is a rubberized housing inside which a closed-type ball bearing is located. The suspension support also has a bracket for attaching to a traverse.

Types of wear: depressurization of the ball bearing, destruction (chipping) of the rubber of the housing itself, backlash of the support due to wear. The reasons for many problems with the universal joint support are external effects of moisture, dirt, overheating of the clips, mechanical damage due to load, failure at the end of its service life.

To check or diagnose the performance of the propeller shaft support bearing for the Gazelle, the following operations are sufficient:

1. Check the backlash of the ball bearing (axial and radial) with your hands;
2. Rotate the propeller shaft to check the runout and see how the support behaves;
3. Visually inspect the part for damage, wear, grease leakage.

Vibration of the propeller shaft due to defective suspension:

• When is it necessary to change the cross-piece of the propeller shaft on the Gazelle?
• When do you need to change the crosspiece, signs of malfunction
• What is needed for the replacement procedure
• Removing the cardan and disassembling it
• How to remove the crosspiece
• Cross mounting procedure

One of the most significant parts in the driveline is the universal joint. But, like all parts of a car, this element wears out sooner or later. This also applies to the powerful Gazelle. How to replace a worn-out crosspiece? Let's figure it out.

The crosspiece of the Gazelle cardan has a decent resource, it is capable of working several hundred thousand kilometers. But if the crosspiece is worn out or damaged, then an imbalance will arise, due to which other elements may fail.

The main sign of a malfunction of the cross is loud clicks, which are difficult to hear from the passenger compartment. This sound can be heard while standing near the vehicle. To test these guesses, you must drive off, drive a little forward and backward, and then brake. Your assistant should listen carefully for clicks. Diagnostics can also be carried out using a lift. Due to wear, the backlash will increase, a size of 50 mm is already dangerous.

If you hear knocks at the start, when changing gears, when picking up speed quickly, or when driving at a certain speed, then the cross must be changed. The malfunction can be accompanied by vibration. As practice shows, the rear universal joint cross is the fastest to break due to heavy loads.

The main cause of wear is insufficient lubrication of the driveshaft crosspieces. To apply this liquid, you need to use a syringe with a special needle, and if you use a regular one, the grease may get into the wrong place.

To replace the crosspiece, you need the following tools:

• a set of socket and open-end wrenches;

• a special syringe for applying grease;

• aluminum or copper adapter.

You may need a friend's help, because an extra pair of hands will be useful.

Before removing the gimbal, "Gazelle" must be prepared. The cardan drive of the car is balanced at the factory, therefore, before removal, it is necessary to paint with paint the relative angular position of the fork and the gearbox shaft. If this is not done, then vibration will be felt later.

The threads of all bolts must be well cleaned of dirt, after which they must be unscrewed. Then unscrew the nuts securing the intermediate support. After that, the support and the transverse frame will be disconnected, the cardan must be moved forward and disconnected from the flange. To make dismantling easier and faster, you can use a hammer, but only using a metal washer; the impact must be on the rear hinge flange. Next, remove the front sliding end of the gimbal. After removal, protect the fork shank to keep dust out. After that, you can start repairing the propeller shaft.

First, the cardan transmission must be disassembled in this way:

1. Remove the 4 retaining rings with a puller;

2. Install the driveline so that the cup is on top;

3. Using a guide and a hammer, knock out the cup, hit very carefully;

4. As soon as the cup starts to move, turn the cardan over and remove it with pliers;

5. Clean the lugs and grooves for the circlips from rust and dirt, cover with grease.

6. After disassembly, you can start repairing the universal joint shaft.

For almost all machines, the process for dismantling the cross is the same. You need to do the following:

1. Use a motorboat to hit the needle bearing cups (this will help them settle and relieve pressure on the circlip);

2. Using a vise or a press, remove the needle roller bearing from the fork (the use of a mandrel from a piece of pipe will help to make the procedure easier);

3. Turn the glass over 180 degrees and squeeze out the second glass (hit through the lining on the cross-piece trunnion, it will be easier this way);

4. Remove the fork and bearing end cups;

5. Press out the other bearings in the same way and remove the crosspiece.

6. After installing a new part, replacing the cross-piece of the Gazelle propeller shaft can be considered almost complete.

If you can't get the crosspiece, then you need to change the hinge, not repair it. Then it can be cut with a grinder to make it easier to press out the glasses. If you change the hinge on one side, then change it on the other.

Reinstalling the spider is much easier than removing it. The procedure is as follows:

1. Insert the free spike of the part, located on the back of the oiler, into the eye of the fork;

2. Install the bearing and retaining ring on the opposite spike, then insert the spike into the eyelet;

3. Insert the bearing into the eye of the fork, put it on the free spike;

4. The bearings must be aligned with the holes on the fork, then clamp the hinge with a vise;

5. Press on the bearing so that the lock washer and the yoke eye contact;

6. Place the circlip on the opposite bearing. Do the same for the other half of the hinge;

7. Put the gimbal back in place, remembering to lubricate the parts first.

So that the thought of how to replace the universal joint of the propeller shaft does not visit you for a long time, you need to regularly service this part and observe some regulations:

• Avoid driving on gravel or dirt roads. Due to the shaking, the universal joint and the crosspiece are subjected to heavy loads.

• Be sure to lubricate the crosspiece with lithium grease using a special syringe. You need to lubricate all parts rubbing with each other, not only the crosspiece. Do not spare grease, even to the extent that one grease gun is given to each part.

Observing all the rules, you will extend the life of the cross. It is better to spend money on grease and a syringe than to spend more time and money replacing that part.

No matter how puffed up the engine, without direct transmission of torque to the drive wheels, the car simply will not budge. The earliest drive systems were belts and chains. As in bicycles and industrial machines. While the power of the Daimler-Benz engine was not so much, even the frictional transmission of torque as an experiment suited almost everyone. There were even designs of a connecting rod type, like on a steam locomotive. But the propeller shaft did not appear at all thanks to cars, but much earlier and not to transmit torque.

The mention of the cardan transmission is found already in the records of the 4th century BC.

The first mention of that mechanism, which we today call a cardan transmission, dates back to the 4th century BC, by the way. It was the world's first non-spill inkwell, which was located among several concentric rings. It did not spill under any circumstances and always remained horizontal. And already in 1550 Geronimo Cardano created the famous ship's compass, the patent for the mechanism of which was issued only a hundred years later to the Englishman Robert Hook. In the car, the cardan shaft, in the modern sense, was used only by Louis Renault in 1898. Since then, the cardan transmission has not undergone any significant changes.

There is no alternative to the driveshaft, and so far there cannot be. The ingenious and simple design of Geronimo Cardano was supplemented only with a splined connection for the possibility of changing the length of the shaft while driving. Compensating for linear elongation with a splined hub in 1903, Clerent Spencer achieved the ideal drive design and these are the driveshafts that are found on all rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles today. Only technologies and materials change. The constant velocity joint also could not replace the cross-type transmission shaft. The constant velocity joint is too expensive and difficult to manufacture, it needs to be regularly serviced, and such angles of transmission of rotation, as in cars with rear and all-wheel drive, are fully provided by a reliable and inexpensive propeller shaft system. This mechanism also uses a propeller shaft.

Video tutorial on what a cardan transmission is

Nevertheless, no matter how simple the shaft is, the speed and power of cars grow, which means that the load on the transmission also increases. Moreover, not only mechanical. An ideal driveshaft should look something like this:

• maximum torsional strength;
• corrosion resistance;
• light weight;
• perfect balancing;
• reliable fastening of flanges;
• high resource of the cardan mechanism.

These requirements are especially relevant in relation to trucks. High torsional loads and high torques place special demands on the universal joint shaft of trucks. Since the GAZelle appeared already in the 90s, it was possible to use those developments of the plant that came with many years of experience in the production of rear-wheel drive cars.

In the photo, Louis Renault, who used a cardan shaft in a car at the end of the 19th century

The simple and reliable design of the Gorky lorry, together with a good price and a lot of modifications, ensured it a good demand and competitiveness even against the background of modern imported commercial vehicles. Almost all work related to the adjustment and repair of the GAZelle is done by hand, including the repair of the cardan transmission. Not everything is as simple as it seems, but knowing the intricacies of servicing the propeller shaft in principle and Gazelle in particular, any service will not cause problems. There are some nuances associated with the all-wheel drive version of the Gazelle 4 × 4 Next with a front cardan, Gazelle Business, Gazelle Farmer, but we will definitely consider them.

The Gazelle cardan shaft is a hollow one-piece or welded pipe with two cardan joints, a suspended support bearing. The flanges consist of a fork, needle-bearing crosses and fasteners. There are several manufacturers of driveshafts for the older generation Gazelle and Business Gazelle. The first and foremost are cardan joints made in Nizhny Novgorod, but they are different in quality. Some of them are intended only for the spare parts market and their quality and balancing leave much to be desired. They do not go through quality control by default, so you need to think several times before saving on such a cardan.

The second group of Nizhny Novgorod cardan shafts are parts intended for installation on a conveyor. Somehow they get to the market, but you shouldn't blindly trust their quality. The third group of cardans is considered the highest quality of the domestic ones - GON cardans. They comply with factory tolerances and you can rely on their quality. On Gazelle Business, Turkish cardan shafts TW.97135.02.02 from TIRSAN KARDAN are more often installed. During operation, these cardan joints only need to tighten the fasteners with the required force, and they do not need lubrication throughout their entire service life. However, there are too many nuances to skip the driveline service. And you need to start not even with lubrication, but with balancing.

The main source of vibration in rear-wheel drive cars and Gazelles, among other things, is the imbalance of parts. The consequences of an imbalance can be devastating, and it is very easy to correct. True, this requires special equipment and measuring instruments. In general, balancing the propeller shaft on inexpensive cars, unfortunately, is not as widely practiced as it deserves. Many services believe that only cardan shafts of expensive cars and cars with high speed characteristics are subject to balancing. This is completely wrong, and here's why.

Unbalance of parts is a source of vibration in the GAZelle

The main sources of vibration are large parts with high angular velocities: the crankshaft flywheel, wheels and propeller shaft. Cardan imbalance occurs when the center of its mass ceases to coincide with the axis of rotation. And this happens if the pipe material is of poor quality or it is not made according to technology. Here a deflection occurs, which leads to an imbalance, and the further, the greater the deflection of the pipe. Naturally, this primarily concerns the elongated modifications of the Gazelle, but the cardan shafts bend even on all-wheel drive Gazelles 4 × 4. Poor quality components.This is not fatal, since any cardan can be balanced, the main thing is to balance it in time, until the vibrations destroy the bearings of the rear axle gearbox, suspension support or bearings of the output shaft of the gearbox. Not to mention the needle bearings of the crosses themselves.

The signs of an imbalance in the cardan transmission are simple: these are vibrations that depend on the speed of the vehicle, more precisely, on the rotational speed of the propeller shaft. In addition to the devastating effect on the transmission, which we have already talked about, vibration itself does not add ride comfort and is only annoying. The glaring injustice lies in the fact that many consider it normal for a GAZelle to have vibration at different speeds. Nothing of the kind, this is abnormal and any vibration must be removed.

It is impossible to eliminate or determine the imbalance of the propeller shaft with bare hands. For this, machines of various levels of complexity are used, which make it possible to identify imbalances and eliminate them with varying degrees of accuracy. Cardan balancing is carried out assembled with hinges. According to a certain method, the required weight of the balancer is calculated, which is fixed in a certain place, fully compensating for the unbalance load. Cardan balancing is carried out only by a dynamic method. That is, according to the method of balancing the wheels in the garage, it will not work to balance the propeller shaft. A special machine transmits rotation to a fixed gimbal, and measuring devices take readings. Based on the data obtained, the cargo is picked up and placed in a certain place. The price of such a service depends on the level of accuracy of the equipment. On average, for balancing the cardan of a standard GAZelle, they will ask for 2.5 thousand, a cardan for a Gazelle 4 × 4 and an extended Gazelle will cost 3-3.5 thousand. This is the maximum cost of balancing using quality equipment in specialized centers.

All work on disassembling the GAZelle driveshaft, except for balancing, can be done with your own hands

Balancing is the only, but very important operation that requires special precision equipment. All other work with the disassembly of the GAZel driveshaft can be done by hand. The resource of the entire transmission depends on how well the cardan is balanced. But even the most accurate balancing in case of incorrect assembly of the cardan transmission can lead to further vibrations. Therefore, it is very important, before removing the cardan from the GAZelle, to accurately mark its location relative to the shank of the rear axle gearbox and then assemble it correctly. Just placing a chalk mark will be enough to maintain balance. In any case, vibrations at a certain speed will indicate improper assembly, poor balancing, or poor quality driveshaft if new.

By the way, about the choice of cardan shafts. If there is a need to install a used shaft, then before changing it, you need to check it for suitability for use. First of all, on Gazelles, the splined connection of the main and intermediate cardan shafts suffers, even the crosses themselves do not wear out as much as the splined sleeve. You need to pay special attention to it. The splines must engage tightly, otherwise, if the connection is loose, then there is no need to talk about any balancing and such a shaft is not suitable for installation. You can buy a new driveshaft for a Gazelle with a standard base for 8 thousand. It will be a cardan joint assembly with a Turkish-made outboard bearing. As much as the Turkish cardan shaft costs, the shaft on an elongated Gazelle made by Arzamas also costs.

The intermediate support also needs some attention. So, when replacing the intermediate support with a new one, it is imperative to mark the position of the main and intermediate shafts relative to each other.This is necessary so that the splines enter the same place where they stood before, otherwise balancing may be necessary again. When dismantling the cardan, it is also necessary to mark not only the position of the shaft relative to the flange of the rear gearbox, but also relative to the gearbox extension shank. In the case of the rear flange, however, it is difficult to confuse anything, since the shaft will be installed on the bolts either in the same position or with a 180 degree rotation.

Not all driveshafts for Gazelles, more precisely, their crosses, are lubricated. As we have already said, Turkish gimbals for Gazelle Next and Gazelle Business are not serviced throughout the entire service life. But other crosses require some maintenance, although they go 150-200 thousand km. The plant says that they need to be lubricated at every TO1 with gear oils. For this, the serviced crosses are equipped with grease fittings. Lubricating them is inconvenient, but necessary, and for this there are special syringes with curved fittings.

Cardan shafts for Gazelle Next and Gazelle Business are not serviced throughout the entire service life

No need to lift the vehicle and no need for a viewing hole for lubrication. The machine is high enough to service the crosspieces, remove and install intermediate supports. The injection is carried out several times until the old grease begins to come out from the opposite end of the cross. You can use a conventional transmission for lubrication, or you can use grease # 158 or its equivalent.

A sign of wear on the crosspieces is backlash, which leads to clicks and ringing when starting off and under heavy loads. The plant recommends eliminating the backlash if it is more than 0.1 mm, but it is almost impossible to determine this value by eye. Only by ear. The backlash of the crosses of about 3-4 mm is considered dangerous and critical, and it can already be determined manually. Oddly enough, in long-shaped Gazelles, the situation with the wear of the crosses differs much more favorably from Gazelle 3302 with a conventional base. The fact is that the optimal efficiency of the cardan transmission is achieved when the rotation transmission angle is not more than 20 degrees. And the smaller the transmission angle, the less load on the crosspieces. It is in the long Gazelles that the optimal angle has been achieved, therefore, the resource of the crosses is slightly higher than in cars with a standard base, and only the size of the shaft itself differs.

The cardan shaft on the current Business Gazelles is not serviced, i.e. it is theoretically not suitable for repair. The crosspieces on it do not have retaining rings and grease fittings, as on the old-style cardan shafts, but are simply rolled from the outside. But what to do if one of the crosses? To buy a new cardan? Yesterday, one of the crosspieces, which stands in front of the gearbox, was covered (it began to bite and click) .I decided to try to sort it out. Here's what happened:

cut the old cross in four places

knock out the remains of the cross from the cardan

then we remove the rolling on the cardan with a file and assemble the cross in the same sequence as on the cardan joints of the old model

retaining rings do not fit into this cardan, I had to weld such washers

Once, I was changing the outboard bearing and I had to spin the cardan in two halves. I changed the bearing, and assembled the cardan, but only now the trouble began to haunt me - with enviable constancy and regularity, the cardan shaft began to spin into two halves. Namely, the bolt connecting these two halves of the cardan spontaneously unscrews. What I haven’t tried: the thread lock, and all sorts of growers, and different washers - all to no avail. It still unscrews and that's it! And recently I came across a bolt I needed in my garage, but only of a new model, with a whole square washer (the old model has a U-shaped one) and the round washer is also different. I tried it on - everything fits. And so I put the whole thing from a new sample.For ease of installation, it was necessary to cut the square washer in the manner of the old one. Otherwise, without removing the cross-piece, it will simply not work to tighten this unfortunate bolt along with all the washers - there will not be enough space to slip the bolt

The washer had to be modified

We screw in the bolt with a lock washer first

Insert a square washer and tighten with a x14 wrench

And bend the edges of the lock washer on the edge of the bolt head

I am bringing out my project for a propeller shaft.

Task: make as few changes as possible to standard parts, do without welding and grinder. Since the car is built for long-distance trips, the main task is to do without major alterations of parts. Anything can happen on the road. For example, it will cut off my cardan for splined welding on the road, then the question: where will I make the cardan shaft by welding the splined part 4000 km from home in an open field? The answer is H.Z. And if the shaft is standard it will be simpler, and with it there is less chance that something will happen. So, my version of the driveline. The cardan shaft itself remains standard, only its “box-cardan” connection is being finalized. Such a detail is being made.

The elastic coupling is removed on the automatic transmission, this thing is screwed instead of it. On the other side of the gizmo there is a splined shaft, on which a standard cardan shaft is put on. Everything fits in size, I have already measured it. The only thing that needs to be modified is the lubrication of the spline connection itself. There are also thoughts on this - this is to weld a piece of pipe with an oil seal, onto a disk that is attached to the automatic transmission, into which the splined propeller shaft will enter. I will listen to all your comments

This is how it will look

It didn't work out that way, for several reasons, and one of them is the high cost of the adapter. We asked for 6000 tons for it. R. Someone pays for the manufacture of a cardan and a large amount, but it seemed expensive to me, and I refused it. In principle, if this option is useful to someone, I will be very glad that I will help someone with this idea, the option is good.
Well, closer to the body, that is, to the point. So I went the other way. I disassembled the old universal joint, and took from it the native splined shaft, which is included in the gearbox, and the front flange from the joint cardan (I had it complete with the dviglom). The turner lavished it for me to fit the outer size of my own slotted from the Gazelle box, cut off the excess, and welded this whole economy to me. It turned out like this

We make do-it-yourself replacement of the propeller shaft cross in a Gazelle car. The crosspiece is one of the most important components of the car, it transmits torque from the box, in case of breakdown it requires immediate replacement. There is one inaccuracy in the roller, the new cross is pressed in with a hammer, it is better to do this in a vice, since the bearing may fly apart due to the hammer blows.

All the work is shown here from start to finish, so that you can see all the nuances inherent in this repair.

Video of replacing the crosspiece on the Gazelle driveshaft:

The old crosspiece knocked, needle bearings spilled out from one end, the car threw and swayed.

Cardan is an important element of the transmission of many car models. Its task is to transfer torque from the “transfer case” (gearbox) to the axle gearboxes. Structurally, this element is very simple, which allows motorists to replace it or make minor repairs with their own hands.

The driveshaft contains the following units: the shaft itself, crosses (usually there are two of them), fasteners (the same outboard bearing), seals, a fork and other devices (here a lot depends on the car model). The number of sections in the cardan can vary (from one or more). Weight and dimensions often depend on the type of vehicle.

One of the main elements of the universal joint is the crosspiece. It is thanks to her that two mating shafts can rotate with an angle varying relative to each other. The optimal rotation angle is from 0 to 20 degrees. It is in this range that the maximum efficiency is ensured.If the angle is set incorrectly, then the cross is heavily overloaded, vibration, imbalance, and noise occur.

It is impossible not to mention two more important knots of the gimbal:

- sliding spline connection of the gearbox. Provides "stretching" of the propeller shaft in case of overcoming an obstacle, when the machine's suspension can also "stretch" in height. Without this element, the deformation of the cardan, box or gearbox would be a matter of time;

- outboard bearing. Its task is to hold the compound shaft and not create additional obstacles for it during rotation. But there is one caveat: the more sections, the more such bearings can be.

Every motorist should drive a car onto an overpass from time to time and diagnose a cardan. Otherwise, “surprises” in the form of unnecessary noise or “clinking” of the cross-piece can be caught at the most inopportune moment. Let's look at what possible breakdowns of the driveshaft and how to fix them:

- the fastening bolts of the “box” coupling or flanges are loosened. Just tighten the connections to the right moment;

- there is a large gap (over the norm) in the spline part. Remove the cardan, replace the necessary elements or the shaft itself completely;

- the clearance in the crosspiece (more precisely, its bearings) has increased. Buy and install a new node;

- the cardan is deformed (there are obvious bends). Change deformed elements or shaft completely;

- the technology for installing the cardan has not been observed (regarding special marks). Install the shaft correctly;

- there are obvious problems with the cardan balance. Carry out balancing work on a special stand. If restoration of the shaft is needed, do it;

- the sleeve of the industrial coupling flange or the shaft ring is worn out or destroyed. Replace damaged parts. If the bushing is worn out, put a new one together with the flange;

- large clearance in the outboard bearing. In this case, you need to remove the universal joint, install a new intermediate support and change the bearing;

- the suspension support is damaged (destroyed). Buy a new part and install it;

- there is no lubricant in the shaft splines. Eliminate the problem (use Fiol-2U);

- the stuffing box seal in the bearings of the “box” crosspiece is clearly destroyed. Buy new parts and make replacements.

Replacing the propeller shaft or a number of its other elements is performed according to the following algorithm:

- prepare everything you need for work. Here you will need a screwdriver, a hammer, pliers (we are talking about a tool for dismantling retaining rings), an aluminum guide (you can take a copper one), keys (most often you need three - for "12", "13" and "27");

- immediately set marks at the joints of the shaft and on all its elements (and most importantly - at the junction with the axle shank). Flags can be made with a chisel or paint. This will eliminate assembly errors. It is no secret that in case of improper installation, already after installing the cardan, strong vibrations and failure of the main shaft assemblies may occur;

- remove the gimbal. Take the key "13" and twist the bolts tightening the transverse support and the outboard bearing. Now go to the nuts that secure the shaft to the bridge;

- first replace the crosspiece. To do this, pull out the retaining rings with pliers. Now place the gimbal so that the cross is suspended;

- now you need a hammer and mandrel. With their help, carefully knock out the cup of the cross;

- turn the gimbal 180 degrees and take out the knocked-out cup. Knock out the next one immediately;

- if you are not going to change the cardan, then it is advisable to clean the eyes of the old shaft well, completely removing the existing manifestations of corrosion and dirt. Please note that it is advisable to perfectly clean all the grooves in which the retaining rings will stand;

- pull out two cups from the new cross and insert them into the lugs. Now, carefully, so as not to lose the needles, put on a cup;

- tap the latter until the groove for the ring is visible.Put the ring in the groove and turn the cardan;

- now also carefully slide the cross in the direction of the cup and put it on according to the same principle as in the previous paragraph. Install the retaining ring. Please note that putting the last cup is a little more difficult, so you will have to suffer;

- when the outboard bearing is out of order - change it.

After removing the cross, insert the spline edge of the shaft into the coupling flange, and then unscrew the fastening nut of the hinge yoke and the front shaft (here the key for "27" will come in handy);

- take a puller and pull off the hinge fork. Then there is very little left - to remove the outboard bearing itself. There are two ways here - knock it down with a hammer or cut the outer part of the ring, and then use a puller;

- if it is necessary to replace the cardan assembly - do it (everything is even simpler here);

- put everything in place in reverse order, taking into account the marks. When installing a new gimbal, you may need to do additional balancing.