The vehicle has different components which are held together by one thing or the other and the front lower end is usually kept together by the axle. For visual purposes, it is the steel rod connecting the transmission gears to the wheel. It allows any vehicle to stay in motion. In case of damage to the axle which may be brought about by breakage, stress or general wear, the vehicle will not be functioning properly. The worst thing that can happen is the drivetrain being driven to the ground. You can tell when the axle malfunction due to the noises it makes which can be popping, grinding or even clicking sounds. The signs might also be vibrations which will be felt on the floor or the vehicle and even on the steering wheel as you drive. You should take the vehicle to the mechanic immediately instead of pushing it until it breaks.
Sometimes the axle will be damaged beyond repair and that is when you have to pick a new one. You ought to pick a great replacement axle and you cannot do this unless you know what makes an axle good. You need to learn about the kind of an axle that would fit your vehicle so that you can make the best choice. Drive axles come into three types which are the three-quarter floating, full-floating or semi-floating. For the semi-floating drive axles, they are mostly seen in light trucks and even on passenger vehicles. This kind of an axle will bear a high weight but it also the reason it is vulnerable to tension, shearing, not forgetting compression. The full-floating axle comes with a lot of weight and you will have to cough up a good sum of money to procure one but do not forget of the higher amount of load it can support. Three-quarter floating axle is a combination of the two and it costs more than the semi-floating axle. The next thing you will have to think about is whether you should pick a two-piece axle or a one-piece.
The one-piece axles are much better than the other one. They are much stronger which means they will serve you for longer than the two-piece. Thus, they will not be breaking down a few weeks after you have had them installed. If you buy the two-piece axles you will not spend a lot of money but in the long run, it will turn out to be more expensive. Among the one-piece axles, those which come with tapered bearings are preferable. Roller bearing one-piece axles break down easily which makes the ones which come with tapered bearing preferable.