AN OVERVIEW ON

DRIVETRAIN

WHAT IS DRIVETRAIN?
The drivetrain of a motorized vehicle is the group of components, excluding the
engine or drive motors, that deliver power to the driving wheels.
Common components of automotive drivetrain includes
Driveshaft/Propeller shaft
Transmission

Gearbox

Dual Clutch Transmission

Continuously Variable Transmission

Electrically Variable Transmission

Infinitely Variable Transmission

Transmission

Transfer Case
Rear Axle

Clutch
Differential
Torque Converter

Axle
Transfer case
Front
Axle

Front Driveshaft
Front Differential

Rear Differential

Rear Driveshaft

HOW IT WORKS
In general, power from the engines crankshaft is transferred to the clutch. The
clutch controls the amount of power delivered to the rest of the driveline, this is
done either manually(pedal/hand control) or automatically (torque converter).
The power transmitted from the clutch is then used to drive the transmission of
the vehicle. The transmission controls the ratio of torque and speed between the
engine and the axle.
Power is then transmitted through the driveshaft to the differential, which
controls the balance of power given to each driving wheel.

CLUTCHES
When disengaged the clutch will spin independently of the wheels speed, and
when it is engaged, the engine wheel speed is a direct function of engine RPM.
Most clutches in vehicles are dry meaning there is no lubrication present in the
disks. This is done to reduce power losses in friction and windage. Power sport
clutches are almost always wet, and allow for you to ride the clutch.
Some clutches actuate based on the speed on the engine solely. These
centrifugal clutches use rotational inertia to engage the clutch at a preset engine
RPM. When the engine RPM drops below this threshold, the clutch disengages
itself. This allows a machine to be in a neutral gear, without a gearbox.

CLUTCHES
Another type of performance clutch is the slipper clutch. These clutches prevent
engine braking from hindering speed when the vehicle decelerates prior to
cornering. They will slip, and allow the drive wheel to spin at a faster rate than
the engine. The slip in the clutch allows for the rear suspension to remain
unloaded by wheel hop or chatter. In extreme cases the slipper clutches prevents
the rear wheels from locking up if the engine seizes.

CVT(continuously variable
transmission)

The CVT is a type of transmission that relies on centrifugal power, much like the
centrifugal clutch, to transfer power from the engine to the rest of the drivetrain.
Many CVT systems work without a clutch, and are tuned to not engage until a
certain engine RPM is reached. This allows for vehicles to have their engine
turning, without the wheels moving. CVTs are designed to operate the engine at
a single RPM, keeping artificial load on it, forcing it to produce maximum torque.
4

Gaged GX9 vs. Ideal CVT

3.5
3
2.5
CVT Ratio
2

Ideal CVT
Gaged CVT

1.5

Gaged CVT
Tuned

1
0.5
2000

2500

3000
Engine RPM

3500

CVT
The tuning of the internal hardware of the CVT is a process that can change the
operation of the system completely. The CVT is made up of two pulleys, a primary
(driving) and secondary (driven) pulley.
The primary pulley has the following;

Sheave(diameter and angle)

Ramp profile
Weight
Spring

The secondary pulley has the following;

Sheave(diameter and angle)

Helix angle
Spring
Belt tension

Changing any of these parts will affect the function of all the others, and for the
most part they cannot be changed independent of one another.

Sequential Transmission
Most motorcycles and four wheel performance vehicles utilize a sequential
transmission to change the gear ratio between the engine and wheels. They are
ideal for race applications because there is no need to operate the clutch during
upshift and downshift operations, only when starting from a standstill.
In a 5-speed sequential gearbox, there are 5 sets of shifting gears, each set has
a fixed gear and a moveable gear. Each shift causes the shifting drum to
advance a set number of degrees. When the shifting drum moves, a movable
gear is shifted in the gear assembly, which changes the overall drive ratio.

Engine
Input

Gearbox
Output

SINGLE SPEED GEAR

REDUCTIONS

In addition to the gearing of the transmission, power sports vehicles use a gear
reduction between the output shaft of the transmission and the rear wheel drive
differential. This can be in the form of a pulley system, chain reduction, or
gearbox.

PLANETARY GEAR TRAIN

A planetary gear set utilizes multiple contact points to transmit power more
efficiently than a normal gear set. The planetary gearbox can also be utilized for
the construction of a multiple ratio gearbox, which is done by locking the rotation
of the four different parts. The use of one-way clutch, or brake stops the rotation
of the part, and the path that power is transmitted changes, changing the ratio.

Planet Carrier

Ring Gear

Sun Gear

Planet Gears

MECHANICAL DIFFERENTIALS
Differentials control the power distribution given to the left and right drive wheels.
There are many types but the most common are
Spool (Locked Differential) The axles are locked together; wheels always spin at the same
rate. Both wheels receive equal engine power.
Open Differential The wheel with the least load receives the majority of the engine power.
Limited Slip Differential Clutch packs and a preload spring force power to travel to each
axle, not equally in most cases.
Torsen (Torque Sensing) Differential Applies more torque to the wheel with highest load,
when the other wheel is slipping. In other cases it acts like an open differential.
Electronic TCS Uses anti-lock braking systems to prevent wheel spin, power transfer
between wheels in also controlled electronically.
Self-Locking Differential An open differential that can be manually locked and unlocked
via cockpit controls.

TORQUE SENSING
DIFFERENTIALS
The Torsen Differential has a built in capability to automatically adjust torque
sent to the left and right driving wheels.
In a situation where one wheel rotates faster
than the other, the differential will sense the
difference and automatically accommodate,
so that the wheel with lower grip will not absorb
all of the engines torque.
At the moment where one wheel has zero grip,
the axle will act as if it is locked, like a spool.

DRIVE SHAFTS
To transmit power from the transmission to the wheels, or across the length of
the car between transfer cases. In almost all cases, the shafts are not straight,
and need to be misaligned for packaging purposes. The two ways to misalign a
driveshaft is with a Constant Velocity Joint(also Tripod), or Universal Joint.
The CV Joint has a higher efficiency than the U-Joint, but is more costly to
manufacture and cannot withstand axial loads, where as the U-Joint can be
designed to handle axial stresses.

Splined
CV Joint