Constant-velocity joints, also called CV Joints are commonly seen in front wheel and all wheel drive cars. They allow the drive shaft to transfer power through a changeable angle, at a steady speed, without a notable increase in play or friction. A rubber boot, also known as the CV gaiter, protects the structures. Any damages, splits or cracks, present in the boot will allow impurities in causing the device to wear faster. Before CV structures, there were universal structures that had a cross-shaped pivot that sat in between two forked structures. These devices had difficulty functioning under extreme angles and required frequent maintenance. They were only usable in designs with rigid axles. The issues associated with those structures became more apparent with the development of front wheel drive systems. The shortcomings of these structures were fixed with the development of the CV joints. They were able to bend a wide range of angles and offered a smooth transmittal of power. Rzeppa joints have a spherical inside that contains six grooves that are designed to guide one ball, with a similar outside shell. The input shaft fits inside of the center of a star-shaped structure that lies within a circular cage. This type of joint is able to accommodate large shifts in angles, typically articulation between 45 and 52 degrees. The inboard portion of car driveshafts is where tripod versions of these structures are used. This structure has a three-pointed yoke connected to the shaft that has roller bearings on the ends. The structural design allows an axial plunge movement, which ensures that the engine moving does not impact the bearings. Double cardan joints are often used in the columns of a steering wheel because they remove the need to correctly phase the universal devices at the end of shafts. This eases the packaging around the intermediate shaft and other structures within the engine bay of a car. There is a Thompson constant velocity joint is a structure that contains two joint placed together, removing the need for an intermediate shaft. It also contains a control yoke. This structure geometrically constrains alignment. CV Restoration provides top-notch all complete line of cv axles, CV Joints & rebuild kits, cv boot kits, cv halfshafts and other driveline parts along with great customer support - a combination that can't be beat! (http://www.thecvman.com)
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