Research on Lightweighting of Key Components of Light Vehicle Drive Shafts

As a critical component of the vehicle power transmission system, the structural design and performance analysis of the drive shaft significantly influence the fuel economy, performance, and safety of the vehicle.This study focuses on the lightweight design of the drive shaft for light vehicles.By modelling the geometric parameters of the drive shaft, defining material properties, and utilizing Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software, the relevant performances such as stress, strain, and displacement of the component structure were comprehensively analysed.Based on the stress distribution results, an optimized design of the drive shaft structure was conducted to enhance its loadbearing capacity and service life.Through this optimization process, the lightweighting of the drive shaft for light vehicles was achieved while ensuring sufficient strength.The mass of the flange fork and universal joint fork components of the drive shaft was reduced by 4.31 % and 11.47 %, respectively, thereby improving the fuel economy and overall performance of the vehicle.