Dictionary of Automotive Terms Abbreviations

DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "Ax"

AX4S: Acronym for Automatic 4-Speed Transmission

Axe: Trade name for a range of digital Switches manufactured by the Swedish company I. M. Ericsson Telefonaktiebolaget.

Axes: Plural of Axis

Axial compressor

A compressor characterized by the unusual piston arrangement. The pistons are arranged horizontally around and parallel to the crankshaft axis or centerline.
A multistage, high-efficiency compressor comprising alternate rows of moving and fixed blades attached to a rotor and its casing respectively.

Axial cooling fins: Brake drum cooling fins perpendicular to the centerline of the axle.

Axial engine: Turbine engine with an axial-flow compressor.

Axial-flow compressor: A compressor in which alternate rows of radially-mounted rotating and fixed airfoil blades pass the air through an annular passage of decreasing area in an axial direction.

Axial-flow turbine: Characteristic aero-engine turbine, usually of 1-3 rotating stages, in which the gas flow is substantially axial

Axial pitch: The distance from any point on one thread or helix to the corresponding point on the next thread or helix measured along the axis of the screw or helix.

Axial ratio: Ratio of major to minor axis of polarization ellipse for e.g., a wave propagated in waveguide, polarized light. Also called ellipticity

Axial response: The response of a microphone or loudspeaker, measured with the sound-measuring device on the axis of the appearance being tested.

Axial runout: Variation from the plane normal to its axis of a rotating part. Its wobble, rather than its eccentricity. Compare Radial runout

Axiotron: Valve in which the electron stream to the anode is controlled by the magnetic field of the heating current

Axis

The centerline, whether real or imaginary, around which a thing rotates.
One of the three axes of an aircraft, which are the straight lines through the center of gravity about which change of attitude occurs longitudinal or drag axis in the plane of symmetry (roll); normal or lift axis vertically in the plane of symmetry (yaw); and the lateral or pitch axis transversely (pitch).

Also see
Of a lens, the line of symmetry of the optical system; the line along which there is no refraction.

Also see
Cam-ground piston
Eccentric bolt
Hotchkiss drive
Kingpin axis
Kingpin inclination
Moment of inertia
Pivot axis
Roll axis
Self-aligning torque
Static balance
Steering-swivel axis
Steering axis inclination
Steering axis
Steering geometry
Steering knuckle angle.
Swivel axis
Torque
Trailing arm

Axis inclination: See
Kingpin inclination Steering axis inclination
Swivel axis inclination

Axis of a weld: An imaginary line along the center of gravity of the weld metal and perpendicular to a cross section of the weld metal.

Axle: Axle

An axle is a shaft on which the wheels revolve. A Full-floating axle is used to drive the rear wheels. It does not hold them on nor support them. A Semi-floating or one-quarter floating axle is used to drive the wheels, hold them on, and support them. A three-quarter floating axle is used to drive the rear wheels as well as hold them on, but it does not support them. A Live axle holds the wheels and transmits power to the wheels. A Dead axle or Beam axle merely holds the wheels, but does not transmit power to the wheels.

Also see
Ackermann axle
Back axle
Banjo axle
Banjo rear axle housing
Beam axle
Cambered axle
Dead axle
Dead Rear Axle
De Dion axle
Double Reduction Axle
Drive axle
Driven axle
Driving axle
Drop-center axle
Dropped axle
Dual Reduction Axle
Elliot axle
Front axle
Full-floating axle
Fully Floating Axle
Gross axle weight rating
Hypoid axle
Lift Axle
Live axle
Low pivot swing axle
Pusher axle
Rear axle crossmember
Rear axle differential
Rear axle housing
Rear axle ratio
Reverse-Elliot type axle
Reversed Elliot axle
Rigid axle
Rigid axle connection
Semi-floating axle
Semi-independent suspension
Setback Axle
Slewed axles
Split rear axle housing
Spread axle
Steer axle
Steering axle
Stub axle
Swing axle
Tag axle
Tandem axle
Three-quarter floating axle
Torque tube axle
Twist-beam rear axle
Two-speed axle
Weissach axle
Z-axle

Axle and steering: See
Jeantaud axle and steering

Axle articulation: The degree to which an axle can move up and down. Off-road vehicles need a great deal of axle articulation to allow for extremely uneven terrain, such as rocks or gullies.

Axle-box: Box-shaped housing containing the axle bearings and lubricant. Constrained laterally on guides and supports the weight of vehicle through springs.

Axle casing: A British term indicating a tubular housing which encloses the differential and half-shafts along with their bearings. The US term is Axle housing.

Axle center differential: See
Limited-slip Axle center Differential
Variable Limited-slip Axle center Differential

Axle connection: See
Rigid axle connection

Axle crossmember: See
Rear axle crossmember

Axle differential: See
Rear axle differential

Axle drive: The ring gear and pinion inside a differential housing.
Also see
Final drive

Axle end gear: See
Axle end gears

Axle end gears: The two gears, one per axle, that are Splined to the inner ends of the drive axles. They mesh with and are driven by the Spider gears.

Axle flange: Axle flange

A disc to which a road wheel is attached at the end of an axleshaft.

Axle housing: An American term indicating a tubular housing which encloses the differential and half-shafts along with their bearings. The British term is Axle casing.
Also see
Banjo rear axle housing
Split rear axle housing

Axle Kingpin: A pin around which a steering axle's wheels pivot

Axle load: See
Axle weight

Axle parallelism: Axles are determined to be parallel, thus minimizing tire wear, if a measurement between two or more axles is equal at both ends of the axle.

Axle ratio: See
Final drive ratio
Back axle ratio
Rear axle ratio

Axles: See
Tandem axles

Axle shaft

The short shaft which connects the differential and the drive shaft on each side of an independent suspension configuration.
The drive shaft or Halfshaft of a rigid axle.

Axle stand: Axle stand

An adjustable height tripod used to support a vehicle when working underneath it. Although you can raise the car with the jack, use a pair of axle stands for safety. Also called Jack stand or Safety stand

Axle track: Distance between centerlines of tire tread measured across axle.

Axle tramp: A form of wheel hop which is usually found in live rear axle cars. It occurs when sudden Torque loads on the Suspension cause the driven wheels to shake violently by slightly rotating the wheels and then springing back.

Axle tube: The part of the Axle housing which covers the half-shaft or a tubular rigid axle.

Axle weight: The part of the weight of the vehicle which rests on the wheels of the axle.
Also See
Gross axle weight rating

Axle weight rating: See
Gross axle weight rating

Axle wind up: Axle wind up

The phenomenon in which the Torque transmitted to the wheels by the axle which causes the Live axle to turn in its own centerline.

AXOD: Acronym for Automatic Overdrive Transaxle

AXOD-E: Acronym for Automatic Overdrive Transaxle - Electronically Controlled

Axonometry: Measurement of the axes of crystals