13.11.2020

How to remove driveshaft runout with your own hands. Balancing the driveshaft Homemade driveshaft

The process of diagnosing these elements occurs as follows. If it was not possible to identify the cause of the malfunction during a visual inspection (in case of serious breakdowns, the malfunction can be determined with the naked eye), then the element is disassembled and completely removed from the car. Its rotating components are placed on a balancing stand, while the static ones are cleaned of dirt and scrupulously inspected for mechanical damage.

The higher the angular speed of a part, the greater the likelihood of its imbalance, and vibration can be eliminated only and exclusively on complex balancing machines. Moreover, the larger the part, the more complex the equipment should be. Balancing the driveshaft with your own hands, video attempts of which we presented below, as a rule, gives only psychological results, but not at all real.

The fact is that it is possible to eliminate the balance of the cardan transmission only if the location and weight of the imbalance are accurately verified, and the cardan must be balanced exclusively in the assembly with the crosspieces. In a garage and without balancing equipment, this is only possible with a cardan installed on the car.

Cardan shaft - a mechanism connecting the gearbox to the gearbox rear axle and designed to transmit torque. This type of transmission is most widespread on vehicles with rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.

Cardan device

The VAZ 2107 driveshaft consists of the following elements:

one or more sections of thin-walled hollow pipe;
splined sliding connection;
fork;
crosspiece;
suspension bearing;
fastening elements;
rear movable flange.

The cardan transmission can be single-shaft or double-shaft. The second option involves the use of an intermediate mechanism, to the back of which a shank with splines is attached to the outside, and a sliding sleeve is fixed to the front through a hinge. In single-shaft structures there is no intermediate section.

The front part of the cardan is attached to the gearbox through a movable coupling with a spline joint. To do this, there is a hole with internal splines at the end of the shaft. The cardan design involves longitudinal movement of these splines at the moment of rotation. The design also includes a suspension bearing attached to the body using a bracket. It is an additional point of attachment of the cardan and is designed to limit the amplitude of its movement.

A fork is located between the middle and front element of the propeller shaft. Together with the crosspiece, it transmits torque when the cardan bends. The rear part of the shaft is attached to the rear axle gearbox through a flange. The shank engages with the main gear flange through external splines.

The cardan is unified for all classic VAZ models.

The VAZ 2107 crosspiece is designed to align the axes of the cardan and transmit torque when its elements bend. The hinge provides connection for the forks attached to the ends of the mechanism. The main element of the crosspiece is needle bearings, thanks to which the cardan can move. These bearings are inserted into the fork holes and secured with retaining rings. When the joint wears out, the driveshaft begins to knock while driving. A worn cross is always replaced with a new one.

Types of cardan shafts

Cardan shafts are of the following types:

with constant velocity joint (CV joint);
with unequal velocity joint (classical design);
with semi-cardan elastic joints;
with rigid semi-cardan joints.

The classic cardan consists of a fork and a cross with needle bearings. Equipped with such shafts most rear wheel drive cars. Cardan shafts with CV joints are usually installed on SUVs. This allows the selection to be completely eliminated.

The mechanism with elastic hinges consists of a rubber coupling capable of transmitting torque at angles of no more than 8˚. Since the rubber is quite soft, the cardan provides a smooth start to movement and prevents sudden loads. Such shafts do not need maintenance. The rigid semi-cardan joint has a complex design that involves transmitting torque thanks to the gaps in the spline connection. Such shafts have a number of disadvantages associated with rapid wear and complexity of manufacturing, and are not used in the automotive industry.

CV joint

The imperfection of the design of a classic cardan on crosspieces is manifested in the fact that at large angles vibrations occur and torque is lost. The universal joint can deflect a maximum of 30–36˚. At such angles, the mechanism may jam or completely fail. Cardan shafts on CV joints, usually consisting of:

balls;
two rings (outer and inner) with grooves for balls;
separator that limits the movement of the balls.

The maximum possible angle of inclination of the cardan of this design is 70˚, which is noticeably higher than that of the shaft on the crosses. There are other designs of CV joint cardans.

The VAZ 2107 cardan is attached in several places:

rear end fixed with bolts to the rear axle gearbox flange;
the front part is a movable spline connection with an elastic coupling;
The middle part of the cardan is attached to the body through the cross member of the suspension bearing.

To attach the cardan to the VAZ 2107, four bolts measuring M8x1.25x26 with a conical head are used. A self-locking nut with a nylon ring is screwed onto them. If the bolt turns when tightening or unscrewing, it is secured with a screwdriver.

Elastic coupling

The elastic coupling is an intermediate element for connecting the cardan cross and the secondary shaft of the box. It is made of high-strength rubber to reduce vibration. The clutch is removed in case of mechanical damage for replacement or when repairing the gearbox. When installing an old coupling, you will need a clamp of the appropriate size to tighten it. New flexible couplings are usually sold complete with a clamp, which is removed after installation.

You can dismantle the VAZ 2107 driveshaft for repair or replacement without a ramp or lift. To do this you will need:

open-end and socket wrenches 13;
flat screwdriver;
head 13 with a knob or ratchet;
hammer;
pliers.

Dismantling the cardan

To repair or replace the flexible coupling, the cardan will need to be removed from the vehicle. Its dismantling is carried out in the following order:

Parking brake are fixed rear wheels.
Unscrew the four bolts securing the cardan to rear gearbox.
Unscrew the two nuts securing the outboard bearing to the body.
With a gentle blow of a hammer, the shaft is knocked out of the splines. If the coupling is operational, there is no need to remove it.
Marks are applied to the cardan and rear axle flange (notches with a hammer, screwdriver or chisel) so that their position does not change during subsequent assembly. Otherwise, noise and vibration may occur.

If there is play in the hinges, the crosspiece is usually replaced with a new one. The fact is that worn needle bearings cannot be repaired. Dismantling the cross after removing the cardan is carried out as follows:

Using a special puller or improvised tools, remove the retaining rings that hold the hinge cups in the grooves.
By striking sharply on the crosspiece with a hammer, the glasses are removed. The glasses that came out of their seats as a result of the impacts are removed with pliers.
The joint seats are cleaned of dirt and rust with fine sandpaper.
The new crosspiece is installed in the reverse order.

If vibration occurs due to an imbalance in the driveshaft, it will need to be balanced. It is problematic to do this on your own, so they usually turn to a car service. Balance the cardan as follows.

The cardan shaft is installed on a special machine, on which a number of parameters are measured.
A weight is attached to one side of the gimbal and tested again.
Measure the parameters of the cardan with a weight attached to the opposite side.
The shaft is turned over 180˚ and the measurements are repeated.

The results obtained make it possible to balance the cardan by welding weights into the places established according to the measurement results. After this, the balance is checked again.

The cardan serves to connect the gearbox and the rear (in a rear-wheel drive car) or front (in all-wheel drive) axle. Its task is to transmit rotation from the engine to the bridge or bridges. The connection point for these elements is the hinge, main part which is a cross. It has the shape of a cross, at the ends of which there are cups with needle bearings.

Before carrying out repairs, you need to find the cause of the problem. To do this, you will need to drive the car onto a pit or a lift. We put the transmission in neutral and climb under the car. We inspect the cardan, special attention you need to pay attention to the condition of the crosspiece seals. Next, holding the crosspiece, we rotate the cardan itself.

If the crosspiece requires replacement, the play can be noticed immediately. If there is no play, but various noises and squeaks are heard during rotation, then perhaps the crosspiece will not need to be changed. You just need to replace the lubricant. There are two crosspieces in the cardan and both need to be diagnosed. The rear universal joint crosspiece fails most quickly, since it bears heavy loads. When moving, dirt and moisture also fall more onto the rear crosspiece.

The main sign of an unbalanced driveshaft of a car is the appearance of vibration in the entire body of the car. Moreover, it increases as the speed increases, and depending on the degree of imbalance, it can appear both at a speed of 60-70 km/h and at more than 100 kilometers per hour.

How to change the crosspiece on the cardan

It often happens that the vibration of the cardan after replacing the crosspieces again manifests itself in a seemingly already repaired part. This is due to its incorrect assembly. Experienced craftsmen know how important it is during the process of replacing the crosspiece and subsequent assembly of the driveshaft to maintain the original factory position of the parts relative to each other.

The curious thing about the current situation is that if marks were not placed on the components of the cardan before disassembling it, it will not be possible to determine whether the assembly was carried out correctly. The only thing that can be recommended in this case is to disassemble the crosspiece and reassemble the shaft. Of course, without forgetting to mark the location of its components relative to each other.

It often happens that when vibration occurs, the rear universal joint spider became the cause of the malfunction because it was worn out. But even after replacing it, the problem did not disappear. In such cases, it makes sense to once again check the balancing of each of the shaft components. With the new parts, the alignment has changed, and most likely the reason now lies in its imbalance.

Important! Before performing additional balancing of the shaft, you can try to change the location of the crosspiece elements - otherwise the master will in vain cut off a layer of metal from the element.

In many cases, the cause of vibration of the cardan is the suspension bearing: either the play formed as a result of its wear, or loose fasteners with the help of which it is rigidly fixed to the bottom of the car. If the vibration is accompanied by a hum, then most likely this is the problem. Suspended bearings can be dismountable or non-separable. If the former can be repaired by replacing failed elements, then the latter have to be replaced completely.

Important! The suspension bearing, just like the driveshaft itself, requires balancing. If this procedure is not performed, the problem may occur again.

If even after this the vibration does not go away, the crosspiece may have nothing to do with it. There are cases when such a problem in the driveshaft does not appear as a result of breakdowns of any of its components, but is transmitted to it from the engine or gearbox. The probability of such malfunctions is small, but it cannot be reduced to zero either.

If the cause of the vibration of the cardan is the gearbox, then this malfunction will make itself felt with other signs - for example, jumping out or slipping of the gear (if we are talking about mechanical box) or a grinding and knocking noise that appears in the gearbox when changing from one gear to another.

As you can see, there are many reasons why vibration occurs when a car is moving, and not all of them are directly related to the driveshaft. Only high-quality diagnostics of the car’s chassis, performed by car service professionals, can accurately determine its cause.

Cross play
Needle bearing wear
Wear of the cross itself
Leakage and lack of lubrication
O-ring failure
Metallic ringing when moving
Noise and crackling in the cardan area

Theoretically, the crosspiece is a very reliable part, the service life of which should be about 500,000 kilometers. But in practice, replacing the universal joint cross occurs after a mileage of 50-100 thousand kilometers. This is influenced by factors such as operating conditions, the manufacturer of the part, and the quality of the materials used in the manufacture of the part.

If your vehicle is frequently driven in the area rural areas, then dirt and various potholes will shorten the life of your crosspiece several times. A common reason for crosspiece failure is simple inattention during routine maintenance. Often, no attention is paid to the lack of lubrication until the crosspiece makes itself known by vibration, noise or ringing.

To repair the crosspiece, it is necessary to remove the cardan. Before you disassemble, you need to know some nuances:

Fill the nuts with waterproofing agent to make the fasteners easier to unscrew.
Use a chisel to mark the cardan flanges and rear axle flanges. If this is not done, vibration may occur on the cardan.
To avoid damaging the threads of the nuts, it is advisable to use a curved spanner.
If the cardan bolts rotate, you need to fix them with a screwdriver.

First, unscrew the four bolts on the propeller shaft, then remove the suspension bearing mount. After these procedures, we remove the cardan; it needs to be removed from the gearbox splined connection. Before removing the crosspiece, it is advisable to wrap the spline part with material to prevent sand from getting in there. Before removing the crosspiece, you need to prepare a tool: a hammer, pliers, a thick screwdriver and a round tube of suitable diameter.

Clamping the shaft in a vice will make your work much easier. There are special pullers for removing crosspieces, but they are often not used even at service stations. However, many garage craftsmen are able to make such a device for themselves in 10-15 minutes. Next we get the retaining rings. Often, to remove them, you need to tap them with a hammer using a spacer.

The repair will be carried out poorly if the eyes and fork are not cleaned of dirt and rust. This is done with a metal brush or sandpaper. All internal surfaces also need to be cleaned and lubricated before installing a new cross. Do not forget about the grooves of the retaining rings; they need to be cleaned with an awl or a thin screwdriver.

Next, the cups are removed from the new cross, and the cross itself is inserted between the eyes. When removing the cups, you need to make sure that the bearing needles do not fall apart. If there is no lubricant under the new cups, the part should be changed, or lubricated yourself. The cups are placed on the crosspiece, then they need to be pressed in with a hammer until the locking grooves open. The repair of the cross is completed by replacing the retaining rings.

Troubleshooting

The driveshaft of the VAZ 2107 wears out during operation under the influence of constant loads. The crosspiece is subject to the most wear. As a result, the cardan loses its original characteristics, vibration, knocking, etc. appears.

Vibration

Sometimes while driving a VAZ 2107, the body begins to vibrate. The reason for this usually lies in the driveline. This may be due to the installation of an initially poor quality shaft or incorrect assembly of the unit. Vibration can also appear due to mechanical stress on the cardan when hitting obstacles or during an accident. This problem can also be a consequence of improper hardening of the metal.

There are many reasons leading to an imbalance in the cardan drive. Vibration may occur under heavy loads. In addition, the VAZ 2107 cardan can become deformed even if the vehicle is used infrequently. This will also lead to vibration. In such situations, balancing or replacing the unit is required, and the problem must be corrected immediately. Otherwise, vibration of the cardan can lead to destruction of the crosspieces and rear axle gearbox, and the cost of repairs will increase many times over.

In addition, vibration may occur due to the rubber element of the outboard bearing. Rubber becomes less elastic over time and the balance may become unbalanced. Bearing wear can also lead to body vibration when starting off. This, in turn, can cause premature failure of the crosspieces.

Malfunctions and wear of individual elements of the VAZ 2107 driveshaft as a result of friction leads to the formation of backlash in the mechanism and, as a consequence, to the appearance of knocking noises. The most common causes of knocking are:

Faulty crosspiece. The knock appears as a result of wear and destruction of bearings. The part should be replaced.
Loosening of the universal joint bolts. The problem can be solved by inspecting and tightening loose connections.
Severe wear of the spline joint. In this case, the driveline splines are changed.
Outboard bearing play. The bearing is replaced with a new one.

To increase the service life of the cardan transmission elements, they require periodic maintenance, which involves lubrication using a special syringe. If the crosspieces are maintenance-free, when play appears, they are simply replaced. The suspension bearing and crosspieces are lubricated with Litol-24 every 60 thousand km. mileage, and the spline part - “Fiolom-1” every 30 thousand km.

Clicking noise when starting

Often, when touching classic VAZ models, you can hear clicks. They have a characteristic metallic sound, are a consequence of play in any element of the cardan and can be caused by the following reasons:

the crosspiece has failed;
the spline connection has worn out;
The cardan mounting bolts are loose.

In the first case, the crosspiece is replaced with a new one. When the spline connection is worn out, the front flange of the cardan will need to be replaced. If this does not help, you will have to change the driveshaft completely. When loosening the mounting bolts, you just need to tighten them securely.

Balancing the driveshaft can be done either with your own hands or at a service station. In the first case, this requires the use of special tools and materials - weights and clamps. However, it is better to entrust the balancing to the service station workers, since it is impossible to accurately calculate the mass of the balancer and its installation location manually. There are several “folk” balancing methods, which we will discuss later.

Signs and causes of imbalance

The main sign of an unbalanced driveshaft of a car is appearance of vibration the entire body of the machine. Moreover, it increases as the speed increases, and depending on the degree of imbalance, it can appear both at a speed of 60-70 km/h and at more than 100 kilometers per hour. This is a consequence of the fact that when the shaft rotates, its center of gravity shifts, and the resulting centrifugal force “throws” the car on the road. An additional sign in addition to vibration is the appearance characteristic hum emanating from under the bottom of the car.

Imbalance is very harmful to the transmission and chassis of the car. Therefore, when the slightest signs of it appear, it is necessary to balance the “universal shaft” on the machine.

Neglecting a breakdown can lead to such consequences

There are several reasons for this breakdown. Among them:

normal wear and tear parts for long-term use;
mechanical deformations caused by impacts or excessive loads;
factory defect;
large gaps between separate elements shaft (if it is not solid).

The vibration felt in the cabin may not come from the driveshaft, but from unbalanced wheels.

Regardless of the reasons, if the symptoms described above appear, it is necessary to check for imbalance. Repair work can also be done in your own garage.

How to balance a cardan at home

We will describe the process of balancing the driveshaft with your own hands using the well-known “old-fashioned” method. It's not complicated, but it can take quite a while to complete. a lot of time. You will definitely need an inspection hole into which you must first drive the car. You will also need several weights of different weights used when balancing the wheels. Alternatively, instead of weights, you can use welding electrodes cut into pieces.

A primitive weight for balancing a cardan at home

The work algorithm will be like this:

The length of the driveshaft is conventionally divided into 4 equal parts in the transverse plane (there may be more parts, it all depends on the amplitude of vibrations and the desire of the car owner to spend a lot of effort and time on it).
The above-mentioned weight is attached securely, but with the possibility of further dismantling, to the surface of the first part of the propeller shaft. To do this, you can use a metal clamp, plastic tie, tape or other similar device. Instead of a weight, you can use electrodes, several of which can be placed under the clamp at once. As the mass decreases, their number is reduced (or, conversely, added when increasing).
Next is testing. To do this, drive the car onto a flat road and analyze whether the vibration has decreased.
If nothing has changed, you need to return to the garage and transfer the load to the next section of the driveshaft. Then repeat testing.

Mounting the weight on the cardan

Items 2, 3 and 4 from the list above must be performed until you find an area on the driveshaft where the weight reduces vibration. Next, in a similar experimental way, it is necessary to determine the mass of the weight. Ideally, when selected correctly the vibration should disappear at all.

The final balancing of the “cardan” with your own hands consists of rigidly fixing the selected weight. For this it is advisable to use electric welding. If you don’t have one, then as a last resort you can use a popular tool called “cold welding”, or tighten it well with a metal clamp (for example, a plumber’s clamp).

Balancing the driveshaft at home

There is another one, although less effective method diagnostics According to it, it is necessary remove the driveshaft from the car. After this, you need to find or select a flat surface (preferably perfectly horizontal). Two steel angles or channels (their size is unimportant) are placed on it at a distance slightly less than the length of the driveshaft.

After this, the “cardan” itself is placed on them. If it is bent or deformed, then its center of gravity is shifted. Accordingly, in this case it will scroll and become such that its heavier part is at the bottom. This will be a clear indication to the car owner in which plane to look for imbalance. Next steps similar to the previous method. That is, weights are attached to the cardan shaft and their attachment points and mass are experimentally calculated. Naturally, the weights are attached on the opposite side from where the center of gravity of the shaft is shifted.

Another effective method is to use a frequency analyzer. You can do it yourself. However, you need a program that simulates an electronic oscilloscope on a PC, showing the level of frequency of oscillations that occur when the cardan rotates. You can tell it from the Internet in the public domain.

So, to measure sound vibrations you will need a sensitive microphone with mechanical protection (foam rubber). If you don’t have one, then you can make a device from a medium-diameter speaker and a metal rod that will transmit sound vibrations (waves) to it. To do this, a nut is welded into the center of the speaker, into which a metal rod is inserted. A wire with a plug is soldered to the speaker outputs, which is connected to the microphone input in the PC.

The drive axle of the car is suspended, allowing the wheels to rotate freely.
The driver of the car “accelerates” it to the speed at which vibration usually occurs (usually 60...80 km/h), and gives a signal to the person who takes the measurements.
If you are using a sensitive microphone, then bring it close enough to the place where the marks are being applied. If you have a speaker with a metal probe, then you must first secure it to a place as close as possible to the applied marks. The result is recorded.
Four marks are applied to the driveshaft around the circumference, every 90 degrees, and numbered.
A test weight (weighing 10...30 grams) is attached to one of the marks using tape or a clamp. You can also use the bolted connection of the clamp directly as a weight.
Next, measurements are taken with a weight on each of the four places in sequence with numbering. That is, four measurements with the movement of the load. The results of the oscillation amplitude are recorded on paper or a computer.

Location of imbalance

The result of the experiments will be numerical voltage values on the oscilloscope that differ from each other in magnitude. Next, you need to build a diagram on a conditional scale that would correspond to the numerical values. A circle is drawn with four directions corresponding to the location of the load. From the center along these axes on a conventional scale, segments are plotted based on the data obtained. Then you should graphically divide segments 1-3 and 2-4 in half by segments perpendicular to them. A ray is drawn from the middle of the circle through the intersection point of the last segments until it intersects with the circle. This will be the location of the imbalance that needs to be compensated (see figure).

The desired location point for the compensation weight will be at the diametrically opposite end. As for the weight of the weight, it is calculated by the formula:

imbalance mass - the desired value of the mass of the installed imbalance;
vibration level without test weight - voltage value on an oscilloscope, measured before installing the test weight on the cardan;
the average value of the vibration level is the arithmetic average between four voltage measurements using an oscilloscope when installing a test weight at four indicated points on the cardan;
the value of the mass of the test load is the value of the mass of the installed experimental load, in grams;
1.1 - correction factor.

Typically, the mass of the installed imbalance is 10...30 grams. If for some reason you were unable to accurately calculate the mass of the imbalance, you can establish it experimentally. The main thing is to know the installation location, and adjust the weight value while driving.

However, as practice shows, self-balancing the driveshaft using the method described above only partially eliminates the problem. The car can still be driven for a long time without significant vibrations. But you won’t be able to get rid of it completely. Therefore, other parts of the transmission and chassis will work with it. And this negatively affects their performance and resource. Therefore, even after carrying out self-balancing, you need to contact a service station with this problem.

Technological repair method

Cardan balancing machine

But if 5 thousand rubles is not a pity for such a task, this is exactly the price of balancing the shaft in a workshop, then we recommend going to specialists. Carrying out diagnostics in repair shops involves using a special stand for dynamic balancing. To do this, the driveshaft is removed from the machine and installed on it. The device includes several sensors and so-called control surfaces. If the shaft is unbalanced, then when rotating it will touch the mentioned elements with its surface. This is how geometry and its curvatures are analyzed. All information is displayed on the monitor.

Execution repair work can be performed using various methods:

Installation of balancer plates directly on the surface of the propeller shaft. At the same time, their mass and installation location are accurately calculated by a computer program. And they are attached using factory welding.
Balancing the driveshaft on lathe. This method is used in case significant damage element geometry. Indeed, in this case, it is often necessary to remove a certain layer of metal, which inevitably leads to a decrease in the strength of the shaft and an increase in the load on it in normal operation modes.

It is impossible to make such a machine for balancing cardan shafts with your own hands, since it is very complicated. However, without its use, it will not be possible to perform high-quality and reliable balancing.

Results

It is quite possible to balance the cardan yourself at home. However, it is necessary to understand that it is impossible to independently select the ideal mass of the counterweight and its installation location. That's why do-it-yourself repair is possible only in case of minor vibrations or as a temporary method of getting rid of them. Ideally, you need to go to a service station, where you will have the cardan balanced on a special machine.

Homemade universal joint.

In search of suitable parts, I went to the local radio market. And when the threaded wings caught my eye, I immediately bought several different sets, because I realized that having the most complex hinge parts - the forks, it would be much easier to make everything else.

Everything else is a cross. To make it, I selected a suitable bushing, which also had an M3 thread cut into it, and drilled two holes in it perpendicular to each other.

This operation requires extreme care, since the accuracy of the steadicam’s balance depends on the accuracy of the crosspiece’s manufacturing. Of course, the accuracy of the balance also depends on the accuracy of the manufacture of the lower fork of the universal joint, but the fork can be adjusted later, which cannot be said about the cross.

The axle and two axle shafts were made of spring steel with a diameter of 1.6 mm.

I used the M3 thread in the bushing to attach the entire axle, and to attach the axle shafts, I drilled two more holes and cut M2 threads into them.

While assembling the hinge, I secured the axles with locking screws. The screws, in turn, were secured with paint.

Since the selected threaded wings turned out to have an M4 thread, and I needed M3 and M5 threads, I flared the corresponding axle box in each wing.

To reduce friction, M1.6 washers were inserted between the crosspiece and forks. I lubricated the sliding bearings with technical Vaseline (CIATIM).

If, after assembling the Steadicam, the camera rotates spontaneously even with a slight tilt of the handle, it means that the hinge is not made accurately enough.

The picture shows an illustration of the operation of a universal joint, in which the lower fork is located asymmetrically with respect to the shaft.

In the case when the handle is positioned strictly vertically (position 1), nothing bad seems to happen. However, as soon as you tilt the handle away from the vertical (position 2), the moving part of the steadicam will begin to rotate and, trying to balance the system, change the position of the camera (position 3). This will happen because the fulcrum of the moving part of the steadicam is higher than the point at which the system reaches equilibrium.

So that, when self-production cardan joint, ensure its symmetry relative to the axis of rotation, it is advisable to measure the position of the lower fork in two planes and, if necessary, bend the “teeth”. The latter can be bent with two pairs of pliers.

I took measurements using an indicator, but a caliper will also work if you choose some rigidly fixed part as a reference point.

You should also make the hinge crosspiece with the greatest possible precision.

Here it should be added that if the “wrong” gimbal is oriented in a certain way relative to the position of the camera mounted on the Steadicam, then it will be possible to use the handle as a joystick to control the position of the camera in the horizontal plane.

To make the hinge “irregular”, it is enough to shift the axes of the cross relative to each other.

For the sake of experiment, I made such a cross, but due to the resulting “yaw” of the camera, I refused to use it.

Continuing to develop the topic of production, I invite readers to familiarize themselves with how cardan shafts are produced to order. I’ll say right away that this production is designed for single copies - we are not talking about mass volumes.

The hero of the current story is the company Tom Wood Driveshafts (http://www.4xshaft.com/) located in Ogden (Utah) and has been operating for only 13 years, but its founder, Tom Wood, had previously worked in the field of auto mechanics for two decades . Considering that the founder himself is a fan of off-road and a person who understands the needs of this category of car owners, the products coming out of his pen are a successful fusion of quality, reliability, and price.

Interestingly, the production of driveshafts is not very difficult, but it does require skills and equipment. Our today's excursion tells about all stages of this production.

It all starts with taking an order, which can be placed either by phone or by email. The technician writes down the requirements in the journal and calculates the length of the future shaft, simultaneously noting the types of cardan joints and so on:

She has most of the components for future shafts in stock:

Choosing a pipe is an important step, because they (pipes) come in different diameters and with different wall thicknesses. In this section, the required piece of the workpiece is cut off:

Preparation for welding work is carried out on a lathe:

After all the workpieces are laid out and measured, it’s time for welding work:

To avoid shaft vibrations, balancing of individual components begins literally from the very beginning of construction:

As individual parts of the workpiece are welded, they are checked for movement due to high temperature welding If a slip occurs, the worker heats the part in certain places until it is leveled:

After the pipe is welded and straightened, it goes to the universal joint installation area:

Here are some examples of flanges used by the company:

After installing the flanges and crosspieces, it is time to balance the shaft. First, polish with fine sandpaper:

The machine tells you where exactly the weights need to be installed and what weight. The process of gluing the weights continues until vibration-free operation is achieved: