With the aim of making significant weight savings and reducing the risks of noise, vibration and harshness, Audi has become the first customer to adopt the GKN Driveline’s new Direct Torque Flow technology for propeller shafts.
The technology provides a direct connection to the gearbox or differential with the torque transmitted from the CVJ inner race to the outer shaft. The GKN Driveline direct torque flow solution reduces component complexity meaning it saves weight, assembly time and costs.
The solutions can be used to connect a propeller shaft to both a vehicle’s rear final-drive unit and its transmission.
It’s not the first link up between Audi and GKN, with Audi also using the GKN Driveline side-shaft on the new Audi A8. This enables the shaft assembly to telescope inwards and support the crash safety strategy of the vehicle. As the A8 is high performance in nature and requires the propeller shaft to work at speeds up to 10,500rpm, the GKN system comes with a host of additional features to boost performance including a low-level of rotational imbalance, a lightweight steel tube and sealing systems.
