Fail of the half shaft can be a reason if the rear wheels can`t drive. The main symptoms, which help to define the worn half shaft are a knock or clunk when accelerating or decelerating.

Why is my half shaft knocking?

The main symptoms which help to define the worn half shaft are a knock or clunk when accelerating or decelerating. The second symptom of half shaft failure that requires checking is not meshing pinion gears in the differential. The cause of this failure is the wear of flange splines. Find the noise source and use special tools to check gaps between the gears.

Half shafts are highly stressed components but they have good reliability and durability. Usually, the half shafts are in rear-wheel-drive cars.  The second name of half shafts is “axle shafts”.

Let`s to see how the half shaft works. The differential drives the inner end of the shaft and the last is setting between shaft and axle housing in bearings. There can be used different bearings:  ball bearings, taper roller bearings or straight roller bearings in these connections.