To float, or not to float? This info should answer the age-old axle question. 01.A semi-floating rear axle assembly features a wheel-mounting flange on the outer edge.

There are two types of rear axles found on light-duty 4x4s: semi-floating and full-floating. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

The axle shaft rides on a large roller or ball bearing at the end of the axle housing. Semi-float axles are generally lighter and easier to manufacture, and they're found on lighter-duty applications.

Full-floating rear axles have their history in large trucks and race cars. The primary reason for using a full-floating rear axle is simple—it takes the weight of the vehicle off of the drive ...

There's a good reason why most of the semi-trucks on the road are rear-wheel drive. The alternative doesn't make much sense once you consider usage.

A full-floating axle is basically a driveshaft that is not load-bearing, unlike the semi-floating type, on which the wheel is bolted directly. This obviously applies to a platform where the rear ...

Toyota recently used such a system to give the RAV4 Hybrid and Prius all-wheel drive. As a final party trick, ZF's axle can be combined with ZF's AKC (Active Kinematics Control) rear steering.