Mitigating Assembly and Durability Risks in Rear Axle Systems through Bearing Architecture Evolution

Rear axle assemblies significantly influence vehicle durability, assembly quality, and long-term serviceability. Despite advances in chassis and suspension technologies, a Gen-۱ rear axle bearing architecture is still applied in some modern vehicle platforms. In this configuration, wheel screws are directly threaded into a cast iron brake disc, leading to assembly difficulties, high sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances, and an increased risk of thread damage due to the brittle behavior and low ductility of cast iron. These issues may also adversely affect bearing life and overall durability performance. In this study, alternative rear axle bearing architectures, namely Gen-۲ and Gen-۳ systems, were evaluated as design improvement options. The Gen-۲ architecture integrates wheel screws into the bearing assembly, eliminating threaded interfaces in the brake disc and transferring structural loads through steel components. This design reduces assembly time, decreases tolerance dependency, simplifies brake disc geometry, and improves robustness during production and service. The Gen-۳ architecture, featuring a fully integrated bearing-hub-flange module, was also assessed. However, based on packaging constraints identified from IKCO vehicle projects K۱۲۵, implementation of Gen-۳ was found to require extensive redesign of the rear axle, suspension interfaces, and brake system. Consequently, the Gen-۲ bearing system was selected as the optimal solution for the current platform. The proposed improvement enhances assembly robustness, durability, manufacturability, and readiness for future vehicle development and export requirements.

کلیدواژه ها:

Rear axle design ، bearing architecture ، Gen-۲ bearing ، assembly robustness ، durability