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The trend in the automotive industry to include niche products with 4WD results in high development and investment cost for the manufacturer due to major changes to the platform and new technology. System suppliers for 4WD drivelines can help to reduce these costs significantly by developing “standardised” driveline concepts and taking on the responsibility for the layout, design, manufacture, assembly and validation of the system. A range of traction and handling improving limited slip devices as well as halfshafts and propshafts are available. They need to be integrated into the driveline system which then is being optimised with regard to system function, endurance and NVH.

As a result of the complexity of 4x4 drivelines, a wide variety of NVH (Noise/Vibration/Harshness) problems are likely to occur. This paper describes typical NVH phenomena in 4x4 light truck drivelines and explains the interaction of vibration exciters with resonances of driveline components. Tools for NVH refinement are introduced and various methods to improve the overall NVH behavior of light trucks are described in detail. The advantages of utilizing new driveshaft materials to increase the potential of NVH tuning drivelines in order to satisfy increasing customer demands are presented.