Read and translate the text.

TEXT I

Axles

The axles of the motor vehicle are chiefly meant for supporting the wheels and for holding the drive and steer­ing systems. Depending on their location on the motor vehicle, a difference is made between front and rear axles.

The rigid front axle of a motor vehicle is designed as a single member. Its ends are formed by the axle heads to hold the king pins for the pivoted suspension of the front wheels; between the axle ends are the spring seats.

For smaller motor vehicles frequently tubular axles are used; their heads are suitably connected to the tube. Front axles are nearly always cranked to achieve the lo­cation of the chassis as low as possible.

Modern automotive engineering developed axle less wheel suspension, floating half-axles or independent wheel suspension. In these cases, the rigid single member for front and rear wheel suspension is eliminated.

 In case of the independent wheel suspension, the cross connection for the two front wheels is frequently formed by the transverse front spring using either only one trans­verse spring, in combination with control arms for guid­ing the wheels, or the wheel is supported by one transver­se spring each at top and bottom.

Similar to the front axle, the rear axle, too, had been designed as a single member carrying axle. In case of rear-wheel drive, it serves to support this drive, i.e., bevel-gear reduction, differential gear and axle shafts are attached to it. Accordingly, the rear-axle bracket has the form of housing. The single-member axle bracket is an integral steel casting. The annular center portion is meant to house the axle drive with differential gear; its front forms the flared tube of axle for supporting the pinion and-its rear end is closed by a cover. For passenger cars, the rear axle-box body is considerably reduced in weight. It is formed by two sheet-metal drop stampings welded together. This type of axles is called "banjo axles."

As in case of the front axles, the rear axles have to meet the same requirements with respect to the reduction of the weight. Since the rear axle has to sup­port the entire drive mechanism (bevel gears, differential gear, drive shafts), its weight is often rather high.

In case of front-wheel drive, the rear axle has merely the function of a carrying axle; and it can be constructed as a light tubular axle. However, it is also possible to support the rear wheels in suspension arms at the frame omitting the axle. In this case, the suspension arms are suspended either in the conventional manner or by tor­sion-bar springs transversely arranged.

3. Try to guess the meaning of the following words and word combinations:

Try to guess the meaning of the following words and word combinations.

The rigid front axle, supporting the wheels, the spring seats, to be suitably connected to the tube, wheel suspension, by the transverse, the annular center portion, by two sheet-metal drop, stampings, a carrying axle, the suspension arms.

Translate the following words and word combinations.

Жесткая передняя не вращающаяся ось, агрегаты , прикрепленные к раме, поперечная рессора, труба с раструбом, поддерживающие колеса, завися от местоположения в транспортном средстве, смещающие полуоси, соединяющий с трубой, прикрепляя полые оси, запуская двигатель, смещая ходовую часть, соединяя вместе, называя осями в виде банджо, значительно уменьшая вес.

Answer the questions

1. What is the difference between front and rear axles?

2. How does the modern automotive engineering develop?

3. By what are the two front wheels frequently formed?

4. What does the rear axle support?

5. What function does the rear axle have in case of front wheel drive?

7. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English.

1.Оси транспортного средства служат для колес и для поддержания ходовой и рулевой систем. 2. Разница между задними и передними колесами, зависит от их местоположения в транспортном средстве . 3. Для более маленьких транспортных средств часто используются полые оси. 4. Современное автомобилестроение развивается на безъосевой подвеске, как независимой. 5. Автомобиль имеет два вида тормозов ручной или стояночный и ножной тормоз.

CONTROL SYSTEM

СИСТЕМАКОНТРОЛЯ

1. Vocabulary to be remembered:

Read and translate the text.

TEXT II

The Control System

Steering is controlled by a hand wheel, mounted on an inclined column and attached to a steering tube inside the column. The other end of the tube is connected to the steering gear, which is designed to provide maximum ease of operation. Power steering, adapted for passenger cars in the early 1950s, is generally a hydraulic mechanism used as a booster to reduce the effort of steering.

A car has two sets of brakes: the hand or emergency brake and the foot brake. The emergency brake gener­ally operates on the rear wheels only. The foot brake in modern cars is always of the four-wheel type, operating on all wheels. Hydraulic brakes on cars and hydraulic vacuum, air, or power brakes on lorries apply the brak­ing force to the wheels with much less force on the brake pedal than is required with ordinary mechanical brakes. The wheel brakes are generally of the internally expand­ing type, in which a convex strip of material is forced against a concave steel brake drum.

Translate the following words and word combinations from English into Russian.

an inclined column, a steering tube, ease of operation, power steering, the effort of steering, a hydraulic mechanism, the emergency brake, the four-wheel type, the braking force, the internally expanding type.

Translate the following words and word combinations from Russian into English.

Установленный на наклонной колонке, связанный с рулевым механизмом, ручной тормоз, ножной тормоз, действующий на все колеса, тормозная педаль; управляемый наклонной колонкой, приспособленный для пассажирских автомобилей, действующий на все колеса.

Work in pairs. Ask and answer the questions.

1) By what is steering controlled?

2) The other end of the tube is connected to the steering gear, isn’t it?

3) When did power steering adapt for passenger cars?

4) How many sets of brakes has a car?

5) What is the foot brake?

7. Ask questions to the given sentences:

1. Power steering is generally a hydraulic mechanism used as a booster to reduce the effort of steering. (what for?)

2. The emergency brake generally operates on the rear wheels only. (on what)

3. The wheel brakes are generally of the internally expanding type. (what type?)

Is it true and false.

1) Steering is controlled by a hand wheel, mounted on an inclined column and attached to a steering tube insidecolumn.

2) The other end of the tube is connected to the steering gear, which is designed to provide minimum ease ofoperation.

3) Power steering, adapted for passenger cars in the early 1930s, is generally a hydraulic mechanism used as a booster to reduce the effort of steering.

4) A car has five sets of brakes.

5) Hydraulic brakes on cars and hydraulic vacuum, air, or power brakes on lorries apply the braking force to the wheels with much less force on the brake pedal than is required with ordinary mechanical brakes.

FUNNY STORIES

 A man is driving down the road and notices a car in the ditch...

A man is driving down the road and notices a car in the ditch. He doesn't usually help many people so he drives on by. Then he notices that a pretty woman is the driver so he goes back to help. As he is hooking his truck to her car he says, "You know, you are the first pregnant woman I've ever helped out of a ditch". "But I'm not pregnant," she says. "Well you're not out of the ditch yet," he says.

TEXT III

Steering System

1. Vocabulary to be remembered:

2.Read and translate the text.

Steering System

The steering system of a motor vehicle is composed of the following components: steering wheel, steering co­lumn and steering-gear case, the steering control arms at the steering arm and at the steering knuckles, the drag rod, and the tie rod.

The mechanism for transmitting the rotary motion of the steering wheel to the steering-gear arm is arranged in the steering-gear case. It is bolted to the frame; in case of a frameless construction, it is attached to a member of the body.

Many motor vehicles, especially passenger cars, are now equipped with the rack-and-pinion steering. It con­sists of a straight-guided rack arranged at right angles to the driving direction, and a spur-gear pinion, attached to the end of the steering column, engaged with the rack.

This type of steering requires a minimum of joints; as a result, it features long service life and minimum steer­ing slack. It is especially used in case of axleless front-wheel suspension. A friction shock absorber is arranged behind the spur-gear pinion to prevent road shocks from being transmitted to the steering wheel.

The operation of the steering system should not re­quire great effort. The force to be applied to the steering wheel depends on the load of the front wheels. In some special cases it is required to assist the driver's effort by means of a pneumatic or hydraulic servo-steering unit. Generally, this unit consists of a compressed-air cylin­der; by means of the piston rod, its piston acts directly on the steering control arm of the front axle, while turn­ing of the steering wheel guides the front wheels.

Spring suspension is performed by spring bolts sup­ported in a bushing in the spring eye requiring always ample lubrication. Frequently, intermediate rubber bush­ings (silent blocks) are used. They require less servicing and have long service life.

In case of the cantilever spring the loaded end is placed on the rear axle. Generally, it rests on a spring roller riding on the deflecting spring leaf.

For heavy lorries (trucks), one spring alone cannot be expected to meet all the requirements. A supplemen­tary spring is arranged above the normal car spring.

A special type of rear-axle suspension is the torsion-bar spring. It is fixed at both ends and is loaded in tor­sion on springing. This type of suspension is very simple.

Pneumatic cushioning is used in modern automotive engineering replacing the mechanical suspension by a compressed-air cushion.