Vibrations and irregular revolutions at the crankshaft together with thermal loads place extreme strain on the timing gear and auxiliary drive. These components therefore need to be examined closely during servicing.
RUVILLE offers all components necessary for changing the timing gear, including
• Tensioning pulleys
• Idler pulleys
• Tensioning pulley kits and sets
RUVILLE offers top quality repair solutions for the auxiliary drive:
• Hydraulic and mechanical tensioning units
• Overrunning alternator pulleys
• Crankshaft dampers
• Various kits for the auxiliary drive
Belt drive components
The timing gear and auxiliary drive are also fitted with mechanical or hydraulic damping elements on account of the high vibrations in the system. A fault in any one of these parts can result in major damage to the other components of the timing gear or auxiliary drive. The change intervals must therefore always be heeded. Overrunning alternator pulleys and crankshaft dampers decouple the vibrations of the crankshaft and auxiliary drive. If this decoupling function no longer takes place, it is possible in the worst case for the crankshaft to fail completely.
Chain drives in modern vehicles stand out by needing practically no maintenance, and usually guarantee an extremely long service life. However, premature failure is still possible in vehicles with high mileage or inadequate maintenance and care. Problems will make themselves known by rattling while the engine is running or loud clattering during cold starting. Now, at the latest, is the time to change all components in the chain drive.
RUVILLE offers all components necessary for changing the chain drive, including:
• Timing chain
• Chain tensioner
• Timing chain sprocket
• Guides and tensioner guides
• Complete kits
Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly moving away from hydraulic bucket tappets towards rocker arms with integrated plug-in elements or cam followers with supporting elements. The advantage of these solutions is that they minimise the moved masses and wear, resulting in filigree valve trains that permit high-rev concepts. Rocker arms and cam followers are also frequently designed with rollers for optimised wear resistance. This reduces friction between camshaft and valve actuation element. Here it is particularly important for the hardness process to be customised to the particular use. However, in spite of state-of-the-art materials and high-precision manufacturing, the friction partners are still subject to wear, usually caused by inadequate lubrication or contaminated oil.
Streamlined design, perfectly sealed and mounted: these are the crucial criteria for quality water pumps by RUVILLE. Increasingly, we use top quality plastic for the impellers as this reduces cavitation susceptibility. The water pump must be mounted in accordance with the specific application. The solution can consist of ball and ball or roller and ball bearings. A mechanical shaft seal seals the cooling circuit off from the atmosphere and has to withstand heat as well as pressure of up to 1.5 bar.
We offer well thought-out repair solutions ideal for the garage:
• 160 water pump kits containing the water pump together with the timing belt, tension rollers and idler rollers
• Water pump kits with thermostat for around 55 engines by Audi, VW and Opel
Tip: if the water pump is located in the engine timing gear, it should also be replaced when changing the timing belt to prevent subsequent repairs.
Conventional front axle solutions consists of double track control arms or McPherson strut axles. More extensive technical developments including solutions with resolved link pivot level are being put to increasing use in modern chassis. For example, the so-called four-link suspension, which is based on the double track control arm solution has a resolved link pivot level for better handling characteristics. However, it is also very sensitive and needs intensive maintenance on account of its many individual settings. For example, if the toe-in curve is not aligned during wheel adjustment, the vehicle could swerve on very uneven surfaces and possible cause a major accident.
Progress is also constantly being made in terms of rear axle design, with constant improvements in driving properties and comfort in recent years. While through to the mid- '90s most front-wheel drive vehicles were fitted with twist beam rear axles , meanwhile the latest generation of vehicles from all manufacturers are fitted almost exclusively with independent rear-wheel suspension – an ideal solution that warrants the best possible road contact.
While in the past, rubber/metal parts were used for suspension of the drive system, today hydraulic solutions are used almost exclusively for this purpose. They are capable of variable reaction to the vibrations occurring at various revs and speeds. Partly fitted with electronic actuators, they can be tuned individually to the vibration behaviour of the specific engine in combination with the bodywork. Softer bearings are needed when idling, and harder bearings when running under load. Modern hydraulic bearings are adapted to the specific application, considerably increasing the vehicle's comfort characteristics.
Our programme includes complex suspension elements for practically all European and Asian vehicles.
For a long time, the conventional, detachable taper roller bearing was deemed to be the universal wheel bearing solution. This entailed regular lubrication and adjustment work which, if neglected, resulted in costly part failures. Modern wheel bearings meanwhile need no maintenance and have a longer service life.
Furthermore, they also support driver assistance systems such as ABS, ASR and ESP. A magnetic multi-pole encoder ring, usually integrated in the bearing seal ring, transmits the signals to the corresponding wheel speed sensor which is designed as a Hall generator. In contrast to the sinusoidal signal that has to be converted first, these signals can be processed straightaway by the control unit, thus avoiding the risk of soiling which so often causes the failure of ABS systems with conventional signalling.
New-generation wheel bearings in two-flange design are equipped with an integrated pick-up ring and additional sensor.
The transmission of power within the drive system depends to a great extent on the quality of the moving elements. Front-wheel drive vehicles in particular should only be fitted with homokinetic joints or constant velocity joints due to the relatively large diffraction angle at the wheel joint (up to ~ 40°).
Universal joints – also called cardan joints – are only suitable for steered wheels to a limited extent. They are still sometimes used in four-wheel drive commercial vehicles and heavy off-road vehicles with rigid axles and integrated differential. Here the double design of the universal joint automatically results in a large turning circle.
Homokinetic joints and constant velocity joints drastically reduce the turning circle of front- or four-wheel drive vehicles, almost reaching that of rear-wheel drive vehicles. When fitted on both sides of the drive shaft, they achieve the greatest possible flexibility.
The so-called Hardy disc is used to connect the gear and cardan joint. However, this only permits diffraction angles of up to 3°.