VEHICLE DRIVE SHAFT AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH VEHICLE DRIVE SHAFT

摘要

A vehicle drive shaft includes: a first shaft portion (44), having a core shaft portion (50) and a sleeve shaft portion (48) coaxially arranged at one end, and a second shaft portion (46), having a spline hole portion (58) and a second engagement protrusion (60) at one end. A spline shaft portion (54) and a first engagement protrusion (52) are provided at distal ends of the core shaft portion (50) and sleeve shaft portion (48). The spline hole portion (58) is nonrotatably fixed to the spline shaft portion (54). The second engagement portion (60) contacts the first engagement portion (52) when a relative torsion allowable angle therebetween is larger than or equal to a gap (?). When the relative torsion allowable angle is smaller than the gap (?), torque is transmitted via the core shaft portion (50). When the relative torsion allowable angle is larger than or equal to the gap (?), torque is transmitted via not only the core shaft portion (50) but also the sleeve shaft portion (48).