<p>A wheel drive shaft assembly for a motor vehicle including two universal joints, at least one of which is a plunging joint to enable axial movement of the shaft assembly, with one of the universal joints further including a splined journal engaging into a wheel hub, wherein the axial length of the splined journal is smaller than the amount of axial shortening available in the shaft assembly by virtue of the plunging movement of the at least one plunging universal joint when the shaft assembly is built into the motor vehicle.</p>
