Axle

The basic type of mechanism that transfers rotational energy from the gearbox onto the wheels is called a live axle. A live axle transfers equal amount of torque (rotational energy) to both the drive wheels of a two wheel drive car. This is the cheapest mechanical component that can be used to drive the wheels of a car and in modern terms can be called fairly primitive. A car axle transmits driving torque to the drive wheels of a car. The axle on a car also bears the weight of the engine of a car. The axle is responsible for maintaining the position of the wheels relative to the car and to each other. 

The primary drawback of a live axle is when one wheel has less traction then the other wheel it will spin that wheel because it is receiving the same amount of torque as the wheel which has enough traction to put the power down on the road. Also, while taking a turn the inside wheel has to spin less than the outside wheel due to less distance being travelled. This can cause the inside wheel to slip in high speed cornering because the outside wheel has enough traction to rotate the wheel and cover a longer distance while the inside wheel has too much torque to cover a shorter distance.