A drive shaft, also known as a propeller shaft or Cardan shaft, is a mechanical part that translates the torque generated by a vehicle's engine into usable motive force to propel the vehicle. Physically, a drive shaft is tubular in design, with an outside metal housing that protects an interior metal cylinder, which spins at a frequency governed by engine output. Depending on the engine and drive configuration of a vehicle, be it automobile, boat, or motorcycle, one or more drive shafts may work cooperatively to turn engine power into motion.