Trailing arm axle
The trailing arm axle is an independent wheel suspension in which the wheel sits on a flexurally and torsionally rigid rocker that is connected to the body via a swivel joint . The axis of the swivel joint runs in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The trailing arm axle is mainly used as the rear axle in vehicles with front-wheel drive.
It has the advantage that the space between the wheels can be used. With torsion bar springs or horizontally installed spring and damper elements, very narrow wheel arches are possible (omission of the strut domes ).
Disadvantages of the trailing arm axle are the very low instantaneous center (at the level of the road) , which causes a tendency towards strong lateral inclination outwards in curves and the associated change in camber (roll camber ). The forces on the bearing joints are also greater than with other types. A subframe is often used to keep them away from the body. The disadvantages outweigh the driving dynamics, so that the trailing arm axle is no longer used in more expensive vehicles.
If a trailing arm axle is to be used as a steered front axle, the steering knuckle is rotatably mounted in the trailing arm, as with the Citroën 2CV, or the trailing arm is connected to the body via an additional hinge joint. This is known as the Dubonnet front axle and was implemented in the Fiat 1500 and the Opel Olympia in 1935, for example .
See also
literature
- Jörnsen Reimpel: Chassis technology: wheel suspensions: rigid axles , independent wheel suspensions, advantages, disadvantages, tire influence, kinematics, elastokinematics, individual parts, materials, costs , 2nd edition, Vogel-Verlag, Würzburg 1988, ISBN 3-8023-0738-0