Floating axis
The floating axle is a type of wheel suspension on a vehicle . It is a rigid axle that is guided and sprung on two trailing arms and an overhead transverse leaf spring. The construction was developed by the Zschopauer Motorenwerke JS Rasmussen (part of the newly founded Auto Union from mid-1932 ), which it first used in the DKW 1001 special class ( DKW 4 = 8 ) from October 1932 .
The transverse leaf spring is connected to the arms of the axle body at the height of the vehicle's center of gravity; one end in a spring eye as a fixed bearing , the other in a sliding block (floating bearing). The center of the spring is attached to the chassis. With this construction, the swaying (lateral inclination) in curves is avoided or reduced, because the lever arm on which the centrifugal force rotates the car body becomes very small or to zero. They can be found on both driven and non-driven rear axles, but also on front axles.
In addition to the pre-war models with rear-wheel drive DKW 4 = 8 : 1001 special class , suspension class (with 2 suspension axles) and the second special class presented in February 1937 , the Audi 920 , Wanderer W 23 and W 24 were equipped with rear suspension axles. Other vehicles were the front-wheel drive DKW F5 to F8 of the 1930s and the post-war models F89 , F91 and F93 / F94 ("Großer DKW 3 = 6") as well as the IFA F9 and the Wartburg 311 .
The great height, which takes up additional space in the engine and trunk, is unfavorable.
The Spanish Talgo sleeper cars have a similar design: the arms on the axles extend over the middle of the car body, which therefore tilts inward when cornering.
Web links
- Image of a floating axis from a brochure for the Audi 920 (1939)