Back when I had my ’66 GMC van, I was amazed on how basic and uncomplicated the front suspension was: A simple, solid axle bolted to two longitudinal leaf springs. It’s about the simplest front suspension one can imagine, and isn’t much different than the suspension on a horse-drawn frontier buckboard of 150 years ago (and why people complained that my van “rode like a buckboard”). No control arms or other linkages, just an axle, springs, and a couple of shocks. It doesn’t provide the best ride, and it’s not a terribly space efficient layout, but it is elegant in its simplicity, very robust, and can be maintained with basic mechanical skills and a few simple tools. (“Yeah! Impact wrench! VRRR VRRR!“)
In homage to my old van, today’s entry in the virtual tome that is Encyclopedia Hoonatica is vehicles with a solid beam axle and leaf springs up front. Lately, E-H queries have not been very technical, so I decided to lob out a question today that’s a little more deferential to those greasemonkeys who spend more time under cars than perusing sales brochures.
The caveats:
- Passenger cars and light trucks only. We could name medium- and heavy-duty trucks until the cows come home. And then the cows could name a few more.
- Rear wheel drive only. No 4x4s. A beam axle is not the same thing as a drive axle.
- Front suspension only. We don’t care about what’s in the rear of your Dodge Caravan.
- Since this was a fairly common configuration on many early vehicles, both common and obscure, let’s restrict the list to postwar vehicles.
Difficulty: Easy for some, a blank stare for others. Big bonus points for passenger cars.
How This Works: Read the comments first and don’t post duplicates. Bonus points for adding photos. Remember, you can simply pasting in the image URL now, thanks to Disqus.
Image Source: Digz_MI’s Photobucket via The Vintage-Vans.com Forum
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/1933_Aston_Martin_Le_Mans.JPG
Pictured here the 1933 Aston Martin LeMans, but what could be pictured is every Aston Martin prior to 1940. When this:
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/03/AstonMartinAtom_1200-700×366.jpg
The Aston Martin Atom displayed a first for Aston, independent front suspension.
Yes, which is why I specified postwar, which is ’46 – on.
Hey, don’t bother me with small font. I just wanted an excuse to throw the Aston Martin Atom up there.
I didn’t need this list being all gassers and pick-up trucks. Haha.
Pre-1965 Ford F-Series (F-1 and F-100). Twin-I-Beam came along for ’65.
Also, pre-1972 Dodge D-100s.
And I wouldn’t say that front beam axles are not space efficient – sure, the whole front axle has to move up and down, but there’s no spring towers intruding into the engine compartment.
I meant that they are not very space efficient front to rear.
Sorry brah, can’t hear you over my twin I-Beam setup…
LOVED my twin I-beam ’74.
Whatever you do; don’t cross the beams!
Not my pic, and mine didn’t look nearly this nice, but my 1970 IH truck could pull u-turns that I can’t make now in my minivan.
2 wheel drive Jeep DJ3A Surrey.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4105/5069785062_db6c910095_z.jpg
Surrey with a fringe on top.
All three of my 2WD IH Scout 80s. Probably the same parts as irishzombieman‘s 1210
So. Stinkin’. Simple. Man, I love that.
All the UAZ vans/trucks/SUVs.
http://www.maasturitevaruosad.ee/marks_pictures/100_uaz452.jpg
MG TC. The TD went to an independent front, much to the horror of purists.
I knew I had driven a beam-axle MG T-series with leaf springs! I was trying to remember which it was. Thank you for posting.
The 2WD version of the venerable Jeep XJ Cherokee
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Jeep_Cherokee_2-door.jpg/1280px-Jeep_Cherokee_2-door.jpg
False. They used coil springs on the front axle.
Sunofabitch. You’re right. I should know better.
1946-48 Ford car and other carryover Ford products, unless you sissies got something against a single transverse spring. We already gave you your damn hydraulic brakes.
Actually, that started with Model T in about 1908, carried through all Model As (1928-31) as well the 32-on early V8s.
Transverse spring suspensions usually don’t include a beam axle.
But a single transverse spring has to have some sort of trailing links or locating arms, and then look at all the complexity you’re into!
Do the leaf springs have to be longitudinal? The Dellow trials buggy made in post war England had a beam with elliptical leaf sprigs mounted transverse. Also, looks like fun! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dellow
The 1948-1950 Sunbeam-Talbots had a beam front axle. In 1950 they introduced independent front suspension for rally homologation purposes.
Crosley Farm-O-Road, and probably the Hot Shot, too, but I can’t find any proof of that.
1950 AC 2 litre
Did we agree already post which war?