Trans Axle
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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009) In the automotive field, a transaxle is a major mechanical component that combines the functionality of the transmission, the differential, and associated components of the driven axleinto one integrated assembly. Transaxles are near universal in all automobile configurations that have the engine placed at the same end of the car as the driven wheels: the front-engine, front-wheel drive layout, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout arrangements. Many mid- and rear-engined vehicles use a transverse engine and transaxle, similar to a front wheel drive unit. Others use a longitudinal engine and transaxle like Ferrari's 1989 Mondial twhich used a "t" arrangement with a longitudinal engine connected to a transverse transaxle, a design the company continues to this day. Front-wheel drive versions of modern Audis, from the A4 upwards, along with their related marques from the Volkswagen Group (which share the same automobile layout) also use a similar layout, but with the transaxle also mounted longitudinally. Contents
•
1 Front-engine, rear-wheel drive transaxles
•
2 Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive transaxles
•
3 Four-wheel drive
•
4 See also
•
5 References
[edit]Front-engine,
rear-wheel drive transaxles
Csonka transaxle from 1908.
Front-engine, rear-wheel drive vehicles tend to have the transmission up front just after the engine, but sometimes a front engine drives a rear-mounted transaxle. This is generally done for reasons of weight distribution, and is therefore common on sports cars. Another advantage is that as the driveshaft spins at engine speed it only has to endure the torque of the engine, instead of that torque multiplied by the 1st gear ratio. This design was pioneered in the 1934 Škoda Popular, and then in the 1950 Lancia Aurelia, designed by the legendary Vittorio Jano. Since this placement of the gearbox is unsuitable for a live axle (due to excessive unsprung weight), the rear suspension is eitherindependent, or uses a de Dion tube (notably in the Alfa Romeos). Rare exceptions to this rule were the Bugatti T46 and T50 which had a three speed gearbox on a live axle. The Nissan GT-R is unique in that it uses a rear transaxle with an AWD layout, the transaxle in this case also contains the differential sending power back to the front wheels via a separate driveshaft. Notable Front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout vehicles with a transaxle design include:
1898-1910 De Dion Bouton
1914–1939 Stutz Bearcat
1929–1936 Bugatti Type 46
1934–1944 Škoda Popular and Škoda Rapid
1946–1952 Škoda Tudor and Škoda 1101
1950–1958 Lancia Aurelia
1951–1956 Pegaso Z-102
1957–1970 Lancia Flaminia
1961–1963 Pontiac Tempest
1964–1968 Ferrari 275
1963-1968 Ferrari 330
1968–1973 Ferrari Daytona
1972–1987 Alfa Romeo Alfetta
1974–1987 Alfa Romeo GTV/Alfa Romeo GTV6
1976–1988 Porsche 924
1976–1991 Volvo 300 series
1977–1985 Alfa Romeo Giulietta
1978–1995 Porsche 928
1982–1995 Porsche 944 and Porsche 968
1984–1987 Alfa Romeo 90
1985–1992 Alfa Romeo 75
1989–1991 Alfa Romeo SZ
1992–2003 Ferrari 456
1996–2005 Ferrari 550/575M
1997–up Chevrolet Corvette
1997–1999 Panoz Esperante GTR-1
1997-2002 Plymouth Prowler
1998-2005 Shelby Series 1
2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR
2003–on Aston Martin DB9
2004–on Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
2004–on Maserati Quattroporte
2005–up Aston Martin V8 Vantage
2006–up Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
2008-up Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
2009–up Lexus LF-A
2010-up Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
[edit]Rear-engine,
rear-wheel drive transaxles
Volkswagen and later Porsche made extensive use of transaxles in their rear (and mid) engined vehicles, including:
1934-1936 Mercedes-Benz 150H
1960-1969 Chevrolet Corvair
1948–1965 Porsche 356
1963–present Porsche 911
1965–1969, 1976 Porsche 912
1969–1976 Porsche 914 (mid-engined)
1975–1989 Porsche 930
1938–2003 Volkswagen Beetle
1955–1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
1950–present Volkswagen Type 2
1961–1973 Volkswagen Type 3
1968–1974 Volkswagen Type 4
Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout is also the preferred layout for Dune Buggy, Sandrail, and most other non-truck based race cars used in off-road racing.[citation needed]
[edit]Four-wheel
drive
All Audi cars with longitudinal engines and their 'trademark' quattro four-wheel drive (4WD) system, along with their related marques from the Volkswagen Group which share the samelayout, utilise a transaxle. This is mounted immediately behind the front-mounted engine (again, longitudinally) and contains the 'gearbox' (manual, automatic, DSG, or CVT), along with both the centre differential, and the front differential and final drive unit. Other 4WD applications include:
1984–1986 Ford RS200 – mid-engined, with the gearbox in the front;
2007–on Nissan GT-R – front-engined, with the gearbox in the rear.
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009) In the automotive field, a transaxle is a major mechanical component that combines the functionality of the transmission, the differential, and associated components of the driven axleinto one integrated assembly. Transaxles are near universal in all automobile configurations that have the engine placed at the same end of the car as the driven wheels: the front-engine, front-wheel drive layout, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout arrangements. Many mid- and rear-engined vehicles use a transverse engine and transaxle, similar to a front wheel drive unit. Others use a longitudinal engine and transaxle like Ferrari's 1989 Mondial twhich used a "t" arrangement with a longitudinal engine connected to a transverse transaxle, a design the company continues to this day. Front-wheel drive versions of modern Audis, from the A4 upwards, along with their related marques from the Volkswagen Group (which share the same automobile layout) also use a similar layout, but with the transaxle also mounted longitudinally. Contents
•
1 Front-engine, rear-wheel drive transaxles
•
2 Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive transaxles
•
3 Four-wheel drive
•
4 See also
•
5 References
[edit]Front-engine,
rear-wheel drive transaxles
Csonka transaxle from 1908.
Front-engine, rear-wheel drive vehicles tend to have the transmission up front just after the engine, but sometimes a front engine drives a rear-mounted transaxle. This is generally done for reasons of weight distribution, and is therefore common on sports cars. Another advantage is that as the driveshaft spins at engine speed it only has to endure the torque of the engine, instead of that torque multiplied by the 1st gear ratio. This design was pioneered in the 1934 Škoda Popular, and then in the 1950 Lancia Aurelia, designed by the legendary Vittorio Jano. Since this placement of the gearbox is unsuitable for a live axle (due to excessive unsprung weight), the rear suspension is eitherindependent, or uses a de Dion tube (notably in the Alfa Romeos). Rare exceptions to this rule were the Bugatti T46 and T50 which had a three speed gearbox on a live axle. The Nissan GT-R is unique in that it uses a rear transaxle with an AWD layout, the transaxle in this case also contains the differential sending power back to the front wheels via a separate driveshaft. Notable Front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout vehicles with a transaxle design include:
1898-1910 De Dion Bouton
1914–1939 Stutz Bearcat
1929–1936 Bugatti Type 46
1934–1944 Škoda Popular and Škoda Rapid
1946–1952 Škoda Tudor and Škoda 1101
1950–1958 Lancia Aurelia
1951–1956 Pegaso Z-102
1957–1970 Lancia Flaminia
1961–1963 Pontiac Tempest
1964–1968 Ferrari 275
1963-1968 Ferrari 330
1968–1973 Ferrari Daytona
1972–1987 Alfa Romeo Alfetta
1974–1987 Alfa Romeo GTV/Alfa Romeo GTV6
1976–1988 Porsche 924
1976–1991 Volvo 300 series
1977–1985 Alfa Romeo Giulietta
1978–1995 Porsche 928
1982–1995 Porsche 944 and Porsche 968
1984–1987 Alfa Romeo 90
1985–1992 Alfa Romeo 75
1989–1991 Alfa Romeo SZ
1992–2003 Ferrari 456
1996–2005 Ferrari 550/575M
1997–up Chevrolet Corvette
1997–1999 Panoz Esperante GTR-1
1997-2002 Plymouth Prowler
1998-2005 Shelby Series 1
2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR
2003–on Aston Martin DB9
2004–on Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
2004–on Maserati Quattroporte
2005–up Aston Martin V8 Vantage
2006–up Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
2008-up Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
2009–up Lexus LF-A
2010-up Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
[edit]Rear-engine,
rear-wheel drive transaxles
Volkswagen and later Porsche made extensive use of transaxles in their rear (and mid) engined vehicles, including:
1934-1936 Mercedes-Benz 150H
1960-1969 Chevrolet Corvair
1948–1965 Porsche 356
1963–present Porsche 911
1965–1969, 1976 Porsche 912
1969–1976 Porsche 914 (mid-engined)
1975–1989 Porsche 930
1938–2003 Volkswagen Beetle
1955–1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
1950–present Volkswagen Type 2
1961–1973 Volkswagen Type 3
1968–1974 Volkswagen Type 4
Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout is also the preferred layout for Dune Buggy, Sandrail, and most other non-truck based race cars used in off-road racing.[citation needed]
[edit]Four-wheel
drive
All Audi cars with longitudinal engines and their 'trademark' quattro four-wheel drive (4WD) system, along with their related marques from the Volkswagen Group which share the samelayout, utilise a transaxle. This is mounted immediately behind the front-mounted engine (again, longitudinally) and contains the 'gearbox' (manual, automatic, DSG, or CVT), along with both the centre differential, and the front differential and final drive unit. Other 4WD applications include:
1984–1986 Ford RS200 – mid-engined, with the gearbox in the front;
2007–on Nissan GT-R – front-engined, with the gearbox in the rear.
