Beam axle

Beam Axle

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Beam axle

A beam axle is a suspension

Suspension (vehicle)

Suspension is the term given to the system of spring , shock absorbers and Linkage that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose ? contributing to the car's car handling and brake for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants comfortable and reasonably well isolated from road no...
system, also called a solid axle, in which one set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. A live axle

Live axle

A live axle, sometimes called a solid axle, is a type of beam axle suspension that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit....
is a type of beam axle in which the shaft (or shafts, since live axles, while connected to move as a single unit, are seldom one piece) also transmits power to the wheels; a beam axle that does not also transmit power is sometimes called a dead axle.

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Encyclopedia

A beam axle is a suspension

Suspension (vehicle)

Live axle

Leaf spring

Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring , commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles....
s or coil spring

Coil spring

A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces....
s. In some cases, a Panhard rod

Panhard rod

A Panhard rod is a component of a automobile suspension system that provides lateral location of the axle. Originally invented by the Panhard automobile company of France in the early twentieth century, this device has been widely used ever since....
or similar device may be used to control the lateral motion of the axle.

A similar suspension is the Twist-beam rear suspension

Twist-beam rear suspension

The Twist-beam rear suspension is a type of automobile Suspension based on a large H shaped member. The front of the H attaches to the body via rubber bushings, and the rear of the H carries each wheel, on each side of the car....
, in which the beam axle also functions as an anti-roll bar

Sway bar

A sway bar is an automobile suspension device. It connects opposite wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring. A sway bar increases the suspension's roll stiffness?its resistance to roll in turns, independent of its Hooke's law#Spring equation in the vertical direction....
to control the roll motion of the body.

The principal advantage of the beam axle is that it is simple and cheap to manufacture. It also engages little or no interior volume within the vehicle. Its drawbacks are that it does not allow each wheel to move independently in response to bumps, and the mass of the beam is part of the unsprung weight

Unsprung weight

In a ground vehicle with a suspension , the unsprung weight is the mass of the suspension, wheels or Caterpillar tracks , and other components directly connected to them, rather than supported by the suspension....
of the vehicle, which can further reduce ride quality

Ride quality

Ride quality refers to the degree of protection offered vehicle occupants from uneven elements in the road surface, or the terrain if driving off-road....
.

Because beam axles do not ever exhibit any camber change as the suspension travels, they are ideal for carrying heavy or varying loads. Although this negatively impacts cornering compared to other suspension designs (because the wheels have zero camber gain during body roll), beam axles are nearly universally used in heavy-duty trucks

Truck

File:Red truck USA.JPGA truck is a type of motor vehicle commonly used for carrying goods and materials. Some light trucks are relatively small, similar in size to a passenger automobile....
. Most light and medium duty pickup truck

Pickup truck

A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area which is almost always separated from the cab to allow for chassis flex when carrying or pulling heavy loads....
s and van

Van

A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people. It is usually a box-shaped vehicle on four wheels, about the same width and length as a large automobile, but taller and usually higher off the ground, also referred to as a light commercial vehicle or LCV....
s also use a beam axle, at least in the rear.

Beam axles have an important advantage for off-road

Off-road vehicle

An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of off-roading on and off Pavement or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads and a flexible suspension , or even caterpillar tracks....
applications, as they provide better vehicle articulation

Ramp travel index

Ramp travel index or RTI, is a way of measuring a vehicle's ability to flex its suspension, a property also known as axle articulation. The RTI rating is used mainly in the off-roading industry to test and describe chassis limits of modified vehicles....
. They are also generally stronger and less prone to failure in a high load environment, such as for off-roading.

Beam axles are nonetheless common on low-cost, front-wheel drive

Front-wheel drive

Front-wheel drive is a form of Internal combustion engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only....
cars, particularly minivan

Minivan

File:Plymouth Voyager 1992.jpgA minivan, multi-purpose vehicle , people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle is a type of automobile similar in shape to a van that is designed for personal use....
s and other vehicles placing a great emphasis on maximum internal volume.