De Dion tube

De Dion Tube

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De Dion tube

A de Dion tube is an automobile

Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
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...
technology. It is a sophisticated form of non-independent suspension

Independent suspension

Independent suspension is a broad term for any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically independently of each other....
and is a considerable improvement over the alternative swing axle

Swing axle

A swing axle is a simple type of independent suspension first used in early aircraft , such as the Sopwith and Fokker, usually with rubber bungee and no damping....
and Hotchkiss drive

Hotchkiss drive

The Hotchkiss drive is a system of power transmission. It was the dominant form of power transmission for FR layout automobile in the 20th century....
types. A de Dion suspension uses universal joint

Universal joint

A universal joint, U joint, Gerolamo Cardano joint, Hardy-Clarence W. Spicer joint, or Hooke's joint is a joint in a rigid rod that allows the rod to 'bend' in any direction, and is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion....
s at both the wheel hubs and differential

Differential (mechanics)

A differential is a device, usually but not necessarily employing gears, capable of transmitting torque and rotation through three shafts, almost always used in one of two ways....
, and uses a solid tubular beam to hold the opposite wheels in parallel. Unlike an anti-roll bar, a de Dion tube is not directly connected to the chassis

Chassis

A chassis consists of a Frame that supports an inanimate object, analogous to an animal's skeleton, for example in a motor vehicle or a firearm....
nor is it intended to flex.

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Advantages and disadvantages

The benefits of a de Dion suspension include:

Reduced 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....
compared to the Hotchkiss drive since the differential is connected to the chassis.
Unlike a fully independent suspension there are no camber
Camber angle

Camber angle is the angle made by the wheel of an automobile; specifically, it is the angle between the vertical axis of the wheel and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or rear....
changes on suspension unloading (or rebound). Fixing the camber of both wheels at zero degrees assists in obtaining good traction from wide tires and also tends to reduce wheel hop under high power operations compared to an independent suspension.

There are costs, however:

If coil springs are used then a lateral location link (usually either 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 Watt's linkage
Watt's linkage

Watt's linkage is a type of mechanical linkage invented by James Watt to constrain the movement of a steam engine piston in a straight line....
), plus additional torque links on each side (five link suspension) or a combination of lower trailing links and an upper transverse wishbone are required. None of these additional links are required if leaf springs are used.
Sympathetic camber changes on opposite wheels are seen on single-wheel suspension compression. This is not important for operation on improved surfaces but is more critical for rough road or off road use.
Compared to a fully independent rear suspension the ability to refine the dynamic response of the vehicle is somewhat limited.

Use in production cars

Older cars

In addition the original Mazda Cosmo

Mazda Cosmo

There have been four generations of Mazda automobiles which went by the name of Cosmo, although they are not all particularly related. All were GT cars, with the first proving a successful launch for the Mazda Wankel engine and acting as a halo vehicle for the new Mazda brand....
, Alfa Romeo GTV6, Alfa Romeo 75

Alfa Romeo 75

The Alfa Romeo 75, sold in North America as the Milano, was a compact car sports sedan / compact executive car produced by the Italy automaker Alfa Romeo between 1985 and 1992....
/Milano, Lancia Aurelia

Lancia Aurelia

The Lancia Aurelia is considered by many to be the first true Gran Turismo automobile. Designed by Vittorio Jano, the Aurelia was launched in 1950 and production lasted through the summer of 1958....
(fourth series onwards), first and second generation Prince Gloria, Lancia Flaminia

Lancia Flaminia

The Lancia Flaminia is a luxury car from the Italy automaker, Lancia, built from 1957 to 1970. It was Lancia's Flagship#Automotive model at that time, replacing the Lancia Aurelia....
, Volvo 300-series

Volvo 300 series

The Volvo 300 series was a rear wheel drive automobile sold as both a hatchback and a conventional sedan from 1976-1991. It was launched in The Netherlands shortly after Volvo Cars acquired a major stake in the passenger car division of DAF Trucks in 1973....
, Rover P6

Rover P6

The Rover P6 series is a group of sedan cars produced from 1963 to 1977 Solihull, West Midlands , England. It was replaced by the Rover SD1. It was voted European Car of the Year in 1964....
and Dodge Caravan & Grand Caravan (all wheel drive version from 1991-2004) are examples of production vehicles using this suspension. Some of the largest Opels, such as the Opel Diplomat

Opel Diplomat

The Opel Diplomat was a large automobile manufactured by General Motors Germany subsidiary Opel....
"B" of 1969, also used this suspension.

Recent cars

The Smart Fortwo

Smart Fortwo

The Smart Fortwo is a rear-engined two-seater car manufactured by Smart and introduced at the 1998 Paris Motor Show. Initially named the Smart City Coupe, the fortwo has now entered its second generation, and in 2008 an all electric concept version of the model, the fortwo ed debuted....
and Smart Roadster micro-compact cars produced by DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi i

Mitsubishi i

The is a kei car from Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors, first released in January 2006, twenty eight months after its debut at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show....
kei car

Kei car

Kei car, K-car, or , is a Japanese category of small automobiles, including automobiles, microvan, and kei truck. They are designed to exploit local tax and insurance relaxations, and in more rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is available for the vehicle....
produced by Mitsubishi Motors and the Caterham 7 (a version of the Lotus Seven

Lotus Seven

The Lotus Seven was a small, simple, lightweight two-seater open-top sports car produced by Lotus Cars between 1957 and 1972.It was designed by Lotus founder Colin Chapman and has been considered the embodiment of the Lotus philosophy of performance through low weight and simplicity....
) produced by Caterham Cars

Caterham Cars

Caterham Cars is a manufacturer of specialist lightweight sports cars based in Caterham, Surrey, England and part of the British motor industry....
are the only cars currently in production that utilize this arrangement, as well as the products of some kit car

Kit car

A kit car is an automobile that is available in kit form, which means that the client buys a set of parts and needs to assemble the car themselves....
companies. A recent vehicle to use this suspension coupled with leaf springs was the Ford Ranger EV

Ford Ranger EV

The Ford Ranger EV is a battery electric vehicle produced by Ford Motor Company. It was produced starting in the 1998 model year through 2002 and is no longer in production....
.