Transverse Rear-Engine Dedion..... [Archive]

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rjwoods77

11-11-2005, 08:40 PM

Thought this was neat. Transverse layouts are nice for really small cars and this seems like a nice suspension solution for a tight transverse and longtiudal application. This is a manufacturing disaster(quality) but it is neat none the same. Just think how clean it would be with a satchell link instead of the 4 link with watts linkage. Eat your heart out Adelaide.

http://63.196.113.82/17.htm

rjwoods77

11-11-2005, 08:40 PM

jack

11-11-2005, 08:54 PM

someone buy that guy a TIG welder, quick! http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

clausen

11-11-2005, 10:21 PM

That's cool!

A nice lattice frame has got to be the most efficient way of making the beam to join the two hubs. That's what Ferrari did on their 70's dedion F1 experiment.

What I would like to see some pictures of is the Smart Roadsters DeDion rear end.

Paul Clausen

(DeDion designer)

Adelaide

BryanH

11-12-2005, 03:02 AM

WTF are you still doing in Adlelaide Paul? just as well you are because possibly the best collection of racing ferrari's ever assembled in Aust are in town this week for Classic Adelaide. If you are checking out the cars in Vic square sunday arvo I'll buy you a Coopers and we can discuss dedion and golf carts 0418820224

11-12-2005, 03:05 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by clausen:
A nice lattice frame has got to be the most efficient way of making the beam to join the two hubs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Maybe. But I figure the spaceframe DeDion above has at least 6 x 1" diameter tubes spanning from (rather heavy) upright to upright. That's the same weight as 1 x 6" diameter tube of the same wall thickness, which I reckon would be plenty stiff enough, and much easier to make. The single tube approach, like you used Paul, is good.

Yeah, looks more like bird poop than weld, but the car looks good from the outside.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">What I would like to see some pictures of is the Smart Roadsters DeDion rear end. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I've no pics, but I did crawl under one at a recent motorshow (wife and kids won't come with me to shows - they get too embarrassed http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif). If I remember correctly, it is ~3" diameter steel tube bent into "U" shape, wheels at ends of U, centre of U forwards and attached to chassis by single central rubber mount (?couldn't quite see that bit), transverse engine/transaxle inside U, then two transverse links - pivotted to chassis at car centreline behind engine, and to the ends of the U - for lateral location. The transverse links over constrain the system in axle-bounce-mode, but they are rubber mounted so will flex a bit. It's all tightly packed into a small space so I might have missed something?

Z

clausen

11-12-2005, 04:52 PM

Bryan, yeah missing the classic Adelaide sucks. We got to melbourne on wednesday. Starting at Perkins tommorow.

RX7 is still in the shed at Woodside though. Probably drive it over at Christmas time.

awhittle

11-13-2005, 02:06 PM

I have done a Dedion on an A-Mod before. The trick is figuring out how to make it adjustable and still make it lighter than a good independent. I did like the way it handled. I first used two FWD knuckles with a single 2" square tube connecting both uprights. I found that this was not strong enough to handle the toe control. By the time I added enough stringth to deal with that, the entire setup got too heavy. At the time I was running a turbo 2.8 liter motor.

Hope this helps

AW