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Automotive Dictionary
This page is a list of some lesser known automotive terms likely to be
used on this web site. If you find a term you don't know the meaning of,
send it to Contact Form and I'll post the definition
here.
3-Link - A variation on the 4-link
suspension described below. An upper link is typically removed. This arrangement was used
on lower powered cars to reduce cost.
4-Link - A suspension setup that uses 4 rods (or links) to locate an
axle. Depending on the arrangement of the links, a panhard rod or watts link may be used
to control side to side motion. This type of suspension was used in most American designed
rear wheel drive cars built from the 60's, 70's, and 80's.
Drive Gear - This is a gear connected directly to a power source.
Driven Gear - This is a gear that meshes with a drive gear. It turns in
the reverse direction of the drive gear it meshes with.
Kneuter Valve - This is the part that usually causes weird problems with
a car (like when it stalls making a left hand turn past a church on the third Wednesday
after a new moon) when it fails.
Ladder Bars - Rigid triangular suspension devices used to locate an axle
front to rear. These are used almost exclusively in drag race cars due to the fact that
they bind when cornering. A panhard rod or a watts link is used to locate the axle side to
side.
Panhard Rod - A device used to control side to side motion in a ladder
bar, torque-tube, or 4-link rear suspension. A panhard rod connects one side of the axle
with the opposite side of the car. These rods induce some side to side motion in the car
as the suspension travels up and down.
Torque-tube - A large diameter tube that connects the transmission and
the axle and locates the axle front to rear. A panhard rod controls side to side motion.
This was the factory setup on most AMC's made before 1967.
Watts Link - A device used to control side to side motion in a ladder
bar, torque-tube, or 4-link rear suspension. A watts link has a pivot point in the center
of the axle and a rod that runs to each side of the car. This design eliminate the side to
side motion of a panhard rod.
Last Updated
01/05/04 08:48:47 PM |