Beam axle

Diagonal Panhard rod bolted to a black rectangular profile beam axle on a front-wheel-drive 2002 Mazda MPV. This is an example of a "dead axle". A "live axle" not only connects two wheels, but also drives them.

A beam axle, rigid axle, or solid axle is a dependent suspension design in which a set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. Beam axles were once commonly used at the rear wheels of a vehicle, but historically, they have also been used as front axles in four-wheel-drive vehicles. In most automobiles, beam axles have been replaced with front (IFS) and rear independent suspensions (IRS).


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