Re: Still more replicars, with some Alfa content

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Joe asks how a solid axle works with an Alfetta transaxle? Exactly as it
does on any car with a De Dion axle, front or rear. It is not independently
sprung; there is an inflexible axle connecting the two wheels. A while back
on the digest there was some dispute over whether a De Dion is a form of
independent suspension, but I was (and am) among those who think it isn't.
Early chain-drive cars, like the Peking-Paris Itala and the prewar Fiat
racers (and the Parry Thomas "Babs" land-speed record car, and
Frazier-Nashes up to WW II) had chassis-mounted differentials,
countershafts, and driven sprockets at the wheels of a solid axle, exactly
as a De Dion except for the use of chains rather than U-jointed
half-shafts - one of the reasons the chain-drivers had remarkably good
roadholding and surprising lap speeds on miserable roads. A solid axle is
determined by the relationship of the wheels to each other, not by the means
of driving them. Those who want to define it otherwise are welcome to do so.
Cheers
John
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Elliott" <jee@domain.elided>
To: "Alfa Romeo Digest" <alfa-digest@domain.elided>
Cc: <johnhertzman@domain.elided>
Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 2:38 AM
Subject: re: Still more replicars, with some Alfa content


> At 5:10 AM +0000 8/4/03, alfa-digest wrote:
> >Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2003 00:07:17 -0400
> >From: "John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>
> >Subject: Still more replicars, with some Alfa content
> >
> >Ron Horowitz mentioned a possibly Boneschi-bodied first version of the 4R
> >Zagato. It sounds to me out of character for Boneschi and also for the
premise
> >of the project, but odd things happen. There was, however, another 1750
Zagato
> >replicar called the Leontina, built by Carrozzeria Pettenelli in 1975 and
'76;
> >the body appears to have been an absolutely faithful reproduction on a
ladder
> >frame with solid axles, leaf springs, and period-correct friction
dampers. The
> >wheels and tires give it away - much closer to original proportion than
the
> >4R's, but still not full height skinnies - and fatal incongruity reared
its
> >ugly head in fake brake drums enclosing the disk brakes. Along with a
proper
> >Alfa four it used an Alfetta transaxle, probably aided by a high floor
true to
> >the original's seating. Very few were built - the sources say three to
five -
> >which decreases the odds on it being the car Ron's friend was selling.
>
> Okay, I have to ask--how does a solid axle work with an Alfetta transaxle?
>
> -Joe
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