Weissach axle

The Weissach axle (pronounced 'Vise-' as in 'advise' and '-ach' with guttural 'ch') is a particular rear suspension arrangement used in the Porsche 928. The goal of the Weissach axle was to eliminate lift-throttle oversteer by allowing the rear suspension to adjust itself during cornering maneuvers.

The Weissach axle is a variant of the semi-trailing arm suspension. The tendency of a vehicle to oversteer when decelerating is compounded by the compliant bushings found in most trailing arm suspensions. When the vehicle is decelerating, the trailing arm pivots towards the rear as the wheel is "pulled" backwards relative to the chassis. This results in toe out, which makes the vehicle unstable.

For the Weissach axle, the front pivot bushing of the trailing arm is replaced by a short link. In this arrangement, when the vehicle decelerates and the wheel is "pulled" back, the result is toe in. This adds to stability and thus, reduces oversteer.

A similar design was used in the 1966 Ford Zephyr Mk IV.[1] In the rear suspension of the second generation Mazda RX-7 the extra link is not used, a special bushing is used in the same position in the lower control arm to perform a similar function.

Name

It is named after the town of Weissach, where the research centre of Porsche is located and the axle was developed.[2]

References
  1. Rallye Sport Fords: The Inside Story By Mike Moreton P28
  2. http://content3.eu.porsche.com/prod/company/history.nsf/deugerman/milestonesthe_seventies%7C (Retrieved Oct. 20. 2007)
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