There’s something about the Austrian (and German) mindset that just never seemed to like solid axles. The German engineer Edmund Rumpler patented swing axles in 1903. Austrian engineer Hans Ledwinka was one of the leading early exponents of them, and his Tatras greatly influenced Porsche’s VW and the subsequent 356. Independent suspension of one kind or another soon swept across the globe. But I’d never even considered that it found its way to a tractor, until I took a closer look at this vintage Steyr posted at the Cohort by T. Minor. Wow! IFS, by twin transverse leaf springs, on a tractor front end. Does it have swing axles in back?
Probably not. T.Minor said it’s still used to move boats at a marina, presumably on the Danube. I remember these from when I was a kid in Austria in the 50s, but did not pick up on the IFS.
What I mostly remember was the clatter from their diesel engines, which came in one, two and three cylinder versions. This one was the top of the range, with the triple. But I can’t stop seeing it now.
Paul, it’s not a “full” IFS – there is a pivot point just like on an old pre-48 Ford. But because of the “give” in the springs it does have an independent element. Must be more comfortable than a solid-axled Farmall though. Oh: a few hundred meters away there is an old Danube guard boat someone purchased for peanuts from the Austrian Federal Army, I may post that up too…
The Ford transverse front leaf spring does not pivot; it’s rigidly mounted to the frame.
I assumed that this tractor might have pivot points on its front leaf springs, as a tractor needs a very large amount of articulation. But that does not take away the fact that this is genuine independent front suspension, with the added ability to articulate through a central pivot. But I suppose one could argue that point. Still, it’s more IFS than other tractors with their rigid axles that only pivot.
Quite right on the Ford, I must have drank the senility juice again.
The 3rd picture would indicate that the leaf springs are attached rigidly to the engine block. It also appears that the engine and transmission are acting as frame members. So unless the engine pivots the front axle does not pivot at all.
I think Steyr used the IFS in order to avoid a pivot mechanism.
Quite right. That was my first impulse.
….but I think they had a version of this IFS with pivot as well. I couldn’t find a good picture of it yet.
Good looking old tractor. The quasi-cab and upgraded seat were very good ideas.
Having spent just enough time on ’50s era Ford tractors, I would love to take this baby for a spin. With its independent front suspension, it would have to be a wee bit less of a handful on certain types of terrain.
Upper and lower transverse leaf springs is an independent suspension solution so simple that even Henry Ford with his love for transverse leaf springs may have liked it. If it is simple and rugged enough for a tractor, it should be simple and rugged enough for the tractor-like Model T, shouldn’t it?
Which makes me think — just as an enthusiast created an independent rear suspension for early Ford Mustangs that was/is a bolt-on modification, did anyone ever create a bolt-on transverse leaf spring independent front suspension for the Ford Model T or Model A? It could have done for Model T suspension what Louis Chevrolet’s Frontenac cylinder heads did for Model T engines. Or, maybe someone with a lot of time and money on his hands can create one now. One can dream…
Well, there were the English adaptations by Bellamy and Allard, but I would not call any of them an improvement…
The Allard swing-axle-by-cutting-a-Ford-axle-in-half was terrifying to watch. I don’t know how those J2Xs got around a track effectively.
You can never have enough linkages. That’s for sure.
Fascinating video. I’ve heard of a lot of cars made in Germany during WWII, but I’ve never seen or heard of this.
Sometimes they came up with perfect solutions in search of problems though.
I was immediately reminded of the M151 Jeep, and the running joke about how they would turn over at a stoplight. (They were retrofitted with straps to limit wheel travel in later years, I think.)
I’m guessing a Tempo 1200 full of unsupervised Privates would be on its top in about 30 seconds.
and for those 30 seconds they would have childish grins on their faces.
I honestly don’t know about the wheel limit straps. I do know that at some point in the mid-eighties the M151’s belonging to the National Guard were retrofitted with roll bars and seat belts. I guess the theory was that they couldn’t prevent them from turning over so they would provide some degree of protection. Needless too say these belts and roll bars were pretty much universally despised by everyone. It was bad enough crawling into and out the little beasties under normal conditions, when you added a full set of field gear (canteens, gas mask, etc.) to the mix it was really difficult. As far as I know these have all been phased out and were replaced by Hummers. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to purchase a surplus M151.
Joe, this is how Israeli Defense Forces M151 ended up… In fact, due to their bad accident record in the end you had to go through a special off-road course to drive them and they were usually limited to off-road reconnaissance work. All gone now, replaced by Hummers.
These Tempos were never officially accepted for service by the Wehrmacht on account of a number of reasons: two strokes emit clouds of smoke visible from a distance; twin engine complexity; and last, but not least, Tempo was owned by a Jew… But they did use what they could get their hands on so some might have seen service.
Get a load of the positive camber! That’s about as fast as I’d care to drive it.
Danke, Wolfgang. That was just amazing to see – those camber angles are insane!
THANK YOU for this fun link ! .
I get a laugh out of watching them *gingerly* puttering along in vehicles designed to be run up hills in the mud at speed….
I should have bought a Kubelwagen back when decent ones were $1,000 ~ $1,500 in running condition .
I vividly remember riding on the top back of a Kubelwagen up out of the paddock @ Laguna Seca Raceway back in the 1970’s , that was fun , long before the massive influx of fences and gates every where it has to – day .
-Nate
Did European tractors have a higher road speed than their American cousins? That would help to explain this solution (plus, the softer ride out in the field). I picture an Austrian farmer who lived in the village and used his (licensed and fully-lit) tractor to commute to the field, in contrast with his American cousin who lived on the farm, and could be content with a top speed in the teens in order to get from the barn to his field (excepting you wild men on your Farmalls and Fords). John Deere tricycle front wheels had a “knee action” (Roll-O-Matic) system that allowed one wheel to go up as the other went down, which really decreased the wheel hop in the front, but it was rigidly geared; top end modern tractors have four wheel drive/independent front suspensions, but these are complex, expensive, computer-controlled air and mechanical systems, a far cry from this elegant axle.
You bring up an interesting point. As a matter of fact, many Austrian farmers live in villages, and their fields can sometimes be some distance away. And of course they’re the issue of bringing goods/animals/hay etc. to market or such. I saw a number of tractors pulling wagons zipping right through downtown Innsbruck this past summer. And they move right along.
I never thought about this but yeas, it’s a valid point.
@ Paul: I had a chance to sit in the local Heurigen’s (for those who ask, that’s a Lower Austria institute, sort of a cross between a pub and a restaurant run by farmers selling their own products: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heuriger) owner’s 4 year old Steyr and it’s more space-age and luxurious inside than cars, and with its 12 sp auto box it will hit 35 MPH if he wants. Hand-off plowing on sat-nav – it reaches the end of the field and turns by itself more accurately than he could!
The tractors with the best image/reputation/”prestige” among farmers here, according to a survey I read a few years ago:
1. Steyr (Austria, CNH)
2. Fendt (Germany, AGCO-Group)
3. John Deere
On-road top speed of the most powerful farm tractors these days is 55 to 60 km/h. Often these are also used in earth-moving and other non-agricultural jobs.
Seeing the camber on that vehicle reminded me of this dune buggy that I photographed this morning. I could not believe the wide tires and the extreme amount of camber. I am sure that the body of the VW was just removed and the torsion bars were not cranked down to lower the back and get the tires flat on the ground. The tires won’t last too long being driven like this.
I’m not sure whether it was independent, I don’t think so, but the first thing I think of for a tractor with front suspension is the “Tail End Charlie”, a Chamberlain tractor modified for use as a sweep vehicle in the Redex Trials of the 1950s. It had a top speed of 65 mph or so (hence the need for suspension!), and in the last event covered 11,140 miles in 19 days, usually towing a car or three.