I'm looking at some marketing material from DaimlerChrysler, about the second-generation A-Class. In reference to the suspension, they talk about a "sphärische Parabelachse." Would that be something like a central-link rigid axle with parabolic leaf spring? Is that a concept that even makes sense?
I am taking a guess here... since A class is so small and sitting close to the ground, the room for suspension and driveline has become very limited. Coil spring whether strut or normal B-type takes up alot of space... so leaf spring or torsion bar is used.
Torsion bar is nice but again fighting for limited space may not be suitable for A class... therefore leaf spring is used for this situation.
Now, parabolic leaf spring... I am not sure what that is but perhaps a new way of utilizing leaf spring design with MB ingenuity.
Again for rigid rear axle... it is cheaper to use than normal MB setup and takes alot less space in the chassis area.
Thanks very much for the comments.
You probably meant ParabOlachse...
The whole phrase means spherical parabolic axle. Where are you located? Remember that the A-Class is not (yet) officially available in North America so very few people over there know anything about it.
DAS
I'm in the U.S. I wasn't necessarily interested in buying one. I was just trying to understand what it is (I'm not as familiar with the technology as I'd like to be sometimes.) It's not really an acute concern, just curiosity. I assume the axle itself doesn't have any curvature to it, so I'd guess it might be a little misleading to call it a parabolic axle, in English.
I mean, if you call it a parabolic axle, it sounds as though you're saying the axle might be shaped sort of like a banana :-)
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