6 replies to this topic

[DOHC]

The de Dion axle has a long history in racing, and could potentially be discussed at length.

For a starting point, I'd like to bring up the last few occasions it's been used on F1 cars, but please feel free to give any comments, from any time, on this type of construction.

My curiosity starts with the experiments Ferrari carried out 1974-76 with a de Dion rear axle. The 312T2 ran several tests with a de Dion rear, but to my knowledge it was never raced. Is this correct, and what was the problem?

Is that the last time de Dion rears were used?

[2F-001]

Just a few thoughts...

The unraced (when new) Lotus F2 car intended to replace the 48 (forget the model number for now, 52 or 58 maybe...) is reported to have had de Dion axles at both ends. I understand this car has been restored, but I haven't seen it yet.

Chaparral 2H had a de Dion rear end (albeit with a hinge in the middle).

My Caterham has one too! In fact many Sevens racing these days do.

[DOHC]

Yes, right, the Lotus 57/58 had de Dion front & rear. The 57 was an F1 and the 58 an F2 car, but the chassis was the same. IIRC only one car was built in 1968, and it was never raced. It was designed by Maurice Phillippe and was a downsized Lotus 56 look-alike.

That was before the Ferrari T2 though.

[Roger Clark]

Here is another thread that had some discussion about de Dion suspensions


http://www.atlasf1.c...=&threadid=5596

[DOHC]

Roger, thanks for the link! It's very interesting!

Maybe the threads could be merged?

[DOHC]

And about pictures of the Lotus 57/58, there are some originals from 1968 in Michael Olivers excellent book about the history of the Lotus 49. Recent pictures are found in a link to Gary C's homepage in the thread mentioned by Roger.

[schuy]

Caterham, for 2002, made the decision not to continue with de dion suspension layouts.