Twin Traction Trivia

[Guido]

Dick,

My understanding is that Studebaker acquired Twin Traction rears as a result of the merger merger with Packard. I think that the TT rear debuted on the Clipper in 1956 and was termed a "safety differential" in some advertising material.

Ford also had a Twin Traction Beam axle in their trucks in the '80's.

Gary

(note - Dick's response was posted before mine... GRRRR [xx(])

[Guido]

Dick,

My understanding is that Studebaker acquired Twin Traction rears as a result of the merger merger with Packard. I think that the TT rear debuted on the Clipper in 1956 and was termed a "safety differential" in some advertising material.

Ford also had a Twin Traction Beam axle in their trucks in the '80's.

Gary

(note - Dick's response was posted before mine... GRRRR [xx(])

[JeffDeWitt]

Twin Traction Trivia

I seem to remember hearing that Twin Traction (as a functioning piece of machinery not just a name) was a Studebaker invention and all the Positraction, Twin Grips and everything else came from Studebakers design.

Is there any truth to this?

How many different names can you folks come up that have been used with limited slip differentials over the years?

[Dick Steinkamp]

It was a Dana Spicer "invention". Studebaker was one of many auto makers that bought their rear ends from Dana Spicer. Studebaker called it Twin Traction and other users of the same unit called it by different names. Several auto makers had positraction type rear axles before Dana Spicer came out with theirs.

[Dick Steinkamp]

It was a Dana Spicer "invention". Studebaker was one of many auto makers that bought their rear ends from Dana Spicer. Studebaker called it Twin Traction and other users of the same unit called it by different names. Several auto makers had positraction type rear axles before Dana Spicer came out with theirs.

[lstude]

quote:Ford also had a Twin Traction Beam axle in their trucks in the '80's.

I thought Ford's was a Twin I Beam front suspension.

Leonard Shepherd

http://leonardshepherd.com/

[lstude]

quote:Ford also had a Twin Traction Beam axle in their trucks in the '80's.

I thought Ford's was a Twin I Beam front suspension.

Leonard Shepherd

http://leonardshepherd.com/

[StudeRich]

Right, on Ford pickups it was a Twin I Beam front axle.

quote:
I thought Ford's was a Twin I Beam front suspension.

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[StudeRich]

Right, on Ford pickups it was a Twin I Beam front axle.

quote:
I thought Ford's was a Twin I Beam front suspension.

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[JDP]

"In 1932 Ferdinand Porsche designed a Grand Prix racing car for the Auto Union company. The high power of the design caused one of the rear wheels to experience excessive wheel spin at any speed up to 100 MPH. In 1935 Porsche commissioned the engineering firm ZF to design an Limited slip differential which performed very well."


JDP/Maryland
64 Daytona HT/R2 clone
64 GT R2
63 GT R2
63 Lark 2 door
58 Starlight
52 & 53 Starliner
51 Commander

[JDP]

"In 1932 Ferdinand Porsche designed a Grand Prix racing car for the Auto Union company. The high power of the design caused one of the rear wheels to experience excessive wheel spin at any speed up to 100 MPH. In 1935 Porsche commissioned the engineering firm ZF to design an Limited slip differential which performed very well."


JDP/Maryland
64 Daytona HT/R2 clone
64 GT R2
63 GT R2
63 Lark 2 door
58 Starlight
52 & 53 Starliner
51 Commander

[Guido]

quote:Originally posted by lstudeI thought Ford's was a Twin I Beam front suspension.

Leonard and Rich,

The front suspension in the '60's was the Twin I Beam, but the used the Twin Traction Beam axle in their 4 wheel drive trucks after they went from the straight axle to the split "independent suspension" front axle in the early '80's. Like the Packard Twin Traction, it was also of a Dana design (28's and 35's in the light trucks, 44's and 50's in the bigger trucks).

Gary

[Guido]

quote:Originally posted by lstudeI thought Ford's was a Twin I Beam front suspension.

Leonard and Rich,

The front suspension in the '60's was the Twin I Beam, but the used the Twin Traction Beam axle in their 4 wheel drive trucks after they went from the straight axle to the split "independent suspension" front axle in the early '80's. Like the Packard Twin Traction, it was also of a Dana design (28's and 35's in the light trucks, 44's and 50's in the bigger trucks).

Gary

[JeffDeWitt]

John, you've been reading Wikipedia again <G>.

Actually I probably should have said something like it was a Stude innovation, not invention.

I was wondering if it was one of those deals like Studes first automatic. As I understand it that was Studes design but Detroit gear built it. Others (notably Ford) wanted to use it but Studebaker refused.

Perhaps they did the same thing with limited slip rear end only this time they got smart and licensed or sold the technology... and of course Dana built the things just as Detroit Gear built the automatics.

Jeff DeWitt

[JeffDeWitt]

John, you've been reading Wikipedia again <G>.

Actually I probably should have said something like it was a Stude innovation, not invention.

I was wondering if it was one of those deals like Studes first automatic. As I understand it that was Studes design but Detroit gear built it. Others (notably Ford) wanted to use it but Studebaker refused.

Perhaps they did the same thing with limited slip rear end only this time they got smart and licensed or sold the technology... and of course Dana built the things just as Detroit Gear built the automatics.

Jeff DeWitt