Steering is a system of components, linkages, and many other parts that allows a vehicle to follow a desired course. An exception is the case of rail transport, by which rail tracks combined with railroad switches provide the steering function. The primary purpose of the steering system is to allow the driver to guide the vehicle.
A torsion bar suspension, also known as a torsion spring suspension, is any vehicle suspension that uses a torsion bar as its main weight-bearing spring. One end of a long metal bar is attached firmly to the vehicle chassis; the opposite end terminates in a lever, the torsion key, mounted perpendicular to the bar, that is attached to a suspension arm, a spindle, or the axle. Vertical motion of the wheel causes the bar to twist around its axis and is resisted by the bar's torsion resistance. The effective spring rate of the bar is determined by its length, cross section, shape, material, and manufacturing process.
Suspension is the system of tires, tire air, springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative motion between the two. Suspension systems must support both road holding/handling and ride quality, which are at odds with each other. The tuning of suspensions involves finding the right compromise. It is important for the suspension to keep the road wheel in contact with the road surface as much as possible, because all the road or ground forces acting on the vehicle do so through the contact patches of the tires. The suspension also protects the vehicle itself and any cargo or luggage from damage and wear. The design of front and rear suspension of a car may be different.
Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case providing an additional output drive shaft and, in many instances, additional gear ranges.
In automotive design, an RR, or rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout places both the engine and drive wheels at the rear of the vehicle. In contrast to the RMR layout, the center of mass of the engine is between the rear axle and the rear bumper. Although very common in transit buses and coaches due to the elimination of the drive shaft with low-floor buses, this layout has become increasingly rare in passenger cars.
In automotive design, a FR, or front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout is one where the engine is located at the front of the vehicle and driven wheels are located at the rear via a drive shaft. This was the traditional automobile layout for most of the 20th century. Modern designs commonly use the front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout (FF). It is also used in high-floor buses and school buses.
The BMW E12 is the first generation of 5 Series executive cars, which was produced from 1972 to 1981 and replaced the saloon models of the BMW New Class range.
The Mercedes-Benz OC 500 LE is a modular, heavy-duty, twin-axle bus chassis produced by Mercedes-Benz/EvoBus Ibérica, Spain. It was designed as a modular platform for low-entry city, suburban, and intercity buses with a maximum gross vehicle weight of 19.1 tonnes. The main modules consist of: 1) driver's pedestal, 2) front axle, 3) buggy centre section, 4) drive axle and 5) engine. It has much in common with the chassis used for the Mercedes-Benz Citaro integral bus range, and also the raised floor OC 500 RF coach chassis. The engine is horizontally mounted over the rear overhang.
The Mercedes-Benz O405 was a single-decker bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s as either an integral bus or a bus chassis and was the last VöV SL-II standard bus in production. It was the replacement for the Mercedes-Benz O305 and was widely used in Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore with 12,000 produced.
The layout of a motorised vehicle such as a car is often defined by the location of the engine and drive wheels.
Ikarbus a.d. is a Serbian bus manufacturer based in Zemun.
Roths Industries, Inc. (1945–1960) was a manufacturer of small garden tractors and other agricultural equipment founded by Herbert C. Roths in Alma, Michigan. The company manufactured Garden King Walking Tractors, BesRo Riding Tractors, and Till Ro Stalk Cutters.
The Chevrolet Van or Chevy Van is a range of vans that was manufactured by General Motors from the 1964 to 1996 model years. Introduced as the successor for the rear-engine Corvair Corvan/Greenbrier, the model line also replaced the panel van configuration of the Chevrolet Suburban. The model line was sold in passenger van and cargo van configurations as well as a cutaway van chassis that served as the basis for a variety of custom applications.
Ikarbus IK-201 is an articulated city bus built by the Serbian bus manufacturer Ikarbus from 1993 until 2006.
The MAN NG272 was a low floor articulated single-decker bus built by MAN Nutzfahrzeuge from 1990 until 1992. It was an articulated development from the MAN NL202. Especially sold in Europe, in particular in Germany, it was replaced by the MAN NG272(2) (A11) in 1992.
Ikarus 280 was an articulated bus produced by Hungarian bus manufacturer Ikarus from 1973 to 2002. It was succeeded by the Ikarus 435 in 1985.
Ikarbus IK-206 is an articulated city bus built by the Serbian bus manufacturer Ikarbus from 2006.
The Belkommunmash BKM-321 is a Belarusian large capacity low-floor trolleybus for intercity passenger transportation, mass-produced since 2003. It belongs to the third generation of trolleybuses developed by the Belkommunmash plant in Minsk.
The MAZ-215 is a Belarusian low-floor articulated bus from the Minsk Automobile Plant. The vehicle is an articulated bus with a driven central axle and corresponding to a drive formula of 6 × 2 (2). It is the successor of the MAZ-205.
The Mercedes-Benz W206 is the fifth generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class which is produced by Daimler AG since 2021. It replaces the W205 C-Class which has been produced since 2014. The W206 C-Class is based on the Mercedes MRA II rear-wheel drive modular platform also used by the W223 S-Class.
