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Date:         Fri, 4 Sep 2009 10:20:17 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <goose1047@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <goose1047@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Cool modified DOKA and BRM
Comments: To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To:  <588058.2405.qm@web110602.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

> Say what you will about Subaru engineering, they are no less subject to the need for marketing doublespeak; witness their Symmetrical All Wheel Drive.  What the heck is that supposed to mean?  Are we to infer from that name that other manufacturers' systems are other-than-symmetrical and, if so, what difference does it make?

Most FWD cars have transverse engines. To simplify things they have a normal engine with the drive taken off the end of the crankshaft; this requires the gearbox to be beside the engine ie offset to one side; hence the driveshafts are of unequal length. Subaru's boxwers being inline, the crank is north-soputh and the trans lies centrally, hence symmetrical driveshafts.

Of course transverse-engined cars are designed this way to shorten the car too; if the trans was centered behind the engine and driven from a midctrank gear or chain, the drivetrain becomes longer, necessitating a bigger vehicle (just as front-engined vans are longer per unit of cargobay floorlength).

-- Regards Andrew Grebneff Dunedin, New Zealand Fossil preparator Mollusc, Toyota & VW van fanatic


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