Swing axle

The first automotive application was the Rumpler Tropfenwagen, another early example was the 1923 Tatra 11 later followed by the Mercedes 130H/150H/170H, the Standard Superior, the pre-facelift Volkswagen Beetle and most of its derivatives, the Chevrolet Corvair, and the roll-over prone M151 jeep amongst others.

Nevertheless, a simplified variant, wherein the differential remained fixed to one of the halfshafts, was offered optionally on the 1963 Jeep Wagoneer's front axle, upon its market introduction.

The 1964 models were fitted with a front anti-roll bar as standard equipment, in addition to a rear transverse leaf spring, thus improving stability during emergency maneuvering.

To attain correct handling balance, they actually used swing-axle geometry at the front, with the steering pivots mounted at the outer ends of single swing wishbones.

These caused too much understeer and uneven tyre wear, and modifications were made to reduce the positive camber of the front wheels by lowering the swing-axle pivot points.

[5] Aftermarket kits were also available to do this, and an inexpensive alternative was to insert a tapered shim to change the inclination of the kingpin carrier relative to the wishbone.