Abstract: An all-terrain vehicle is provided with eight wheels on four equidistant axles all driven from a single engine via two transfer boxes and differential gear units on each axle. The axles are fully floating beam axles on long travel coil springs and controlled by radius arms and Panhard rods. The radius arms may be parallel to and co-extensive with the respective propeller shafts coupling the differential gears to the transfer boxes and the connections between the propeller shafts and the transfer box outputs include torsional vibration dampers. The couplings at the ends of each propeller shaft to the transfer box and the differential gear unit comprise respective universal joints, and the yokes of the universal joints at opposite ends of the propeller shaft are set to be rotationally out of phase, with the driven yoke lagging the driving yoke. A dual circuit braking system with a deceleration sensing valve can be provided to limit the hydraulic pressure to the front wheel brakes.

Abstract: An all-terrain vehicle has a chassis based on two longitudinal box section members and designed to permit a degree of torsional flexibility, with four beam axles equally spaced along the wheelbase. The drive transmission is arranged so that drive to the wheels on all four axles, or only the center two, can be selected, and the wheels on both the front and rear axles are steerable. The front axle wheels are positively steered whereas the rear axle wheels are arranged to castor to a smaller turning angle than the front wheels. All the wheels are fitted with extra large balloon tires. The axles are of the beam type, with coil suspension springs and swing axle radius rods permitting a considerable amount of vertical movement; limited lateral movement is permitted by Panhard rods.