Abstract: A four-wheel drive arrangement for vehicles having a transversely mounted engine includes an angular drive arrangement which incorporates several design features to reduce undesirable movement of the arrangement and resulting noise inside the vehicle. These features include support of the angular drive gear assembly at a point other than where it is fastened to a transmission/differential combination (e.g., by a bracket fastened to the engine), formation of the clutch and differential gear housing as an integral unit, resonance decoupling of a cardan shaft arrangement driven by the angular drive gear, and design of the angular drive gear assembly housing so as to reduce the length of the output shaft and associated bearing support. Specific arrangements for supporting the angular drive gear assembly and sections of the cardan shaft arrangement are also disclosed, as are specific features of the unitary housing which contributes to the overall reduction of inside noise levels.

Abstract: A wheel suspension for a motor vehicle of the type in which a plurality of transverse, longitudinal or oblique control arms in communication with the wheel supports of the vehicle are articulated to a subframe which is releasably fastened to the vehicle chassis. The bearing bolt of at least one linkage bearing of each control arm articulated to the subframe simultaneously serves to fasten the subframe to the vehicle chassis.