Six-wheel drive ( 6WD or 6×6 ) is an all-wheel drive drivetrain configuration of three axles with at least two wheels on each axle capable of being driven simultaneously by the vehicle's engine. Unlike four-wheel drive drivetrains, the configuration is largely confined to heavy-duty off-road and military vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles , armored vehicles , and prime movers .
6-648: The M38 Wolfhound was a 6×6 US armored car produced in 1944 by the Chevrolet division of General Motors . It was designed as a replacement for the M8 Greyhound series, but the end of the war in 1945 led to the cancellation of the project after the completion of a handful of prototype vehicles. The Wolfhound had a crew of four and was armed with a 37 mm gun in a rotating open-topped turret, with an ammunition load of 93 rounds. Its secondary armament consisted of two machine guns; one mounted co-axially with
12-578: A series of tests to check a possibility of upgunning the vehicle. The layout of the M38 had similarities with the Alvis Saladin , a post-war British armored car, but there was no link between them. Citations Bibliography This United States military history article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This military vehicle article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Six-wheel drive When such
18-399: A vehicle only has six wheels by definition all are driven. When it has ten – with two pairs of ganged "dual" wheels on each rear axle as on a GMC CCKW – all are also driven but the 6×6 designation remains. For most military applications where traction/mobility are considered more important than payload capability, single wheels on each axle (often referred to as super singles) are
24-435: The main weapon, the other on an AA pintle mounting. It was powered by a Cadillac, eight-cylinder, water-cooled engine. Each side featured three large tires on symmetrically placed axles, with distinctive curved mudguards. The frontal glacis plate was sharply sloped to improve protection. A radio antenna was mounted on the front right of the glacis. One M38 was modified to take the turret of an M24 Chaffee tank and went through
30-427: The norm. Heavy hauler and ballast tractor 6×6s have had a long history as prime movers both in the military (as tank transports and artillery tractors ), and commercially in logging and heavy equipment hauling both on- and off-road . Most six-wheel drive vehicles have a forward axle and two at the rear (with only the front pair steering), or three evenly spaced in varying steering configurations. Depending on
36-459: The vehicle's role, the number of wheels varies between six (in three pairs) and ten (with two in the front and two dual axles with four wheels apiece in the rear). Drive may be limited to the rear two axles for on-road use. Military Military/commercial Commercial Conversions Recreational ATV/UTV Concept car , testbed , and limited production commercial examples include: Twin front axle Twin rear axle (Twin axle) drive in
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