Suicide front axle was a term used to define a suspension configuration used on early Ford cars.

The configuration consists of a one-piece axle

Axle

An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...

, to the ends of which the steerable front wheels are mounted. The axle receives its vertical support from a transverse leaf spring

Leaf spring

Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...

, and its horizontal support from fore-aft links (usually called "wishbones") which are attached (via pivots) to the ends of the axle at their forward end and to the sides of the chassis

Chassis

A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...

(again via pivots) at their aft end. The ends of the transverse leaf spring can either tie to the top of the wishbones, or to the top of the solid axle. The transverse leaf spring is supported at its center by a pivot or link on the center of the chassis's front crossmember.

See also

Overhead picture of typical Suicide Front Axle