What is a Transaxle Automatic Transmission

[z-partsman]

Question..... what is a Transaxle Automatic Transmission? Yet alone where can I find one or can I make one? I found and old artical that had one in a 6x6. Here is their discription.....

"Two sticks start, shift and reverse the six wheels. To go, you push both levers forward. Pull back on them and you reverse. Push one and pull the other to change direction in the length of the machine as one set of wheels goes forward and the opposite set go backwards. Let go of both handles and you come to a stop automatically.

Transaxle Automatic Transmission or TAT as it's called, works this magic with an infinite number of gear ratios from High to Low. The TATs coneshaped drive discs hold the secret that makes it a clutch, variable speed transmission, and differential all in one. You don't have to build or assemble the TAT, you buy it and install it as a unit.

Throttle control is only used when starting up the 8-hp, 4-stroke engine. The TAT takes care of all speed and direction change requirements."
Now.... anybody have any ideas?? I tried to copy a picture but my pc is throwing a fit.

[Mike]

Before I read the part about the drive discs I would have sworn it was hydraulic. I have no clue but it sure sounds awesome. Do you know which 6x6 had that trans?

[z-partsman]

the MI Marauder. it's a home built 6x6 out of ply.

[GREASEMONKEY]

The easy way to explain a transaxle is the comparison to an average pickup truck transmission.
In an average pickup, or rear wheel drive car, the engine spins the transmission-the transmission spins the drive shaft(propeller shaft for you Aussi gents!)-the drive shaft spins the differential-the differential spins the axles-axles spin the wheel's.
In a front wheel drive, or rear wheel drive rear engine car, the engine spins the transmission, the transmission houses the differential, and some portion of the axles. There is no need for a drive shaft, because the differential is internal. This is great for saving space.
The best example of the most basic trans-axle car is an old 70's VW Beetle! It is also great for the fact of having fewer moving parts, less movment, less mantainance! There is no difference in a trans-axle being an automatic, or manual. It's still called a trans-axle due to it's basic design!
The type of trans-axle you are refering to is more than likely mechanical over hydraulic. Meaning that the mechanical part of the drive line controls/powers the hydraulic final drive. Judging by the type of controls you describe, the drive line will be somthing like this.
Engine spins trans-axle, outter axles spin twin hydraulic pumps, pumps push hydraulic fluid through a valving system(the valving system determines the flow direction & volume) the fluid pushes 2 or more hydraulic motors, the motors spin a set of gear drives or axles attached to the wheels!

I hope that this shed a little light, and wasn't too confusing.

[z-partsman]

well.... it's not a hydraulic system, and I do know how a basic drive line works in my truck and fWD car. this thing has NO gears. just an input shaft and output shaft. on the input there is your drive chain sprocket, on both sides of the output there are your secondary drive sprockets.

there is a better way to explain this system to all.... go over to http://www.route6x6.com/memorylane/b...mi6wheeler.pdf

its'on page 6 (or the originals page 81).it has 3 pictures of this trans assembly there. It looks more like it takes place of the belt drive system and trans. It is neat how it instantly reverses the direction of one or both sides with out having to shift a gear selector, and with out it being Hydraulic. I hope that explains better what I am talking about.

Whipper have you seen these?

[Mike]

In that article, it states that you don't have to build that "TAT" but then there is no more information about it. I wonder if anybody has the full plans from Mechanics Illustrated online somewhere? It would be interesting to at least see what brand that transmission was.

[liflod]

I think you're talking about a Dixon ZTR lawn mower Z-drive transaxle. 2 cone cltuches, the more you press on the sitcks, the farther down on the cone the disc rides + higher ratio. Instant reverse. That style trans does not have enough umphh to move a 6x6. My mower does good, but its only drving 2 wheels.

[Mike]

Have those been around for a long time?

[GREASEMONKEY]

By the looks of it, that's a dual directional gear differential. Twin cone gears, what a different way of thinking!

[z-partsman]

I think you're talking about a Dixon ZTR lawn mower Z-drive transaxle. 2 cone cltuches, the more you press on the sitcks, the farther down on the cone the disc rides + higher ratio. Instant reverse. That style trans does not have enough umphh to move a 6x6. My mower does good, but its only drving 2 wheels.

I wouldn't mind giving it a try once though. I did find another link for the plans, but I forget where it was. Said the plans where only $5. not sure if that from way back then price or not.