All-wheel drive is more than four wheels.
The Niva 6×6 is now an off-roader that comes with six wheels. 6×6 In the past few years, vehicles have become more popular. From factory creations like this to the “The Beast from the Underground,” we’ve seen it all. Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6 To crazy tuning projects such as the Hennessey VelociRaptor 6×6 Smart custom builds such as the Suzuki Jimny 6×6 mini pickup. We have yet to see a 6×6 project in Russia, which is surprising considering the amount of insane cars that are imported from Russia. The folks from Garage 54 This gap is finally being filled with a Lada Niva 6×6.
The team used a 4×4 Niva of standard wheelbase with four doors, inspired by similar designs by Russian people, as a donor vehicle. The four-wheel rear axle was constructed by mechanics. It consists of leaf springs, a central axle with two massive bearings and some lower links. Additional Lada links are attached to the frame rails to ensure that the entire construction does not suffer from lateral twist. The suspension is complete.
As you may have guessed, torque transfer is the main problem. It turns out that Lada has never produced an axle design with two rear diffs, so there is no factory solution. The mechanics will need to create a unique layout that includes a connecting shaft between both rear differentials. How will that work? In the next episode, we’ll find out.
The first road (and offroad) tests have shown that the suspension at the rear is capable of handling off-road terrain. There’s also enough room for high suspension travel. The clever rear axle looks amazing.