# Independent Rear Suspension -- Who Offers it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independent-rear-suspension-who-offers-it/113591>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 12, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independent-rear-suspension-who-offers-it/113591 "2002-06-12T04:24:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independent-rear-suspension-who-offers-it/113591/21 "2002-06-13T22:35:15Z")

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Well, I was wrong too. I forgot about the IRS on the Tempest.

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**Author:** ![RufusLeaking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c5a1d2/32.png) [@RufusLeaking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RufusLeaking)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independent-rear-suspension-who-offers-it/113591/22 "2002-06-13T23:17:18Z")

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Slight hijack: Solid rear axles are sometimes refered to as “Live Axles”. I wonder if the term “Live Axle” originated to indicate that the rear wheels were not driven by chains as in the very early cars? In which case IRS would also be a “Live Axle”?

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independent-rear-suspension-who-offers-it/113591/23 "2002-06-14T02:05:25Z")

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I don’t know the orignin of the term, but in the auto repair field “live axle” refers only to solid axles, which preclude IRS.

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