Front Subframe: Description and Operation

4009 - Front-axle Cross Member (A)







The front-axle cross member (A) has been newly developed. The design has been completely revised based on crash requirements, particularly in an offset crash. At the same time, the cross member has been widened by 15 mm on each side. This has enabled the attachment points to be positioned correspondingly further towards the outside for the purpose of track widening in the range of 30 mm, resulting in an actual widening of the track by 24 mm (Boxster S) (between 24 and 35mm on the Boxster), according to the wheel size and rim offset.

In order to reduce weight, the casting procedure for the front axle cross member has been switched from die casting to pressure casting. Pressure casting makes it possible to cast generally thinner wall thicknesses. The considerable advantage is that material can be applied with high precision according to the areas exposed to stress.