Dangel

Automobile Dangel make four wheel drive vehicles particularly based on Peugeot cars and vans. (Peugeot does not make 4x4s itself, except for the military P4 which is essentially a version of the G-wagen.) "Automobile Dangel was established in 1980 by Henry Dangel and is located in the Alsace region of eastern France near the Swiss border." Its conversions are well engineered products, involving major transmission, chassis and suspension components specially made by the firm.

The first Dangel conversions were based on Peugeot 504 and 505 station wagons (estate cars), vans and utes (trays, pickups). It is "relatively" easy to add a transfer case and a front diff' to a rear wheel drive car. The results gained a good reputation in North Africa.

The general move to front wheel drive in passenger cars, and even light commercial vehicles, and increasing vehicle regulation brought new challenges to all makers of four wheel drive conversions and many gave up. It is no longer just a matter of putting a transfer case behind the gearbox and running an extra propeller shaft forwards. Dangel have tackled this problem in various ways.

Dangel's simplest conversion method for a front-wheel drive, transverse-engined vehicle, uses a bevel gear to tap drive from the gearbox output, turn it through 90° and take it towards the rear wheels.

Dual-range gears (1:1 & 1.5:1) are also incorporated. This method is used in the Peugeot Boxer `le tout-chemin' van. A visco-coupleur (doesn't French sound sensuous) automatically distributes torque to the rear axle where a lockable differential is fitted (and de Dion rear suspension).

More sophisticated, the single differential of the front wheel drive Peugeot Partner is replaced by two differentials - (i) the lockable (verrouillable) "centre" diff' which drives the bevel gear to the rear wheels from one output and (ii) the diff' for the front wheels from the other output. In a very neat piece of engineering the two differentials are co-axial. Low-ratio gears are 1.72:1. The Partner has a 1761cc petrol or a 1868cc diesel engine.

For a heavier duty application, the Peugeot Boxer High Mobility HM3 (Haute Mobilite), the original transmission is entirely discarded. The engine remains in its original transverse mounting but a bevel gear and shaft take the drive rear-wards from the clutch output.

A new transmission is mounted in the centre of the van and drives the front wheels (with independent suspension) and the rear wheels (with a live axle) by propeller shafts. The gearbox is a very neat, flat unit and houses a 5-speed gearbox, high-ratio (1:1?) and low-ratio (2.1:1) reduction gears, and a lockable centre differential. A dozen other applications for this neat box spring immediately to mind.

Thanks to Automobile Dangel, 5 rue du Canal, B.P. 01, F-68780 Sentheim, France, for supplying background information.