What does Unit Engineering mean?

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User]
edited August 2012 in HUDSON
Today's Hudson First is Unit Engineering in 1932. Any clue what this is?

Comments

  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    The 1932 models introduced "unit-construction" engineering, which combined the all steel body and floor pan together as a single unit. The "unit body" was attached to an X-member frame with twenty-two attachment points. Engineering and Safety!

  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    This (above) practice was one of the reasons the thirties Hudsons were lighter than they looked. Mutually reinforcing frame and body meant each could be made a bit lighter.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Thank you both for your insight. Big help.
  • terraplane8
    terraplane8 Senior Contributor
    This (above) practice was one of the reasons the thirties Hudsons were lighter than they looked. Mutually reinforcing frame and body meant each could be made a bit lighter.
    No-one quite believes me when I tell them that my '36 Terraplane is a fair bit lighter than my Subaru Impreza which looks very much smaller!
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    Another thing that amazes folks is that from mid-thirties until the stepdowns, Hudsons typically had better than 50-50 weight distribution. My '47 C8 sedan has 150 pounds more on the rear axle than on the front. What other American car of the time matched that?
  • terraplane8
    terraplane8 Senior Contributor
    Indeed. I put my Terraplane over a weighbridge one axle at a time to work out the total car weight and front and rear axle weight, and it was also a little heavier in the rear than the front.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    edited August 2012
    Park, according to the weight sheets I have in the General Information Handbook your Commodore 8 Sedan was listed with a shipping weight of 3330, license weight of 3305 and a total weight of 3430, split at 1730 front, 1700 rear.

    Looking thru these sheets the balance is incredible. Most front and rear weights are within 50 or 60 pounds front to rear, or less.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    Alex, I got that data from your info sheets, but must have misread something. Anyway, I'll take a 30 lb. difference as 50-50. I recall being astounded back in '55 when I stuffed an eight in a '35 Terraplane coach and it still had better than 50-50 distribution. No darn wonder it was hard to squeak the tires on my stock '37T !
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Thank you everyone! Thanks for giving me some great information.

    Todd
  • Aaron D. IL
    Aaron D. IL Senior Contributor
    It always amazes me that a lot of Hudson's weigh in at less than modern cars. I don't think the industry cares about weight savings much now. They should...we would probably get better gas mileage. Even with plastics and and aluminum block engines they weigh more which I don't quite understand how that is.
  • Lee ODell
    Lee ODell Senior Contributor
    New car extra weight comes from a ton of insulation, so we can wisper to each other, A/C, cruise control, electric heated bucket seats, TV's and pretty much all the conviences of home except the kitchen sink. Unless it's a minni camper. LOL
    Lee O'Dell
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