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Six-wheel drive (6WD or 6×6) is an

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. Types The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflects one axle with ...

drivetrain A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) or transmission system, is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the driv ...

configuration of three axles with at least two wheels on each axle capable of being driven simultaneously by the vehicle's engine. Unlike

four-wheel drive A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pr ...

drivetrains, the configuration is largely confined to heavy-duty off-road and military vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles, armored vehicles, and prime movers. Amfibiebil m-1965 101 B

When such a vehicle only has six wheels by definition all are driven. When it has ten—with two pairs of ganged "dual" wheels on each rear axle as on a GMC CCKW—all are also driven but the 6×6 designation remains. For most military applications where traction and mobility are considered more important than payload capability, single wheels on each axle (often referred to as super singles) are the norm. Heavy hauler and

ballast tractor A ballast tractor is a specially weighted tractor unit of a heavy hauler combination. It is designed to utilize a drawbar to pull or push heavy or exceptionally large trailer loads which are loaded in a hydraulic modular trailer. When feasi ...

6×6s have had a long history as prime movers both in the military (as tank transports and

artillery tractor An artillery tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, is a specialized heavy-duty form of tractor unit used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights and calibres. It may be wheeled, tracked, or half-tracked. Traction There are two m ...

s), and commercially in logging and heavy equipment hauling both on- and

off-road Off-roading is the act of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, dirt, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, or other natural terrain. Off-roading ranges from casual drives with regular vehicles to competitive events w ...

. Most six-wheel drive vehicles have a forward axle and two at the rear (with only the front pair steering), or three evenly spaced in varying steering configurations. Depending on the vehicle's role, the number of wheels varies between six (in three pairs) and ten (with two in the front and two dual axles with four wheels apiece in the rear). Drive may be limited to the rear two axles for on-road use.

Examples

Military

* British Alvis FV600 series:

Saladin Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known as Saladin, was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from a Kurdish family, he was the first sultan of both Egypt and Syria. An important figure of the Third Crusade, h ...

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

Salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

and Stalwart * Finland Sisu SA-240 & SA-241 * French Renault TRM 10000 * French ACMAT VLRA * German Mercedes-Benz G300 CDI G-Class 6x6 * German MAN/RMMV SX44 * German MAN LX and FX * German RMMV HX58, HX61 & HX42M * Austrian Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle * Italian

Astra Veicoli Industriali Astra Veicoli Industriali S.p.A. (Anonima Sarda TRAsporti) is an Italian company that produces trucks, heavy transport vehicles and military vehicles. Astra was privately founded in 1946 in Cagliari, and since 1986 has been part of Iveco. In 195 ...

tactical range SM66.40 * Poland Star 266 * Serbian FAP 2026 * U.S. M25 tank transporter * U.S. Mack NO heavy cargo truck * U.S. CCKW ton medium cargo truck * U.S. M35 ton medium cargo truck * U.S. M561 Gama Goat * U.S. M939 heavy cargo truck * U.S. MTVR all-terrain cargo truck * U.S. FMTV MTV * U.S. M123/123A, M125/125A prime mover/heavy cargo truck * Indian Ashok Leyland FAT 6×6 cargo truck

Military/commercial

* Canada Western Star Trucks * Czech Tatra T815 * German Mercedes-Benz Actros * German Mercedes-Benz Zetros * Russian Ural-4320 * Russian ZIL-131 * Ukrainian KrAZ-255 * U.S. Oshkosh M911 (also produced as 8x6 with a liftable second axle)

Commercial

* Commercial 6×6 prime movers were made by Hayes Manufacturing and

Pacific Trucks Pacific Truck & Trailer Limited was a Vancouver, Canada based manufacturer of heavy trucks famed for their durability. Pacific built both highway and Off-roading, off-road trucks, particularly for the logging industry, heavy haulers, and fire tr ...

. which also produced heavy haul

s. The Freightliner Business Class M2 is a commercial medium-duty truck sold in the United States and available in a 6×6 configuration.

Conversions

* Six-by-six conversions of four-wheel drive trucks are made, such as the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

's Perentie

Land Rover Defender The Land Rover Defender (introduced as the Land Rover One Ten, joined in 1984 by the Land Rover Ninety, plus the extra-length Land Rover One Two Seven in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pick-up truck, pickup trucks. They have f ...

and "Landcruiser Sherman"), as are 6×4 versions (with only front and rear or front and middle axles driven).

Recreational ATV/UTV

Polaris Industries Polaris Inc. is an American automotive manufacturer headquartered in Medina, Minnesota, United States. Polaris was founded in Roseau, Minnesota, where it still has engineering and manufacturing facilities. The company manufactured motorcycles th ...

has produced a number of six-wheel drive ATVs and UTVs for many years, based on a standard Magnum, Sportsman or Ranger with an extra axle and a cargo box over the rear wheels.

Concept cars

Concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle or show vehicle) is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not ...

testbed A testbed (also spelled test bed) is a platform for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of scientific theories, computing tools, and new technologies. The term is used across many disciplines to describe experimental research ...

, and limited production commercial examples include: * Hennessey Ford

VelociRaptor ''Velociraptor'' (; ) is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in th ...

6×6, with a 30-inch extended frame and six driven wheels
6x6 Six Wheel Drive Jeep
– Fully custom chassis, body and drive-line

Twin front axle

* Ford Seattle-ite XXI (concept car) * Tyrrell P34

Twin rear axle

* Bogie-drive (Twin axle) 6x6 vehicles are built by 6x6 Australia Pty Ltd and have full load-sharing coil-spring rear suspension with full-time bogie-drive (Twin axle) drive in the rear, and an integrated "roll steer" function built into the suspension design. All 6x6 Australia Pty Ltd vehicles are ADR-compliant with IPA for both "heavy" and "light" vehicles. * Dodge T-Rex *

Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 The Mercedes-AMG G 63 6x6 or Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6 is an SUT manufactured by Mercedes-Benz. An SUT derivative of the six wheel drive Mercedes Geländewagen developed for the Australian Army from 2007 (see G-Class Military operators), at th ...

4x4 plus two without load-share, meaning far less wheel articulation for off-road, needing five differential locks to operate

Image gallery

File:T93.JPG, 6x6 Tatra 93 (1938) File:M25 Tank Transporter Dragon Wagon pic1.JPG, 10-wheel U.S. Army 6×6 Pacific Car & Foundry Co.-built M26 armored tank transporter tractor unit File:Deuce and a half truck.gif, 10-wheel U.S. Army 6×6 M35 2½ ton cargo truck, with one front and two rear axles File:Valmet 1502 six wheels.jpg, Six-wheeled

Valmet Valmet Oyj, a Finnish company, is a developer and supplier of process technologies, automation systems and services for the pulp, paper, energy industries. Flow control serves a wider base of process industries. History 1999–2012 Valmet ...

1502 tractor, with a bogie axle at the rear File:Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - Marines on the move..jpg, 6-wheel U.S. Marines 6×6 MTVR, with one front and two rear axles File:Tatra 813 TP Technické muzeum Brno.jpg, Unusual two forward and one rear axle configuration of the Czech Tatra 813 File:KamAZ military tank transporter.jpg, A

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

KamAZ military tank transporter carrying an SU-85M File:Hayes Arbegui 2010.JPG, Hayes extra-heavy 6x6 (10-wheel) truck operated in Spain by Transportes Arbegui

References

{{Automobile configuration All-wheel-drive vehicles Car layouts Six-wheeled vehicles