Grand Prix Racing (F1) 1938/39 - Part 1 - The Mercedes W154

[@lolshark99b49]

I’ve never before seen such a detailed look at the engineering of 30s race cars, amazing

[@sandromartins20]

Didn't know these mercs were so cleverly designed. The off center engine idea is pure genius

[@BSport320]

always fascinating to look into olden days engineering

[@sandromartins20]

@@BSport320 Indeed! The auto unions with the smaller budget were also very ingenious.

[@benkr]

@@sandromartins20 the influence of the porsche family on all of trhis is mindboggeling

[@tonychavez2083]

This is the best KZbin content I have seen in a really long time. Bravo 👏🏼 and thank you

[@vtec_c1loop844]

These videos take the term "German Engineering" to a whole another level

[@Krosis_]

Thank you for making this video, I can appreciate these cars even more now, knowing what engineering went into them. Mind-blowing, knowing what they could do in the 30s

[@BSport320]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jonnyj.]

Man, its so cool to actually see an in depth look from an engineering perspective on these pre war german cars. These are examples of what happens when you have pretty much unlimited funding, and its so amazing. Ive been facinated with this car ever since ive heard they got 480hp from a 3L engine in 1939. Just crazy :D

[@MichaelAMVM]

Alcohol fuels (88% methanol, 8% acetone) plus 2 superchargers plus DOHCs will do that.

[@Pandamasque]

With those two giant fuel hoses wither side of the cockpit I totally understand why drivers weren't so keen on using seatbelts :)

[@briansilcox5720]

Excellent! More appreciated.

[@MichaelAMVM]

The americans in Indianapolis called the offset engine and driveshaft on the left design a roadster. It appeared for the frist time at the 1946 Indy 500. I wonder if it was inspired by Mercedes.

[@ethemtr39]

Yes please do more videos like this

[@BSport320]

More to come!

[@nolanpeters5462]

OSHA is literally having a stroke looking at the fuel tank design. Gotta love sitting under a fuel tank, and leaning back against a larger, pressurized fuel tank. Speed>Safety

[@blinkybillski]

I love this channel.

[@BSport320]

Thanks!

[@puebespuebes8589]

I still think they are the best sounding f1 of all time, and they look so cool !

[@Argent_99]

Rudolf Uhlenhaut was the Colin Chapman of his era. The W154 is (IMO) the linear ancestor of the first post-war F1 cars. If you look at the Alfa Romeo Tipo 158, it really looks like a slightly down scaled version of the W154 (well, it was built in 1939, after all…) and it dominated the first two seasons of F1. If you look at all the Mercedes silver arrows (from the W25 to the W196) you kinda realize just how gloriously bonkers MB could be in pursuit of racing glory. This wasn’t something that started when Lewis Hamilton signed up to drive for them - this is both their modus operandi and their racing DNA.

[@jcgabriel1569]

Stirling Moss also said that you had to be sure of your complaints about the car being not good, because, Rudy Uhlenhaut will test the car himself, and he can drive as quick as them!

[@jcgabriel1569]

Also, I'd say that the design of the W154 and the 158 is pretty distant. Their only connection being the fact that they appeared roughly at the same time. If any, the 158 is more like a scaled-down 308C that proved to be more than adequate for the job.

[@mrkayuga]

Some famous story says once Uhlenhaut suggested Fangio « do more practice » on Nordschleife as he was doing 3-5 sec quicker then Juan Manuel. Was it related to w196 or other? Also just inimaginable for todays F1

[@benkr]

still a joke how these videos have 4k views. this needs a boost

[@BSport320]

Thanks! Tell your friends! There is more to come!

[@PeytonTriplette]

Awesome vid bro one of my fav cars Can u make one on the 540k autobahnkourier that won at pebble beach?

[@MartlRS]

Awesome!

[@BSport320]

Thanks!

[@tadficuscactus]

What a marvel of German engineering!

[@kennethm2312]

Fantastic walk around on this amazing peace of history. I would love to understand more about this particular DeDion as apparently it was not rigid in torsion. I don’t understand how the Mercedes DeDion worked differently.

[@jcgabriel1569]

Lawrence Pomeroy described this in his book "The Grand Prix Car"... I'm going to try to describe it to the best of my abilities... Thing is, as you can see at 3:05 (and a bit more clearly at 3:21), the De Dion's fore and aft location is dictated by a single triangulated radius arm on both sides. This means that when one wheel rises (say, when hitting a bump) it would follow an arc dictated by the radius arm, making the De Dion axle twist and act like a big torsion anti-roll bar, which could adversely affect the handling and also, risk breaking the De Dion axle itself. So Mercedes Benz fixed that by making their De Dion in two pieces, and made it in such a way that allows the two halves of the axle tubes to turn in relation to the other.

[@kennethm2312]

@@jcgabriel1569 thanks for your explanation. I took a look at the video time stamp locations you suggested. I understand the trailing arm and torsional spring / damper design. But I can not fully understand this De Dion articulation. The trailing arms appear to be fixed solidly to the De-Dion with the driveshafts passing through the centre of the arms, but that would mean the entire axle would only move rigidly the trailing arms and De-Dion would act like a giant U shaped rigid structure. Perhaps the trailing arms are actually hubs where the driveshafts pass through them, allowing rotational degree of freedom?

[@jcgabriel1569]

@@kennethm2312 The trailing arms were indeed fixed solidly to the De Dion axle. Problem is, with that arrangement, if one wheel hits a bump, that wheel would move in relation to the trailing arms, the movement would try to twist that half of the De Dion, making the De Dion act like an extremely stiff anti-roll bar and compromising the handling... So M-B basically split the De Dion tube in two pieces, that could rotate independently of one another. Admittedly, it is harder to describe it. I tried to post a link to some pictures of cutaways and related diagrams to the Mercedes Benz's De Dion, but KZbin seems to have taken it down...

[@kennethm2312]

@@jcgabriel1569 okay so the bolted section of the De Dion tube that sits behind the differential is not ridged but actually a hub?

[@jcgabriel1569]

@@kennethm2312 I'm trying to post links to the pictures, which I think, is the best way to illustrate it, but KZbin takes them down... The best and simplest way I can think of describing it, is this... That middle section of the De Dion, that's actually composed of two pieces, the one you can see there (the outer tube), and another tubular piece inside it, with bushes in between them. one half of the De Dion tube is bolted to the outer tube, the second half is actually bolted to the inner tube (those were the flanges with bolts you see there). It would allow the tubes to swivel around to a degree, but it is designed so that the two tubes won't come off...

[@Tom_Hadler]

Great video! Very interesting and well presented. You do need to slow down the speech though, and take a breath! Without any pause, it is like reading without paragraphs. Super interesting anyway

[@thomasloesel1263]

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