The Twin-Traction Beam was invented by John A. Richardson and Donald G. Wheatley of Ford Motor Company, as covered by U.S. Patent 3,948,337, issued on April 6, 1976. The patent name was "Independent front suspension for front-wheel drive," which was assigned to Ford Motor Company. The TTB front suspension is a Ford exclusive design in four wheel drive light-duty vehicles starting in 1980. This independent front suspension utilizing coil springs replaced the leaf spring solid axle designs. The TTB and the
Twin I-Beam designs were used in Ford trucks until 2002. The design has its proponents and detractors in the off-road community, denounced among some slow-speed users and praised by high-speed racers. ==Applications==