Originally Posted by
Shimagnolo
Agreed. Unless the vehicle is intended for offroad use, the traction just isn't needed.
When I was a kid, my old man built a couple replicas of 1900-era cars. They used 5hp Briggs&Stratton engines, and powered a solid rear axle directly, with the wheel at one end freewheeling. You couldn't tell the difference when driving them.
Did the Model-T have a rear axle like the one you describe? It did pretty well on really bad roads, but I don't know about off-road. The war-time BMW side-car motorcycle had a differential for a driven side-car wheel (plus the bike's rear wheel) to handle mud and snow better.
On a human-powered vehicle, weight is a major consideration. Simpler and lighter is better.