I saw an interesting approach at a show a couple years ago.
Front suspension. As you can see the springs were moved on top the frame and forward. The center of the spring, where the axle is usually bolted on, was fixed to the front of the frame and the axle was bolted to the front end of the springs, using hairpins to locate the axle.
I'm not saying this is a good or safe approach, only that it is one I've seen.
