Abstract:
A flexible axle for motor vehicle has a cross-member (1) connecting two longitudinal arms (2), wherein said cross-member (1) has a closed cross-section, and said cross-member has, at least in a central zone, a substantially trapezoid cross-section (11).
Abstract:
A trailing arm assembly for a suspension includes at least first and second cast components. The first and second cast components are welded to each other to substantially surround an outer perimeter of an axle member. The first cast component is then welded to one side of the axle member at a first weld and the second cast component is welded to an opposite side of the axle member at a second weld. A bushing tube is then welded to one of the first and second cast components and is subsequently attached to a vehicle frame member. The first weld area comprises a pair of laterally spaced window welds and the second weld area comprises a single window weld.
Abstract:
A suspension mounting system and a method of assembly of the same are disclosed. The system has an axle housing having two hollow arms and an upper portion and a lower portion. At least one suspension bracket is located between the upper portion and the lower portion and through one of the hollow arms.
Abstract:
The invention relates to vehicle suspension systems of the type with a trailing arm, and to a seat for securing the trailing arm to an axle or axle casing. Hitherto, trailing arms have been located on axles or axle casings and held in place by the force of U-bolts holding the trailing arm to the axle. Under excessive loads as can be applied to vehicle suspension systems, trailing arms can be moved out of alignment to the detriment of the running of the vehicle. To avoid such movement, seats for trailing arms are known to be welded to vehicle axes or casings and to which the trailing arms are secured such as by U-bolts. Here, manufacturing tolerances can cause a bad, relatively loose fit between the seat and axle or axle casing, causing alignment difficulties when fitting or welding the seat in place, with a large build-up of stresses in the vicinity of the weld when the trailing arm seat is subjected to torsional loading, that can be particularly damaging to an axle casing that ordinarily is formed from the thin sheet metal. The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle suspension that avoids those difficulties mentioned above, which objective is met by a construction comprising an axle and at least one trailing arm, there being a seat for the or each trailing arm, the or each seat having a primary recess in which the axle is located, the primary recess having a transverse secondary recess in which an insert is located, the insert being positively secured in the primary recess, and having end sections extending beyond the edges of the primary recess, that are positively secured to the adjacent walls of the axle.
Abstract:
A one-piece leaf spring retaining bracket may be welded to a longitudinal member of a vehicle frame. The leaf spring retaining bracket is symmetrical along two planes, and the same bracket may be used on either side of the vehicle frame. The bracket has an upper section with a curved or arced surface, and first and second downwardly extending walls between which the end of a leaf spring may be pivotally supported.
Abstract:
A connection of the stabilizer parts of a two-part stabilizer to an actuator is usually performed in a positive-locking manner, as a result of which an additional axial securing and hydraulic sealing toward the outside become necessary. To simplify the design and the manufacturing process, it is provided that the teeth between the outer rotary part (4) and the second stabilizer part (2) be made clearance-free and welded together by a circumferential weld seam (18), wherein the seam area is preheated to a temperature of 350° C. and subsequently cooled to a martensite content of 30% in the microstructure.
Abstract:
A hollow vehicle suspension beam (1) has opposed side walls formed with recesses (11) in which an axle wrap (2) is located and secured by welded jointing (12, 13) internally and externally of the opposed side walls to provide a strong joint between the beam and axle wrap. The beam may comprise at least one component (5, 6) of a generally U-shaped section the opposed limbs of which provide at least part of the opposed side walls of the beam, and the mouth of the section provides an access opening into the interior of the beam for the internal welded jointing (12) to be made at the axle wrap. One embodiment has the beam comprised of two of the U-shaped components (5, 6) disposed with their mouths opening in opposite directions to provide access to the interior of the beam for the internal welded jointing to be made at the axle wrap (2) before the mouths are closed by closure components (15, 16). Another embodiment has the opposed side walls formed in combination by the opposed limbs of a U-shaped component and the space between the plate components being closed off by closure components after the internal welded joint have been made.
Abstract:
A vehicle leaf spring suspension having a low spring rate is disclosed. The suspension has an axle seat secured to a vehicle axle. The leaf spring is clamped at its spring seat area to the axle seat at the clamp group mounting surface of the axle seat and with certain of the disclosed axle seats, can be clamped such that the spring seat area is asymmetrically positioned with respect to the vehicle axle centerline. Also, an active clamp group arrangement can be used to utilize the entire physical length of the leaf spring.
Abstract:
The invention provides rear suspension structures and engine cradles involving tubular components. The tubular components have variable wall thickness along the length for reducing materials required. The tubular components also have mechanical properties varying along the length of the tubular components, to meet the requirements on strength and dynamic and static loads. The weight of the tubular components can be further reduced by appropriately varying the wall thickness and mechanical properties along the length of the tubular components.
Abstract:
A suspension system having a reduced weight arm construction. In one vehicle suspension system, an axle is constructed at least partially of a metal alloy. An arm assembly of the suspension system includes an axle attachment constructed at least partially of a material which cannot be welded directly to the metal alloy. To interconnect the axle to the axle attachment of the arm assembly, a transition device is permanently secured to the metal alloy and permanently secured to the axle attachment material.