Abstract:
Currently, some work vehicles and/or off-road vehicles come from the manufacturer lacking tow hooks—or even a strong point on the rear bumper assembly and/or the chassis to install a tow hook. A non-limiting example of this sort of vehicle is the Toyota Tundra. It is highly desirable for such a vehicle to be able to be towed by another vehicle and/or have connection points for recovery from stuck in a natural hazard like mud or water. A novel and improved sway bar bushing bracket with a tow hook design is disclosed. In particular, the manufacturer-installed sway bar bushing bracket may be replaced with a reinforced sway bar bushing bracket with an integrated tow hook that may serve as a more robust sway bar bushing bracket, as well as providing a strong connection point with a tow hook.
Abstract:
A structural component for a motor vehicle, with a component body (2) made from a sheet, which includes at least one shell-shaped body portion (3) formed from the sheet and at least one receiving bush (6) formed from the sheet that extends along its circumference between first and second circumferential ends (4, 5), which at the first circumferential end (4) merges into the shell-shaped body portion (3) and at the second circumferential end (5) merges into a strengthening strip (7) formed from the sheet and attached to the shell-shaped body portion (3). The strengthening strip (7) completes the shell-shaped body portion (3) to form an at least partially closed hollow section (8).
Abstract:
A wheel carrier mounted on a rear axle body of a vehicle, which wheel carrier comprises a supporting plate and a bearing plate. The supporting plate coincides with a “virtual king-pin axis” and the properties of the supporting plate are such that the supporting plate may bend around the “virtual king-pin axis” in the area of a flexible supporting section. The bearing plate comprises a section with such properties that the section is allowed to deflect in a lateral direction of the vehicle. When a lateral force Flateral and a brake force Fbrake are applied to the wheel carrier, e.g. during cornering and braking, the properties of the supporting plate and the bearing plate create lateral force under steer and brake force under steer.
Abstract:
A bolster spring for a vehicle suspension including a base plate, a top plate, elastomeric material positioned between the base plate and the top plate, a first flange comprising a pair of ears having a bottom mounting surface upwardly extending from a first end of the base plate at an angle ½α, and one or more mounting holes positioned in the pair of ears in the first flange adapted for attachment to a pair of ears on an upwardly extending flange on a second bolster spring.
Abstract:
A wheel carrier mounted on a rear axle body of a vehicle, which wheel carrier comprises a supporting plate and a bearing plate. The supporting plate coincides with a “virtual king-pin axis” and the properties of the supporting plate are such that the supporting plate may bend around the “virtual king-pin axis” in the area of a flexible supporting section. The bearing plate comprises a section with such properties that the section is allowed to deflect in a lateral direction of the vehicle. When a lateral force Flateral and a brake force Fbrake are applied to the wheel carrier, e.g. during cornering and braking, the properties of the supporting plate and the bearing plate create lateral force under steer and brake force under steer.
Abstract:
A fabricated torque rod including a rod having first and second ends, a first bushing hub welded to the first end of the rod and a second bushing hub welded to the second end of the rod; wherein the rod is a piece cut from a metal plate or sheet, wherein the first and second bushing hubs are made of cut tubing, wherein the first end of the rod has a radius that conforms to an outer surface of the first bushing hub and the second end of the rod has a radius that conforms to an outer surface of the second bushing hub, and wherein the first end of the rod is welded to the outer surface of the first bushing hub and the second end of the rod is welded to the outer surface of the second bushing hub.
Abstract:
A suspension arm includes an upper member and a lower member, and the side plates of the upper member are joined to the side plates of the lower member by welding. A weld line formed by a weld part is bent and terminated near a lower ball joint. A side plate includes a substantially-linear edge and a bent edge, which is bent from an end of the substantially-linear edge and within which the weld line is terminated. The weld line along the bent edge is inclined at a given angle or greater to a stress direction near a weld end.
Abstract:
A transverse control arm for installation in a motor vehicle is being configured as a single-piece malleable structure of uniform material and includes two bearing mounts for receiving elastic bearings and an arcuate center portion which extends between the bearing mounts and has a hollow cross section. The center portion includes in cross section a web and side panels respectively extending from the web in spaced-apart confronting relationship, in particular in parallel relationship.
Abstract:
A wheel support for arrangement on a motor vehicle axle is disclosed on a multi-link axle having a flange for receiving a wheel hub and at least two receptacles for rotatable coupling to links, the wheel support being coupled to a trailing link by means of thermal joining, which wheel support is distinguished by the fact that the wheel support is configured as a welded component and has a main body region which has at least two sheet metal components which are coupled to one another by way of thermal joining.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a chassis link including a single-shell sheet metal main body, on which a plurality of bearing regions are formed for attaching bearing elements by which the main body can be connected to the bodywork and to a movable part of a wheel suspension of a motor vehicle. The main body includes two arms which merge into one another and define a main-body plane and a concave edge region of the main body. The concave edge region extends from a wheel-side bearing region towards a bodywork-side bearing region and is at an angle relative to the main-body plane. For such a chassis link having a high inherent stiffness and a low weight the invention proposes that the angled, concave edge region includes, along at least one curve length portion, at least one oblique surface which, when viewed in cross section, encloses an angle in the range of from 25° to 75° with a surface, adjacent thereto, of the angled, concave edge region. As a result, the inherent stiffness of the chassis link is increased for a maintained sheet metal thickness.