Daimler Chrysler Ag

Mercedes-Benz Aktiengesellschaft

Hubert Bruehl

Harald Schwer

An independent suspension for the front wheels of a motor vehicle with a steering knuckle that is pivotable for steering purposes, has a lower end mounted on a lower link and an upper area supported firstly by a coupling rod to this lower link and secondly by an upper link to the vehicle body. Either the upper link is articulated to the coupling rod in the vicinity of the upper end of the steering knuckle or the coupling rod is articulated to the upper link in the vicinity of the upper end of the steering knuckle. In either case, the steering knuckle requires one less articulation point so that the steering knuckle takes up less space in the immediate vicinity of the wheel.

Independent suspension with a steering knuckle supported by a coupling rod

An independent wheel suspension for front wheels of a motor vehicle, having a wheel carrier which can be swivelled for steering purposes. A lower end of the wheel carrier is disposed on a lower control arm. An upper area of the wheel carrier is supported, on the one hand, by way of a coupling rod, on this lower control arm and, on the other hand, by way of an upper control arm, on the vehicle body. Instead of the semi-trailing arm known from the prior art, the independent wheel suspension has two separate individual control arms. At least in the projection onto the road (i.e., a horizontal plane), the lines of influence of these two control arms form a triangle corresponding to a transverse link or semi-trailing arm. The theoretical steering axis is either intersected or crossed by the lines of influence. The two control arms end spatially in front of the theoretical steering axis in two separate adjacent hinge points on the wheel carrier. The independent wheel suspension minimizes the number of vehicle-body-side linking points while leaving sufficient space for a large-dimensioned wheel-side braking system.

Independent wheel suspension having a wheel carrier supported by way of

An improved independent wheel suspension for steered wheels of passenger motor vehicles is provided. A three-arm anti-squat suspension has a virtual steering axis which coincides essentially with the rotation axis of the wheel carrier.

Independent wheel suspension for steered wheels of passenger motor

An axial mounting of a rack-and-pinion steering system takes transverse forces and, at the same time, permits a defined resilience of the rack mounting in the transverse direction of the vehicle for affecting steering behavior of the vehicle and, in particular, permitting desired understeer during cornering. Mountings of this kind are particularly applicable to passenger vehicles in which the track rods are arranged behind the steered axle in the direction of travel. The rack-and-pinion steering system is mounted by two bearings arranged upright and at a relatively great distance from one another at the ends of the steering gear casing. The bearing bodies are either V-shaped or Y-shaped as viewed in longitudinal section. One upper and one lower bearing body together with damping elements are in each case arranged symmetrically and in alignment with one another in the top and bottom parts respectively of the bearing guide, with the smaller end faces of the V-shaped or Y-shaped bearing bodies facing one another. The upright arrangement of the bearing bodies with damping elements subjects the damping elements axially to compressive stress and also to shear stress. A desired stiffness and spring hardness in the vertical and longitudinal directions of the vehicle are thereby achieved.

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Waldstetten, Germany

Hubert Bruehl