Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Manfred Carl Rumpel

Algis G Oslapas

Robert Allen Jones

William Benjamin Turck

Robert Charles Baraszu

Sino Johan Van Dyk

Joseph Lee Buchwitz

Joseph Walter Neal

Larry Skynar

Jeffrey Davis

Ingo Klug

Mark C Kaufman

Huibert Mees

Daniel Foster Nagelhout

An independent suspension for a powered rear road wheel of an automotive vehicle includes a subframe attached to a vehicle body with a hub carrier and wheel hub rotatably attached thereto. Laterally extending upper and lower control arms are attached to the subframe, and an internal support link extends between the lower control arm and a forward portion of the hub carrier. A laterally extending toe link is pivoted between the hub carrier and the subframe. The upper control arm is centrally mounted and accommodates a suspension spring extending between the vehicle's body and the upper arm. Central mounting of the upper control arm and spring helps to avoid caster change as the roadwheel moves in jounce and rebound.

Independent suspension for rear wheels of automotive vehicle

A wheel suspension assembly,for use with a vehicle having a wheel,Assembly,includes a tie rod,a knuckle,having an integrally formed knuckle arm,and a ball joint,which rotatably couples the tie rod,to the knuckle arm,Tie rod,includes an outer end,having an integrally formed ball socket,and a pair of opposed and outwardly extending members,which include a pair of orthogonally projecting foot members or &ldquo;feet&rdquo;,Knuckle arm,includes an end portion,which is attached to a ball stud,Ball stud,is mated with socket,and cooperatively forms ball joint,End portion,includes a generally circular bottom surface,disposed in a substantially parallel relationship to &ldquo;feet&rdquo;,Two resilient elements or &ldquo;pads&rdquo;,are abuttingly disposed between &ldquo;feet&rdquo;,and surface,Feet,bumpers,and surface,substantially prevent or reduce the angular movement of tie rod,about its longitudinal axis,and substantially dampen or reduce the transfer of vibrations from knuckle,to tie rod,between said ball socket,and said ball stud

Wheel suspension assembly

A method of manufacturing a rear structure of a motor vehicle for multiple body configurations reduces the costs and complexity in the assembly plant by eliminating separate lines heretofore required to manufacture such various body configurations. The method includes providing common right and left rear rail members (,), a floor pan (,) extending between the right and left rear rail members and being attached thereto forming a floor assembly. Providing right and left first wheelhouse inner members (,) when the vehicle is of the first configuration, or right and left second wheelhouse inner members (,) when the vehicle is of the second configuration, both first and second wheelhouse inner members each having a common flanges for attaching to the floor assembly.

Method for manufacturing a rear structure for a motor vehicle

A rear suspension for use in a motor vehicle that allows improved package space for additional seating capacity. The suspension includes upper and lower control arms (32, 34), each having first and second ends (40, 42, 50, 52) respectively, being pivotally attached to a vehicle structure (10). Each of the control arms also includes an outer end (44, 54) for attachment to a wheel support member (22). A toe link (36) is provided for controlling toe change during dynamic loading of the suspension. The first and second upper ends (40, 42) of the upper control arm (32) are arranged so as to allow the load floor to extend rearward in the vehicle sufficient to package a third row passenger seat capable of providing excellent passenger comfort.

Independent suspension apparatus for a wheeled vehicle

A rear structure of a motor vehicle increases the packaging flexibility within the body structure area above a differential unit (36) such that a third row seat (110) may readily be incorporated therein. The rear structure includes a floor pan (14) and a pair of spaced apart rear side frame members (22,24) having middle portions (70, 72) with first and second apertures (90,92) therein. The differential unit includes first and second axle members (34,36) which extend through the first and second apertures.

Motor vehicle rear structure

A rear suspension has a hub carrier (12) to which a wheel of a vehicle may be rotatably mounted, and a suspension arm (16) pivotally interconnecting the hub carrier to a chassis. The suspension arm includes a crank portion (50) located between the interconnections to the hub carrier and the chassis. The crank portion extends radially outward from the suspension arm and includes a crank end (52) disposed a first predetermined distance outward from the suspension arm. The suspension also includes a shock absorber (56) having a first end (55) pivotally attached to the crank end (52) of the suspension arm (16) and a second end (58) pivotally attached to the chassis.

Rear suspension for a motor vehicle

An independent suspension apparatus suitable for use in a motor vehicle capable of decoupling longitudinal and lateral load transfers is described. The suspension includes upper and lower control arms (22, 24), each having first and second ends (30, 32, 40, 42) respectively, being pivotably attached to a vehicle structure. Each of the control arms also includes an outer end (34, 44) for attachment to a wheel support member (12). A toe link (26) is provided for controlling toe change during dynamic loading of the suspension. The upper and lower control arms (22, 24) are arranged so as to provide a decoupling of the longitudinal and lateral load paths between a wheel support member (12) and the vehicle structure (10). This allows the use of restricted motion joints in the lateral load path to reduce camber changes normally resulting from the necessary use of compliant bushings found in the lateral load path.

An adjustable attachment apparatus 30 is disclosed for use in a motor vehicle 10 for attaching a stabilizer bar 14 to the vehicle to provide variable positioning of the stabilizer bar on the vehicle to prevent a pre-loaded condition in the stabilizer bar.

Apparatus for insuring neutral stabilizer bar installation

An independent suspension for a vehicle comprises a chassis, an upwardly extending telescopic suspension unit and means connecting the upper end of the suspension unit to the chassis. The suspension further includes a wheel support member for rotatably mounting a roadwheel, the wheel support member including double isolation means for resiliently mounting the lower end of the suspension unit to the wheel support member.

Independent suspension with double isolated suspension unit

A steering system for the rear wheels of a vehicle with the steering gear including a motor drive for positioning the rear wheels and a control mechanism for operating the steering gear and including apparatus responsive to a sensed vehicular operating parameter for overriding the steering gear motor drive so as to prevent the steering gear from exceeding a predetermined fractional component of the angular range of steering authority.

Steering system for the rear wheels of a vehicle

A steering gear and system for a vehicle having steerable roadwheels located on more than one axle includes a control module, a rotary motor responsive to signals from the control module for providing power for steering the roadwheels, and a nonreversible gearset powered by the motor for converting rotary motion of the motor into linear motion for steering the roadwheels, with the motor being capable of driving the gearset but with the gearset being incapable of driving the motor in response to force inputs from the roadwheels into the gearset.

Steering gear for the roadwheels of a vehicle

A steering system for a vehicle having steerable roadwheels on more than one axle includes a manually operable front steering gear for steering the front wheels of the vehicle, an electronically controlled second steering gear for steering the roadwheels of the vehicle on a second axle and a control system for operating the second steering gear, with the control system including paired steering position sensors within each of the steering gears.

Steering system for a vehicle

An independent rear wheel suspension for a motor vehicle having front wheel drive includes upper and lower transverse control arms pivotally mounted to the wheel support member. The wheel support member includes a spindle for mounting a road wheel. The upper control arm is mounted to the wheel support member at a position forward of the spindle. The lower control arm has a bifurcated outboard end with each bifurcation housing a bushing attaching the control arm to the wheel carrier. The suspension also includes a spring member, a longitudinal strut and a telescoping shock absorber.

Independent rear wheel suspension with offset connection between upper

An independent wheel suspension for a vehicle is suitable for use with either driven or non-driven wheels and includes a lower control arm and toe correcting link which urges the control arm and its associated wheel carrier in the direction of toe in during wheel recession.

Independent wheel suspension with toe correcting link

An independent rear wheel suspenison for a motor vehicle having front wheel drive includes a telescopic strut rigidly mounted to a wheel support member and having its upper end pivotably mounted to the vehicle chassis. Two laterally extending control arms are pivotably connected at their outboard ends to the wheel support member and at their inboard ends to the vehicle chassis. The two control arms are longitudinally spaced apart and the wheel spindle is longitudinally positioned between the two arms. One arm has an integrally formed spring seat which seats a coil spring interposed between the arm and the vehicle chassis. The two control arms are connected together through a resilient bushing that is constructed to control the amount of wheel recession. In addition, the suspension can be constructed to control the toe angle of the rear wheel during jounce or recession of the rear wheel.

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Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States of America

Manfred Carl Rumpel