Hydraulic lift for stand-alone coil spring

Abstract

A hydraulic lift actuator for adjusting the height of a vehicle includes: a top mount plate configured for attachment to a chassis element; a hydraulic cylinder having a tubular wall and an end cap, together defining an interior chamber; a piston rod extending axially into the interior chamber; a piston assembly connected to the piston rod and disposed within the interior chamber, wherein the piston assembly divides the interior chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the lower chamber extending between the piston assembly and the end cap; and a spring seat rigidly connected to the hydraulic cylinder and configured to engage an upper end of a coil spring, wherein the spring seat and the hydraulic cylinder are linearly translatable relative to the piston rod between a retracted position adjacent to the top mount plate and an extended position spaced apart from the top mount plate.