Suspension system for wheeled vehicles

Abstract

A suspension system for wheeled vehicles, particularly adapted to extended travel suspension systems for armored wheeled vehicles in which each of the front and rear vehicle wheel assemblies is mounted on a trailing arm suspension. The front suspension system includes an axle housing supported at either outboard end by a bell crank assembly, each including a trailing arm pivotally mounted to the axle housing at one end and at the other to a pivotal support on the vehicle hull or frame with a second shorter crank arm acting on a coil spring to resist arm motion by compression of the spring. Within each coil spring is disposed a stack of rubber bumper elements compressed with the spring while a pair of rubber bushings is provided at each pivot point of each of the trailing arms, the damping action of the stack bumpers and bushings performing a shock absorbing function. The rubber bushings also act as torsional springs and to accommodate limited tilting motion of the axle housing. The trailing arms each are inclined inwardly to closely position the coil springs, which extend generally horizontally within the nose of the vehicle hull to minimize the overhead clearance required and provide ready access to the coil springs. An independent trailing arm suspension supports the rear wheels, with a bell crank assembly compressing respective coil springs with driving power delivered by means of universal joints from a fixed differential gear unit.