A modular chassis is provided for an off-road vehicle to improve assembly, servicing, and repairing of a drivetrain of the off-road vehicle. The modular chassis includes a chassis to support components of the off-road vehicle. A front frame module couples with a front of the chassis, and a rear frame module couples with a rear of the chassis. The front frame module supports lower suspension arms of the off-road vehicle by way of inboard bushing joints. The front frame module supports at least a steering gear and a front differential of the off-road vehicle. The rear frame module is a tube-frame structure that supports components of the off-road vehicle. A lower portion of the rear frame module extends rearward and acutely upward to a top frame member that couples with upper side portions of the chassis. Several cross-members impart structural integrity to the rear frame module.

A connector having a connector body with an inlet and an outlet defining a gas flow passage therebetween. The connector body has an overlap portion that is configured to overlap with a portion of a second connector when connected. An access passage extends through the overlap portion to the gas flow passage.

A universal axle-hub assembly is provided for an off-road vehicle. The universal axle-hub assembly comprises a wheel hub that receives a constant velocity (CV) axle snout into an opening extending through an axle support of the wheel hub. An outboard-most portion of the opening is a splined portion that engages with similar splines disposed on an outboard-most portion of the CV axle snout. An inboard-most portion of the opening is a smooth portion that receives a smooth portion of the CV axle snout. The axle support extends through an entirety of the width of a bearing that supports the wheel hub, such that the bearing supports the smooth portion of the CV axle snout and substantially eliminates shear forces acting on the splined portion of the CV axle snout. A bearing carrier supports the bearing and may be fastened onto a trailing arm or a spindle of the off-road vehicle.

A universal axle-hub assembly is provided for an off-road vehicle. The universal axle-hub assembly comprises a wheel hub that receives a constant velocity (CV) axle snout into an opening extending through an axle support of the wheel hub. An outboard-most portion of the opening is a splined portion that engages with similar splines disposed on an outboard-most portion of the CV axle snout. An inboard-most portion of the opening is a smooth portion that receives a smooth portion of the CV axle snout. The axle support extends through an entirety of the width of a bearing that supports the wheel hub, such that the bearing supports the smooth portion of the CV axle snout and substantially eliminates shear forces acting on the splined portion of the CV axle snout. A bearing carrier supports the bearing and may be fastened onto a trailing arm or a spindle of the off-road vehicle.

A device lubricates a big-end bearing on a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. The device includes a piston with a fluid channel and an outlet channel fluidically connected thereto, and a connecting rod. The connecting rod has a small connecting rod eye, a large connecting rod eye and a connecting channel. The small connecting rod eye is fluidically connected to the outlet channel. The connecting channel forms a fluidic connection between the small and large connecting rod eyes so that a cooling lubricant fluid can be supplied from the fluid channel to the large connecting rod eye via the outlet channel, the small connecting rod eye and the connecting channel. In this way, the big-end bearing can be lubricated by cooling oil from the fluid channel of the piston.

A device (1) for removably securing an actuating member to an input or output element, such as to a gear shift lever or a transmission of a motor vehicle, has a mounting point (10) for the actuating member, and a receptacle (20) for a mounting element of the input or output element. The receptacle (20) has an outer receptacle element (30) and an inner receptacle element (40) arranged therein, between which is an elastic damping element (50). To reduce undesired vibrations from the transmission or the actuating member to the interior of the vehicle, while securing the actuating member to the mounting device in a simpler manner, the damping element is a separate component which has a wave profile (52) on its wall (51) facing the outer receptacle element (30), and the mounting point (10) has a threaded insert (11) for securing the actuating member.

A device (1) for removably securing an actuating member to an input or output element, such as to a gear shift lever or a transmission of a motor vehicle, has a mounting point (10) for the actuating member, and a receptacle (20) for a mounting element of the input or output element. The receptacle (20) has an outer receptacle element (30) and an inner receptacle element (40) arranged therein, between which is an elastic damping element (50). To reduce undesired vibrations from the transmission or the actuating member to the interior of the vehicle, while securing the actuating member to the mounting device in a simpler manner, the damping element is a separate component which has a wave profile (52) on its wall (51) facing the outer receptacle element (30), and the mounting point (10) has a threaded insert (11) for securing the actuating member.

A reciprocating engine includes a crankshaft and a connecting rod rotatably coupled to the crankshaft. The connecting rod defines a fluid passage extending along a length thereof. The reciprocating engine also includes a piston dome coupled to the connecting rod, the piston dome defining an inlet in fluid communication with the fluid passage of the connecting rod for receiving a fluid from the fluid passage of the connecting rod, a cooling passage in fluid communication with the inlet for circulating the fluid through the piston dome, and an exit in fluid communication with the cooling passage.

A control arm including a frame, a mounting structure on the frame, and a ball-and-socket joint on the frame. The ball-and-socket joint includes an insert formed of a resilient plastic material bonded in a complementary receptacle or socket of the frame. A ball portion of a ball-and-socket joint pin is rotatably arranged in the insert. A plastic material coating is provided on the ball portion and a metal coating is provided on the plastic material coating. When placed in the insert the metal coating of the ball portion contacts an inner surface of the insert.

A joining structure according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first member and a second member, the first member having a hole extending along an axis direction, the second member including a shaft member, the shaft member being formed of a fiber-containing composite material and having a shape to fit in the hole, the second member being joined to the first member via the shaft member so that movement thereof in the axis direction is restricted.