A top mount assembly including a housing for being connected to the frame of the vehicle. A rod connection assembly is disposed in the housing for being attached to a piston rod of the damper assembly. A chamber is defined between the rod connection assembly and the housing for receiving a fluid. A resilient member is disposed between the rod connection assembly and the housing. A partition assembly is positioned between the resilient member and the housing and axially divides the chamber into an upper chamber region and a lower chamber region. The partition assembly defines at least one passage that extends between the upper chamber region and the lower chamber region. At least one electromagnetic coil is disposed adjacent to the passage for selectively modifying the characteristics of the fluid passing through the passage to modify the damping characteristics of the top mount assembly.

The invention relates to a strut rod made of composite material for a suspension of a front axle of a vehicle, including: an upper part coupled to a rod and piston assembly connected to a vehicle body; and a U-shaped lower part including two brackets for fixing a knuckle arm of the vehicle. This strut rod includes means for detecting a crack. This detection means includes at least one additional edge positioned so as to project from an outer surface of the U-shaped lower part of the strut rod in a region where a crack possibly occurs in the case of an accidental shock on a wheel of the vehicle.

The invention relates to a strut rod made of composite material for a suspension of a front axle of a vehicle, including: an upper part coupled to a rod and piston assembly connected to a vehicle body; and a U-shaped lower part including two brackets for fixing a knuckle arm of the vehicle. This strut rod includes means for detecting a crack. This detection means includes at least one additional edge positioned so as to project from an outer surface of the U-shaped lower part of the strut rod in a region where a crack possibly occurs in the case of an accidental shock on a wheel of the vehicle.

Solar tracker systems include a torque tube, a column supporting the torque tube, a solar panel connected to the torque tube, and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes a first end pivotably connected to the torque tube and a second end pivotably connected to the column. The damper assembly further includes an outer shell, a piston within and moveable relative to the outer shell, a first chamber wall and a second chamber wall within the outer shell at least partially defining a chamber, and a valve within the chamber. The valve includes a first axial end defining a slot and is biased to a first position within the chamber in which the first axial end is spaced from the first chamber wall. The valve is moveable within the chamber from the first position to a second position to passively change a flow resistance of the damper assembly.

A vibration-damping device includes a housing having a cylindrical mounting hole therein and a vibration-damping member provided in the mounting hole. The vibration-damping member includes an outer cylinder fitted into the mounting hole, an inner cylinder provided in the outer cylinder, and a rubber elastic body inserted between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. The rubber elastic body is formed with a bore penetrating in an axial direction thereof and a stopper protruding from a radially-inner wall surface thereof for the bore. The housing is formed with a receiving part which faces the stopper, in a radial direction of the mounting hole, across a gap.

A thrust bearing for a vehicle includes an upper case that abuts against a vehicle body-side attaching portion and a lower case on which the upper case is provided so that the lower case is rotatable with respect to the upper case about an axial center AX of a piston rod used in a shock absorber of a suspension of the vehicle, characterized in that the thrust bearing further includes a load sensor for measuring a load vertically acting on the suspension.

A self-tightening and wear-compensating suspension mounting system is described herein. The suspension mounting system may include a housing, a hemispherical race, a hemispherical ball, an elastomeric first bushing, two opposing couplings, and a shock absorber. The housing includes two opposing cavities. The hemispherical race is mounted within a first cavity of the two opposing cavities. The hemispherical ball is slidably mounted at least partially within the hemispherical race. The elastomeric first bushing is positioned at least partially within a second cavity of the two opposing cavities. The two opposing couplings are positioned hold the hemispherical race, the hemispherical ball, and the elastomeric first bushing between the two couplings. The shock absorber shaft extends through the two opposing cavities, the hemispherical race, the hemispherical ball, and the elastomeric first bushing. The hemispherical ball pivots within the hemispherical race responsive to movement of the shock absorber.

A self-tightening and wear-compensating suspension mounting system is described herein. The suspension mounting system may include a housing, a hemispherical race, a hemispherical ball, an elastomeric first bushing, two opposing couplings, and a shock absorber. The housing includes two opposing cavities. The hemispherical race is mounted within a first cavity of the two opposing cavities. The hemispherical ball is slidably mounted at least partially within the hemispherical race. The elastomeric first bushing is positioned at least partially within a second cavity of the two opposing cavities. The two opposing couplings are positioned hold the hemispherical race, the hemispherical ball, and the elastomeric first bushing between the two couplings. The shock absorber shaft extends through the two opposing cavities, the hemispherical race, the hemispherical ball, and the elastomeric first bushing. The hemispherical ball pivots within the hemispherical race responsive to movement of the shock absorber.

A performance-variable bushing includes an inner support element and an outer support element. An elastomeric connecting element extends between and operatively connect the inner and outer support elements such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween. The elastomeric connecting element can be at least partially formed from one of an electrorheological elastomeric material and a magnetorheological elastomeric material. The performance-variable bushing includes a variation-inducing element operatively associated with the elastomeric connecting element and selectively operable to vary values of one or more physical properties of the elastomeric connecting element. The elastomeric connecting element is configured for use under a pre-load force from pressurized gas within a spring chamber of an associated gas spring and damper assembly. Gas spring and damper assemblies and suspension systems are also included.

A thrust sliding bearing reduces the number of components to thereby reduce the burden of assembly and components management and prevents unusual wear of a surface of an annular synthetic resin-made sliding bearing piece, which faces an annular metal plate. A thrust sliding bearing comprises an upper case which is integrally formed at least by an annular upper case base having an annular bottom surface and by an upper case cylindrical portion which is provided vertically from the annular bottom surface of the upper case base to be fitted in a lower case, wherein a synthetic resin-made sliding bearing piece is fixed to the inner side of the upper case cylindrical portion.