Described herein is an axle assembly and method of fabrication thereof. The axle assembly includes an axle having a first geometric shape housed within an axle housing having a second geometric shape. A shock absorber is located between the axle and the axle housing. The shock absorber supports the axle within the axle housing and comprises a first material and comprises a multi-sided configuration. The first geometric shape and the second geometric shape comprising polygons.

An apparatus and methods are provided for a bead-locking wheel for mechanically coupling a tire to a wheel rim of an off-road vehicle. The bead-locking wheel includes a barrel for mounting the tire and a bead lock face for fastening the barrel and tire to a wheel hub of the vehicle. The bead lock face is fastened to a shoulder disposed around an outboard end of the barrel. The shoulder and an outboard flange of the barrel cooperate with a periphery of the bead lock face to mechanically retain an outboard bead of the tire. Mechanically retaining the outboard bead facilitates a relatively low inflation pressure within the tire to accommodate off-road conditions and high tractive forces. The bead lock face maximizes a positive offset and backspacing of the bead-locking wheel to accommodate a relatively wide hub and spindle assembly while maintaining an advantageous steering geometry and track width.

A wheel caster comprising a roller, and a two piece socket, wherein the two piece socket comprises a top housing, having a concave cavity to accept the roller in a freely rotatable configuration, a stem, to be inserted inside a leg of an object, and a bottom housing comprising an opening to allow a portion of the roller to extend below the bottom housing allowing the roller to contact a surface.

A puller/installer comprises a draw plate, a split ring, a cap plate, and at least one draw member. The draw plate defines a draw plate cam surface. The split ring defines at least one split plate cam surface and is arranged such that the at least one split plate cam surface is in contact with the draw plate cam surface. The at least one draw member is arranged to draw the cap plate and the draw plate towards each other such that the draw plate cam surface engages the at least one split plate cam surface to deform the split ring to alter an effective diameter of the bearing race puller/installer.

A rim for a non-pneumatic tire comprises a cylindrical rim wall portion, and a fixing member disposed to be spaced apart from the rim wall portion in a radial direction. The rim wall portion is provided with a fixing protrusion protruding in the radial direction or a fixing groove depressed in the radial direction.

Systems, methods and apparatus for automated vehicle wheel removal and replacement are provided. One system includes a computer system with applications for scheduling the replacement of tires for the vehicle. An electronically controlled lift device and robotic apparatus is configured for interaction with the computer system. The lift device mechanically adjusts arms for placement on lift points of vehicles. The robotic apparatus detects positioning of lug nut configuration for a wheel, removes lug nuts, and then removes the wheel from the wheel hub with gripping arms. The wheel and tire are then handed off to a separate tire changing machine. When a new tire is replaced the robotic apparatus then mounts the wheel to the original wheel hub, and then secures the lug nuts to the lug nut bolts.

A sealing device for a hub/wheel assembly with a roller bearing. The sealing device includes a guard, made of plastic. The guard is coupled to an outer ring of the bearing to seal off the bearing. The guard has a cylindrical mounting wall with an outer lateral surface coupled to an inner lateral surface of a collar of the outer ring, and a snap-engagement step for engaging with the collar made along the outer lateral surface so that it snap-fits in a contoured annular groove made along the collar about the axis. An annular gasket is made of elastomer and co-injection-molded inside an annular groove made in the cylindrical mounting wall on the same side as the snap-engagement step.

A wheel hub includes a one-piece hub base body configured to surround at least a portion of a rolling-element bearing, the base body having a first axial end region configured to attach to a wheel adapter and/or to a wheel and a second axial end region axially opposite the first axial end region. An annular reinforcing body, which may be a metal band, is mounted on a radially outer surface of the second axial end region and connected to the radially outer surface at a joint.

A packaging system having an outboard guard and an outboard retainer cap. The outboard guard includes an outboard guard opening having a hole through the planform of the outboard guard, an engagement portion having an annular surface radially surrounding the outboard guard opening, an outboard bearing protector portion having an annular surface radially surrounding the engagement portion of the outboard guard, and an outer rim having an annular surface radially surrounding the outboard bearing protector portion. The outboard retainer cap is configured to be removably affixed to the outboard guard and includes an outboard alignment protrusion having a circular surface, an engagement portion having an annular surface radially surrounding the outboard alignment protrusion, and a retaining flange having an annular surface radially surrounding the engagement portion of the outboard retainer cap.

A packaging system having an outboard guard and an outboard retainer cap. The outboard guard includes an outboard guard opening having a hole through the planform of the outboard guard, an engagement portion having an annular surface radially surrounding the outboard guard opening, an outboard bearing protector portion having an annular surface radially surrounding the engagement portion of the outboard guard, and an outer rim having an annular surface radially surrounding the outboard bearing protector portion. The outboard retainer cap is configured to be removably affixed to the outboard guard and includes an outboard alignment protrusion having a circular surface, an engagement portion having an annular surface radially surrounding the outboard alignment protrusion, and a retaining flange having an annular surface radially surrounding the engagement portion of the outboard retainer cap.