The present disclosure provides a process for manufacturing a light-alloy hybrid wheel comprising the following separate operation phases: obtaining a front flange with an internal profile including a tire bead seat; obtaining a rim with an annular profile including a tire bead seat at a first end and a circular flank for assembly with a part of the flange at a second end; and assembling the flange and the rim to form a wheel. The annular profiles of the flange and the rim form exterior and interior sides of the wheel. Assembling the flange and the rim comprises welding the flank of the rim and the flange together by a single friction stir weld using a pin such that the weld is exposed at the exterior and interior sides of the wheel.

The invention at hand refers to a wheel disc brake assembly comprising a wheel rim, a coupler ring and an annular brake disc arranged in a concentric manner, wherein an outer surface of the coupler ring is connected to an inner surface of the wheel rim and an inner surface of the coupler ring is connected to an outer surface of the annular brake disc. The wheel disc brake assembly further comprises a caliper with at least two brake pads facing each other, wherein the caliper surrounds at least a part of the inner surface of the annular brake disc and the at least two brake pads are configured to press against opposite side faces of the annular brake disc.

A modular wheel-hub bearing unit having an outer flanged hub for mounting the unit on an upright of a vehicle, provided externally with an assembly surface and internally with a mounting seat; and a bearing provided with an outer ring, two inner rings and two rows of rolling elements arranged between the outer ring and the two inner rings. The bearing being mounted inside the assembly seat independently of the outer flanged hub and having an outer diameter, the dimensions of which are related to the dimensions of an outer diameter of the assembly surface of the flanged hub by a first coefficient (α) according to the relation: D2=α*D1, where 0.80≤α≤0.95.

A method for providing motor vehicle wheels made of composite material based on carbon fiber includes the steps of dividing each wheel into a plurality of portions having small dimensions; providing a a first portion with the terminal edges designed to mate with corresponding edges of a respective second portion; mating the portions, arranging them subsequently within a respective mold whose shape and dimensions are conjugate with respect to those of the wheel to be manufactured; and bringing the mold and its contents to a predefined temperature. The method further includes injecting into the mold a resin in the liquid state, the resin being injected at high pressure and high temperature, forming the matrix of the composite that constitutes the wheel; maintaining the pressure and temperature of the mold within predefined ranges for a time interval that is required for the at least partial cross-linking of the resin; and extracting the wheel from the mold.

Presented are hybrid metal and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite wheels for vehicle wheel assemblies, methods for making/using such wheels, and motor vehicles equipped with such wheels. A wheel for a motor vehicle wheel assembly includes a wheel face with multiple spokes that are circumferentially spaced about and project radially outward from a central hub. The central hub rotatably attaches to the vehicle's body, e.g., via a corner module. The wheel face is fabricated, e.g., as a one-piece structure, from an FRP material. A wheel barrel, which circumscribes the wheel face, includes an annular rim that mounts thereon an inflatable tire. The wheel barrel is fabricated, e.g., as a one-piece structure, from a metallic material. Multiple overmold through holes and/or inset tabs are circumferentially spaced about the annular rim. The FRP material extends through and/or surrounds the overmold through holes/inset tabs and thereby mounts the wheel face to the wheel barrel.

A hub-bearing assembly for rotatably mounting a motor vehicle wheel on a suspension strut having a wheel hub to support the wheel of the vehicle and having an axial shoulder, a bearing unit providing a radially outer stationary ring constrained to the strut; a first radially inner rotating ring mounted on the hub, and a second radially inner rotating ring defined by the hub, two rows of rolling bodies interposed between the radially outer stationary ring and the two radially inner rotating rings inside a first raceway and a second raceway formed, respectively, the first inner ring providing a substantially non-deformable Hertzian portion, on which is formed the second raceway, and an accumulation portion integral with the Hertzian portion and interposed between the Hertzian portion and the axial shoulder for accumulating elastic energy during cold deformation to obtain the rolled edge.

Aerodynamic wheel covers may include a hub assembly coupled with a hub of a large vehicle, such as a truck. A base assembly may be coupled to the hub assembly, and a disk assembly may be coupled with the base assembly such that removal and installation of the disk assembly may be accomplished without tools.

A hub or wheel assembly includes a retaining element, biasing element, and hand-maneuverable release mechanism. The housing includes an axle bore configured to receive an axle and a pin sleeve including a first end in fluid communication with the axle bore, a second end, and a conduit between the first end and the second end. The retaining element is within the conduit and is configured to operatively engage a groove in an axle. The biasing element is within the conduit and is configured to bias the retaining element towards the axle bore. The hand-maneuverable release mechanism is configured to displace the retaining element away from the axle bore.

Presented are hybrid metal and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite wheels for vehicle wheel assemblies, methods for making/using such wheels, and motor vehicles equipped with such wheels. A wheel for a motor vehicle wheel assembly includes a wheel face with multiple spokes that are circumferentially spaced about and project radially outward from a central hub. The central hub rotatably attaches to the vehicle's body, e.g., via a corner module. The wheel face is fabricated, e.g., as a one-piece structure, from an FRP material. A wheel barrel, which circumscribes the wheel face, includes an annular rim that mounts thereon an inflatable tire. The wheel barrel is fabricated, e.g., as a one-piece structure, from a metallic material. Multiple overmold through holes and/or inset tabs are circumferentially spaced about the annular rim. The FRP material extends through and/or surrounds the overmold through holes/inset tabs and thereby mounts the wheel face to the wheel barrel.

A system for locking a rotatable shaft may include a base member couplable to the rotatable shaft and rotatable about a rotation axis of the rotatable shaft through a plurality of angular positions, the base member comprises two or more curved slots; two or more pins positioned with respect to the base member such that at least one of the two or more pins is aligned with at least one of the two or more curved slots of the base member for any angular position of the base member; and an actuator to displace at least one of the two or more pins to removably insert at least one of the two or more pins into at least one of the two or more curved slots.