The invention relates to a suspension for motor vehicles having controllable chassis clearance and stiffness, and includes a helical spring (1), having a controlling device (2) which is secured to the body of the vehicle and is located rotatably, preferably by means of a transmission stage driven by an electric motor. The controlling device (2) is embodied as a shaped nut, which is screwed directly onto the coils of the preferably cylindrical helical spring (1) and has roller bodies which are located along the helical line and are connected to coils of the helical spring; the controlling device (2) is fully movable and fixable onto and relative to the helical spring. The suspension for motor vehicles ensures enhanced stiffness of the suspension in the event of a decrease in the chassis clearance, reduced stiffness of the suspension when the chassis clearance is increased, and the possibility of building in a telescoping damper inside the helical spring without blocking access to its upper fastening point.

A suspension system includes a top mount, a bottom mount, a rigid housing, an air spring, and a linear actuator. The air spring transfers force of a first load path between the top mount and the bottom mount. The air spring includes a pressurized cavity containing pressurized gas that transfers the force of the first load path. The linear actuator transfers force of a second load path between the top mount and the bottom mount in parallel to the first load path. The rigid housing defines at least part of the pressurized cavity and transfers the force of the second load path.

A wrench and nut combination, including: a wrench lug including: a wrench lug feature that substantially mates with a nut feature of a nut of a shock absorber during a first rotation of said nut, relative to external body threads on a body of the shock absorber, in a first direction, wherein the wrench lug feature and the nut feature release during a second rotation of said nut, relative to the external body threads, in a second direction, wherein at least one of the first rotation and the second rotation causes an adjustment to a compressive coil spring pre-load of a set of coil springs disposed in the shock absorber.

An electromechanical vehicle height adjustment unit comprises a displaceable member having an abutment surface for abutment of an end of a vehicle spring or for abutment of a vehicle body and a displacement mechanism coupled to the displaceable member and operative to displace the displaceable member in a height direction. The electromechanical vehicle height adjustment unit comprises a rechargeable energy storage device coupled to the electric motor to store electric energy output by the displacement mechanism during a vehicle lowering operation.

The invention relates to a suspension for motor vehicles having controllable chassis clearance and stiffness, and includes a helical spring (1), having a controlling device (2) which is secured to the body of the vehicle and is located rotatably, preferably by means of a transmission stage driven by an electric motor. The controlling device (2) is embodied as a shaped nut, which is screwed directly onto the coils of the preferably cylindrical helical spring (1) and has roller bodies which are located along the helical line and are connected to coils of the helical spring; the controlling device (2) is fully movable and fixable onto and relative to the helical spring. The suspension for motor vehicles ensures enhanced stiffness of the suspension in the event of a decrease in the chassis clearance, reduced stiffness of the suspension when the chassis clearance is increased, and the possibility of building in a telescoping damper inside the helical spring without blocking access to its upper fastening point.

A method and apparatus for a suspension comprising a spring having a threaded member at a first end for providing axial movement to the spring as the spring is rotated and the threaded member moves relative to a second component. In one embodiment, the system includes a damper for metering fluid through a piston and a rotatable spring member coaxially disposed around the damper and rotatable relative to the damper.

A shock absorber assembly comprises two springs 11, 12 arranged in series so as, in use, to extend between a pair of spaced apart spring seats. A coupling member 13 is arranged between the adjacent ends 11b, 12a of the springs 11, 12. The coupling member 13 is adjustable and is formed by a shaft having a pair of flanges 14, 15 provided on the outer surface thereof. The shaft extends axially beyond each flange 14, 15 so as to extend inside the windings of the abutting spring ends 11b, 12a to locate the spring ends 11b, 12a on the coupler 13. Each flange 14, 15 engages an associated adjacent ends 11b, 12a of one of the springs 11, 12. At least one of said flanges 14, 15 is moveable longitudinally along the shaft so as to vary the longitudinal separation between the two flanges 14, 15 and thereby vary the preload on the springs 11, 12.

A chassis control arm for a wheel suspension has a control arm body, a spring abutment and an actuator which is arranged between the control arm body and the spring abutment and with which the position of the spring abutment relative to the control arm body can be adjusted. The actuator comprises a lifting gear which is configured as a movement thread and which includes a lifting spindle on which the spring abutment is arranged or on which the spring abutment is axially movably mounted.

Disclosed herein is an accumulator comprising a cylinder, and an internal floating piston. The internal floating piston divides the cylinder into a spring chamber and a gas chamber, and the spring chamber allows fluid to flow. The accumulator further comprises a negative spring disposed in the spring chamber.

A suspension component includes a suspension spring, a screw actuator that is operable to compress and decompress the suspension spring upon supply of electrical power to the screw actuator, and locking structure that engages a portion of the screw actuator to restrain motion of the screw actuator to maintain a current degree of compression of the suspension spring.