A method for creating a roller spring perch has steps for burning a rubber bushing out of an existing spring perch that has the rubber bushing implemented between an existing mounting shaft, and an existing tube mounted through a frame, removing the existing tube from the frame, preparing a new tube counterbored at each end to accommodate ball bearings, machining a new mounting shaft from the existing mounting shaft, assembling the new mounting shaft to the new tube with ball bearings, and joining the new tube with new mounting shaft and bearings to the frame.

A hollow coil spring is made of a hollow wire in which a terminal sealed portion is formed on an end portion of the wire. The terminal sealed portion has a rotationally symmetric shape in which an axis passing through the center of the wire is the symmetric axis. The hollow coil spring includes an end wall portion, and an end face arc-shaped curved surface. The end wall portion includes an end face perpendicular to the axis. A distal-end-center closure portion is formed on the axis at the center of the end wall portion. A spring seat includes a base member and a sheet member. An end turn portion of the hollow coil spring is in contact with the sheet member. The end face of the end turn portion is opposed to a stopper wall of the spring seat.

Provided is a coil spring manufacturing method. In the coil spring manufacturing method, a coil spring of a vehicle suspension member is immersed in a fluidized bed in which powder coat is fluidized for coating. The fluidized bed includes a vertical stream area in which the powder coat moves upward and downward. The coil spring is immersed in the vertical stream area of the fluidized bed while an end coil of the coil spring faces upward, and is periodically subjected to a relative movement with respect to a direction containing components vertical to a central axis of the coil spring in relation to the vertical stream area.

The ball socket assembly includes a housing with at least one open end and with an inner surface that surrounds an inner bore which extends along a central axis. The ball socket assembly also includes a ball stud that has a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is disposed in the inner bore of the housing and has an outer diameter which is in a spherical fit relationship with the inner surface of the housing. The shank portion of the ball stud extends out of the inner bore through the at least one open end of the housing. The ball portion is out of contact with any bearings on opposite axial sides of the ball portion such that the ball stud is able to move along the central axis relative to the housing.

A control arm assembly mechanism includes: a workbench having thereon a holder; a vertically pressing device disposed above the workbench and including a moving arm capable of moving toward and away from the holder; and two transversely pressing devices flanking the workbench and each including a moving arm capable of moving toward and away from the holder. The control arm assembly mechanism operates in such a manner to compress transversely and vertically a bushing placed on the workbench and thereby fit the bushing into a control arm.

A top mount housing, suitable for an assembly including a jounce bumper and a damper mount, comprises a central annular portion having an upper portion, a lower cylindrical inner portion, and a central longitudinal axis. In embodiments, the lower cylindrical inner portion is configured to receive a portion of a jounce bumper, a lower lip portion extends from or is adjacent to the lower cylindrical inner portion, the lower cylindrical inner portion has a vertical length in the direction of the central longitudinal axis, and the lower lip portion is formed to extend radially inwardly at an angle from an imaginary line that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis. Methods for making a top mount and a top mount assembly are also disclosed.

An apparatus and methods are provided for a leading-edge front suspension system to improve the mechanical strength and performance of off-road vehicles. The leading-edge front suspension system comprises upper and lower connecting arms that couple front wheels with a chassis of a vehicle. The upper and lower connecting arms are swept rearward relative to the chassis so as to accommodate coupling struts between the lower connecting arms and the chassis. The lower connecting arms are reinforced to withstand forces arising due to the front wheels and the struts during traveling over terrain. The upper connecting arms are configured to accommodate the struts extending between the lower connecting arms and the chassis. Coupling the struts with the lower connecting arms facilitates a lower center of gravity of the off-road vehicle and advantageously positions the struts with respect to the lower connecting arms during full compression of the struts.

An air suspension system, comprising a manifold, defining a first and second port, each port defining a receiving region at the second end, wherein the first and second ports are arranged in a common plane, a channel intersecting the first and second port, a cavity intersecting each port, and a pressure sensor port, positioned between the first and second port, defining a sensor insertion axis normal to the common plane, the pressure sensor port separated from the first port, the second port, and the channel by a thickness; a first and second solenoid valve, each solenoid valve arranged within the cavity and coaxially arranged with the first and second ports, each solenoid valve comprising a connector; a pressure sensor arranged within the pressure sensor port, the pressure sensor comprising a connector; and an electronics module arranged parallel the common plane, the electronics module configured to electrically couple to the connectors.

A mechanism for electronically adjusting a shock absorber includes a cartridge that is located on the fluid path between the main body of the shock absorber and a damping reservoir. A piston valve is mounted for reciprocal movement inside an elongated chamber of the cartridge, and a solenoid is mounted on the cartridge to interact with the piston valve. In operation, the solenoid is electronically controlled to selectively move the piston valve into various positons in the cartridge chamber to thereby vary the volume of liquid flow along the fluid path which will adjust the response characteristics of the shock absorber.

An electronically controller external damper reservoir assembly (eRESI) can be connected to a passive damper and/or substituted for an existing external reservoir to provide semi-active damping control. The eRESI includes a reservoir and a variable base valve assembly actuated by an actuator. A controller is in communication with the actuator and a sensor providing input signal indicative of vehicle movement and is programmed to generate a damping control signal to the actuator based on the input signal, to dynamically control the damping force outputted by a passive damper hydraulically connected to the eRESI. A P/T sensor can be installed to a gas chamber of a vehicle damper to generate a P/T signal indicative of the pressure and temperature of the gas. The controller is programmed to determine a damper position of the damper based on the P/T signal.