The present invention relates to an automatic lift system for a pusher axle and/or a bridge axle of a truck. The automatic lift system raises the pusher axle and/or the bridge axle in the event of a tire blowout or low tire pressure to prevent the truck from swerving, spinning out or rolling over. The system includes a tire pressure sensor integrated to each of two wheels connected to the pusher axle and each of the two wheels connected to the bridge axle. Each tire pressure sensor is connected to a wired circuit and controller area network (CAN) of the truck for electronic communication with a control box. The control box receives tire pressure information from the sensors and transmits axle lift instructions in response to the tire pressure.

One or more example vehicle adaptive ride height (ARH) systems to provide semi-active damping and ARH functionality. Each example ARH system is operable to dynamically control the vehicle, in response to dynamic detection of one or more operational parameters, between a raised vehicle state or position (e.g., ride height) and a lowered vehicle state or position. Such dynamic control facilitates greater reach-to-ground when in the lowered vehicle state and automatically controls vehicle ride height when in the raised vehicle state for dynamic loading conditions.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for adjusting the front to rear ratio of roll damping and/or roll stiffness in a vehicle based on vehicle yaw rate and/or the rate of change of steering wheel angle. Also disclosed are methods and apparatus for dynamically adjusting one or more suspension system control parameters based on one or more of steering wheel angle, rate of change of steering wheel angle and yaw rate.

The present invention relates to a control unit for determining a value indicative of a load bearing capability of a ground segment supporting a vehicle. The control unit is configured to issue a control signal to the vehicle to thereby impart a motion change of the vehicle, and receive response information from the vehicle indicative of the vehicle's response to the imparted motion change. The control unit is further configured to, based on the response information, determine a vertical position change of at least one wheel of the vehicle, and based on the determined vertical position change and the imparted motion change, determine the value indicative of the load bearing capability of the ground segment.

A weight sensing assembly for a semi-trailer truck enabling balancing of a load includes a sensing module, which is one of a plurality thereof. The sensing modules are mountable to wheels of the semi-trailer truck so that each axle has a sensing module engaged to outside wheels thereof. The sensing module obtains a pressure measurement of a tire engaged to the wheel and transmits it to an electronic device. Programming code on the electronic device enables it to utilize a pressure changes, upon positioning of a load upon the semi-trailer truck, to determine a weight that is positioned upon an associated axle. The electronic device calculates adjustments to positions of a sliding fifth wheel and of sliding tandems of the semi-trailer truck to obtain positions thereof that will achieve a legal weight distribution of the load. The electronic device presents, upon a screen thereof, the adjustments to a user.

A communication and power transmission module includes a communication connection portion adapted for communicative coupling with an associated controller. A wireless power and communication portion is adapted for communicative coupling with an associated sensing device operatively associated with an associated suspension component and/or an associated wheel. The wireless power and communication portion is operable to communicate wireless data and/or signals to and/or from the associated sensing device and operable to wirelessly transmit power to the associated sensing device. Gas spring assemblies and vehicles including one or more of such communication and power transmission modules are also included.

A vehicle height adjusting device includes a vehicle height adjusting unit, a prediction unit, and a vehicle height control unit. The vehicle height adjusting unit adjusts a vehicle height to one of a first state and a second state. In the first state, the vehicle height is set to a predetermined height, and in the second state, the vehicle height is set lower than the first state. The prediction unit predicts whether a drive battery (lower portion) of a vehicle interferes with a road surface in the second state. The vehicle height control unit controls the vehicle height adjusting unit to set the vehicle height to one of the first state and the second state. When the prediction unit predicts an interference between the drive battery of the vehicle and the road surface, the vehicle height adjusting unit restricts a transition from the first state to the second state.

Systems, methods, and computer readable storage media provide dynamic chassis and tire status indications associated with a vehicle. Lift axle status data may be graphically represented by a lift axle indicator dynamically provided in a shared notification/messaging space positioned within the driver's line of sight during a lift axle transition. The lift axle indicator may include a side-view representation of the vehicle including a plurality of axle sections indicating the status of each axle. The lift axle indicator may be suppressed when air pressure is stabilized. Additionally, a graphical representation of data associated with statuses (e.g., air pressure, temperature) of each tire may be provided in a top-down view representation of the vehicle including its associated tire/axle configuration and the tire pressure for each tire. The graphical representation may be configured to reflect the correct number of axles and tires per position, and may further include a tractor versus trailer designation.

A bogie positioning system and method for a work machine. The bogie positioning system adapted to selectively engage a wheel of a work machine to a ground surface through a bogie assembly wherein the bogie assembly may have a front wheel coupled to a rear wheel through a bogie coupling mechanism. The bogie coupling mechanism comprising a beam with a rotary joint. The rotary joint allowing the front wheel to rotate about a rotary axis relative to the rear wheel. The beam is coupled to a chassis of the work machine with at least one actuator coupled to the beam. A control unit is in communication with the bogie assembly, a user input interface, and a plurality of sensors, generating command signals to actuate the actuator based on the input signals, thereby selectively engaging the front wheel or the rear wheel with the ground surface.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for cooling damping fluid in a vehicle suspension damper unit. A damping unit includes a piston mounted in a fluid cylinder. A bypass fluid circuit having an integrated cooling assembly disposed therein is fluidly coupled to the fluid cylinder at axial locations that, at least at one point in the piston stroke, are located on opposite sides of the piston. The cooling assembly may include a cylinder having cooling fins thermally coupled to an exterior surface of the cylinder and made of a thermally conductive material. The bypass channel may include a check valve that permits fluid flow in only one direction through the bypass channel. The check valve may be remotely operated, either manually or automatically by an electronic controller. A vehicle suspension system may implement one or more damper units throughout the vehicle, controlled separately or collectively, automatically or manually.