A rear wheel steering apparatus may include: a driving part housed in a housing part; a rotating part rotated by the driving part; a moving shaft part connected to tie rods, and screwed to the rotating part; a spline plate spline-coupled to the moving shaft part so as to restrict rotation of the moving shaft part; and a space maintaining part protruding from the moving shaft part or the spline plate, and maintaining a space between the moving shaft part and the spline plate.

A stabilizer comprises a damper having a housing and a piston rod. An inner adapter is associated with the damper for securing a first end of the damper to one of a first component or a second component. An outer adapter assembly is coupled to a distal end of the piston rod for coupling to the other of the first and second component. A one-piece spring seat is coupled to the housing of the damper so as to be held axially stationary relative to the housing. A coil spring is supported by the one-piece spring seat and the outer adapter assembly. The one-piece spring seat enables the coil spring to return the stabilizer to a neutral position regardless of whether the coil spring is under tension or compression.

An end damper capable of providing an impact absorbing function with a short stroke is provided. A steering system includes: a large-diameter members attached one to each axial end of a rack shaft; a rack housing having stopper portions which the corresponding large-diameter members approach and separate from, the rack housing holding the rack shaft and the large-diameter members movably in an axial direction; and end dampers each of which absorbs impact by being held between the corresponding large-diameter member and the corresponding stopper portion in the axial direction. Each end damper includes: a first elastic member that is elastically deformed by being held; and a second elastic member that is elastically deformed such that an elastic modulus of the entire end damper is greater than an elastic modulus of the first elastic member, by receiving a load resulting from the elastic deformation of the first elastic member.

A damper apparatus includes a shock-absorbing member configured to absorb a shock while restricting movement of a shaft relative to a housing. The shock-absorbing member includes a shock-receiving member configured to come into contact with one member, which is one of a large-diameter portion of the shaft and a restriction portion of the housing, and a pre-compression spring disposed between the other member, which is the other of the large-diameter portion and the restriction portion, and the shock-receiving member in a state where the pre-compression spring is compressed in advance in an axial direction. The pre-compression spring is configured to urge the one member in the axial direction via the shock-receiving member when the large-diameter portion is relatively moved toward the restriction portion beyond a prescribed position.

The present invention relates to a new hydraulic stabilizing unit that can be mounted onto any self-steering axle assembly that utilises a pneumatic stabilizing system. The hydraulic stabilizer works in conjunction with the pneumatic stabilizer to eliminate a dead zone of the pneumatic system to avoid wheel shimmy and hop conditions associated with out of specification caster angles on the axle.

The present disclosure relates to a steering stabilizer for a vehicle. The stabilizer has a damper having a housing, a piston rod extending telescopically from the housing, and a coil spring disposed over the damper. An inner adapter assembly secures a first end of the damper to one of a wheel component or a body component of the vehicle. An outer adapter assembly is coupled to a distal end of the piston rod and couples to the other one of the wheel or body component. A one-piece spring seat is fixedly coupled to the housing. The coil spring is supported at a first end by the spring seat and at a second end by the outer adapter assembly. The spring seat enables the single coil spring to return the steering stabilizer to a central position regardless of whether the single coil spring is under tension or compression.

Steering a vehicle may include applying a net brake-steering force to a steered wheel sufficient to affect a steering moment upon the steered wheel sufficient to move the steered wheel away from a zero steering angle, and resisting movement of the steered wheel back toward the zero steering angle.

A vehicle lower section structure including: a left and right pair of vehicle body frame members; a lower extension section joined to each of the left and right pair of vehicle body frame members, the lower extension section including: a front lower extension section extending toward a vehicle lower side, and a rear lower extension section disposed at a vehicle rear side of the front lower extension section and extending toward the vehicle lower side; and a front-rear direction extension section that bridges the vehicle front-rear direction between the front lower extension section and the rear lower extension section, the front-rear direction extension section provided with a lower arm support section that a lower arm is attached to pivotably substantially a vehicle vertical direction, and the front-rear direction extension section being joined to the rear lower extension section at the vehicle rear side of the lower arm support section.

A variable stiffness automotive suspension bushing (1) comprises a shaft or rod connected to a wheel member, an inner cylinder fixedly connected to the shaft or rod, and an outer cylinder fixedly connected to a chassis member. A magnetorheological (MR) elastomer, having iron particles embedded therein, is interposed between the inner and outer cylinders, and a coil is disposed about the inner cylinder. When the coil is energized by electrical current provided from a steering control module, a variable magnetic field is generated so as to influence the magnetorheological (MR) elastomer whereby variable stiffness values of the elastomer are obtained to provide the bushing (1) with variable stiffness characteristics in order to, in turn, provide the vehicle with optimal wheel deflection.

An impact absorbing mechanism for a wheel is provided. The mechanism has discs that are engaged so that rotation of a first disc causes translational movement of a second disc. A restraining member such as a spring acts against translational movement of the second disc to absorb energy from a head on collision or aggressive braking. Once the mechanism is fully activated, teeth on the first and second discs engage to prevent kick back from the restraining member. In some embodiments, a ratchet mechanism is provided to prevent kick back from the restraining member even when the impact absorbing mechanism is not fully activated.