The present disclosure relates to an air supply control arrangement for a heavy-duty vehicle including a lift axle which comprises a brake chamber. The air supply control arrangement includes a control valve and a lever. The control valve has a closed first state in which pressurized air along an air supply passage is blocked by the control valve, and an open second state in which pressurized air is allowed to pass through the control valve along the air supply passage. The lever has a first portion connected to the control valve and a second portion connectable to the lift axle so that when the lift axle is raised from its ride condition to its lift condition the lever moves the control valve from the open second state to the closed first state. When the lift axle is lowered to its ride condition the lever moves the control valve back to the open second state.

A pivotable wheel mount assembly may include a mounting bracket and a swing arm coupled to the mounting bracket. The swing arm may be movably coupled to the mounting bracket or the trailer and to a wheel and/or suspension so as to enable the wheel to be rotated from a downward or operational position to a horizontal or stowed position. The assembly may include an actuator support bracket coupled to the mounting bracket and an actuator that provides mechanical assistance moving the wheels between positions. One or more locking mechanisms may be provided to secure the assembly in either the operational position, the stowed position, or both.

A rocker bogie includes a first base which including a first wheel, a second wheel, and a third wheel each of which is configured to be in contact with a first flat surface, a second base including a fourth wheel which is configured to be in contact with the first flat surface, and a rotary shaft connecting the first base and the second base to each other such that the second base is rotatable with respect to the first base. The rotary shaft is parallel to a first straight line which connects a rotation center of the first wheel and a rotation center of the second wheel to each other and is disposed between a rotation center of the third wheel and the first straight line, and the fourth wheel is disposed at an opposite position to the third wheel across the first straight line.

A non-driven axle for a vehicle or a trailer is provided. The non-driven axle includes a first arm portion, a second arm portion, and a central portion. The first arm portion is for rotatably mounting a first wheel hub. The second arm portion is for rotatably mounting a second wheel hub. The second arm portion is on an axial end of the central portion opposite the first arm portion. The central portion is between the first arm portion and the second arm portion and may be substantially U-shaped or substantially ring-shaped. The substantially U-shaped central portion includes a main portion and a radially inner portion. The substantially ring-shaped central portion includes a main portion and an inner portion. The non-driven axle reduces a weight of a vehicle or trailer while capable of being lifted without interfering with an operation of a drive axle.

A lifting mechanism for a vehicle axle is provided wherein a vehicle includes a vehicle frame having a first rail component and a second rail component. A first mounting bracket is attached to the first rail component of the vehicle frame. A lifting component is attached to the first mounting bracket. A lateral load component has a first end attached to the lifting component and a second end attached to the second rail component of the vehicle frame. A bracket attaches the lateral load component to the vehicle axle such that upon extension of the lifting component, the vehicle axle is lifted.

A vehicle suspension arrangement includes mounting brackets configured to couple to a vehicle frame assembly, trailing arms coupled to the mounting brackets, a first axle member coupled to the trailing arms, an air spring arrangement coupled to the vehicle frame assembly and one of the trailing arms, and an air spring arrangement, wherein the first end, the second end and the air spring arrangement cooperate to define an interior space, a second axle member spaced from the first axle member, a sensor arrangement position within the interior space and configured to sense an operational parameter of the air spring arrangement, and a control arrangement operably coupled to the sensor arrangement and configured to receive information from the first sensor arrangement, wherein the control arrangement is configured to control at least one operational characteristic of the second axle member based upon the information received from the sensor arrangement.

A hydraulic system includes an actuator having an extend chamber and a retract chamber, a hydraulic reservoir, a hydraulic pump, and a hydraulic control valve. The control valve is configurable among a first alignment in which it aligns the pump with the extend chamber and the reservoir with the retract chamber, a second alignment in which it aligns the pump with the extend chamber and isolates the retract chambers from the reservoir, and a third alignment in which it aligns the pump with the retract chamber and the reservoir with the extend chamber. A hydraulic accumulator is hydraulically coupled to the retract chamber.

The subject matter of the present invention relates generally to a vehicle that has axles with tires mounted thereon with at least one axle that is a lift axle, and more specifically, to a method that optimizes the effective tire rolling resistance by adjusting the load on the tires, resulting in an improvement in the fuel economy of the vehicle. According to one embodiment, the method takes into consideration the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires placed onto the axles of the vehicle and provides an algorithm for optimizing their rolling resistance by raising or lowering the lift axle.

A non-driven axle for a vehicle or a trailer is provided. The non-driven axle includes a first arm portion, a second arm portion, and a central portion. The first arm portion is for rotatably mounting a first wheel hub. The second arm portion is for rotatably mounting a second wheel hub. The second arm portion is on an axial end of the central portion opposite the first arm portion. The central portion is between the first arm portion and the second arm portion and may be substantially arch-shaped or substantially ring-shaped. The substantially arch-shaped central portion includes a main portion and a radially inner portion. The substantially ring-shaped central portion includes a main portion and an inner portion. The non-driven axle reduces a weight of a vehicle or trailer while capable of being lifted without interfering with an operation of a drive axle.

Provided is a tandem lift auxiliary axle suspension assembly for vehicles which can be selectively raised and lowered to adjust the overall vehicle weight to axle ratio. A tandem wheel mount is connected with a pair of torsion rods to a hanger depending from the vehicle frame. An air spring mounted between the beam and the frame dampen axle movement during use. A lift spring is mounted between the hanger and the torsion rods, or other components of the assembly to selectively raise and lower the tandem axles for ground engagement as needed to decrease the weight to axle ratio.