A top mount assembly includes an insulator comprising an upper plate, a lower plate, and a rubber bushing accommodated in an accommodation space defined between the upper plate and the lower plate; and a strut bearing comprising an upper housing, a lower housing, and a bearing interposed between the upper housing and the lower housing and configured to rotate the lower housing relative to the upper housing. The upper housing of the strut bearing may comprise an insulator mounting part formed on an upper portion of the upper housing and on which the insulator is mounted, the insulator mounting part may comprise a lower plate mounting part on which the lower plate of the insulator is mounted and an upper plate supporting part formed outside the lower plate mounting part, and the upper plate support part may be configured to support a lower surface of the upper plate.

A bearing system for an axle of a double-track motor vehicle includes at least one rubber bearing. The stiffness of the rubber bearing in the vertical direction lies between a lower value and an upper value, depending on the stiffness of the rubber bearing in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle or its longitudinal axis. The lower value of the stiffness of the rubber bearing in the vertical direction is not smaller than 1.4 times the stiffness of the rubber bearing in the longitudinal direction. The upper value of the stiffness of the rubber bearing in the vertical direction is not greater than 10 times the stiffness of the rubber bearing in the longitudinal direction.

A bushing for use in an axle/suspension system of a heavy-duty vehicle. A beam supports an axle for pivotal movement with a hanger of the heavy-duty vehicle at a pivot connection. A bumper is fixed to the beam and contacts an engagement member of the heavy-duty vehicle to limit the relative pivotal movement of the beam and axle in one direction. A force is applied to the pivot connection in a force application direction that is angularly spaced from horizontal and vertical planes. The pivot connection includes a bushing to connect the beam and the hanger. The bushing includes an elastomeric bushing body with at least one void for decreasing rigidity of the bushing body in a substantially vertical direction. The one void is located in the bushing body angularly spaced from the force application direction. The bushing body is substantially solid along the force application direction.

An axle/suspension system (1) has an axle (5) supported from the frame of the vehicle by a pair of rigid longitudinal beams (4) pivoted to frame hangers (3). Air springs (7) and shock absorbers (8) connect between the rigid beams (4) and the frame above to control suspension movement. The axle/suspension system is particularly suited as a mid-lift axle on the tractor of a tractor-trailer vehicle. A characteristic feature is the pivotal connection (21) between each hanger (3) and beam (4), which is through a resilient bush (6) having a compliance ratiobeing a ratio of the longitudinal spring rate to the vertical spring rateof at least 10:1.

A bushing may include an elastic compression portion configured to form a primary compression ratio due to a compressive deformation by a primary press-fitting load and be pressed by a secondary compression ratio greater than the primary compression ratio by a secondary press-fitting load greater than the primary press-fitting load, wherein the elastic compression portion is formed in an opened cross section to be a secondary surface contact larger than a primary surface contact without a bulge phenomenon by a volume dispersion in a state in which it is pressed by the primary press-fitting load to be the primary surface contact and then is pressed by the secondary press-fitting load.

A powered vehicle suspension assembly includes a mounting bracket configured to be attached to a powered vehicle frame rail, a trailing arm assembly including a substantially rigid trailing arm having a first end pivotably coupled with the mounting bracket and a second end, where the trailing arm assembly is configured to operably couple with a powered vehicle axle arrangement, a spring arrangement supported by the second end of the trailing arm, and a structural reinforcement cross-member configured to extend between and couple with a pair of powered vehicle frame rails.

A bearing bushing for a motor vehicle includes a sleeve, a bolt arranged inside the sleeve, and at least one elastomer element arranged radially between the sleeve and the bolt for supporting the bolt in the sleeve in a damping manner. The bolt has a ball element axially between two distal ends, wherein the ball element interacts with at least two movable ball socket elements in order to change the stiffness of the bearing bushing. This allows the bearing bushing can be switched between at least two stiffness levels.

The present disclosure is directed to a bushing assembly having a tubular inner metal, a tubular outer metal, a tubular rigid cup disposed over an outer portion of the tubular inner metal, and a tubular pad disposed between the tubular rigid cup and the tubular outer metal. The tubular pad may have a first wall section and a second wall section at least partially circumscribing the first wall section. The first wall section may be configured to be compressed and to expand along an axis parallel to an axial center of the tubular pad, to thus fill the tubular rigid cup and enhance a stiffness of the bushing assembly when the tubular outer metal of the bushing assembly is moved towards a limit of a range of radial travel.

Bearing bushes, for example, for a chassis of a motor vehicle are disclosed. A bearing bush may include a shaft, a hub, and an elastomer element which is arranged radially therebetween. The bearing bush may be configured to be switched between a first and second stiffness levels. The hub may have a main body and a plurality of radially adjustable plungers which are arranged in the main body. The plungers may be configured to engage the elastomer element and change the stiffness of the bearing bush from the first stiffness level to the second stiffness level. The elastomer element may have a plurality of radial elements arranged on the main body and configured to be compressed via a respective plunger in order to increase the stiffness of the bearing bush. An actuator including an electric motor may be configured to radially adjust the plungers in the main body.

Energy storing suspension components having an end configured to include an eye are disclosed in combinations with bushings for use in suspension systems for wheeled vehicles and trailers. The energy storing suspension components include an axle seat portion, an end, and a limb extending between the axle seat portion and the end. The limb includes a first taper wherein the limb decreases in width as the limb extends toward the end, a second taper wherein the limb decreases in thickness as the limb extends toward the end, wherein along the limb there is at least a portion where both the first taper and second taper are present, and a third taper that is further from the axle seat portion than the first taper and wherein the limb increases in width as the limb extends toward the end.