A modular chassis is provided for an off-road vehicle to improve assembly, servicing, and repairing of a drivetrain of the off-road vehicle. The modular chassis includes a chassis to support components of the off-road vehicle. A front frame module couples with a front of the chassis, and a rear frame module couples with a rear of the chassis. The front frame module supports lower suspension arms of the off-road vehicle by way of inboard bushing joints. The front frame module supports at least a steering gear and a front differential of the off-road vehicle. The rear frame module is a tube-frame structure that supports components of the off-road vehicle. A lower portion of the rear frame module extends rearward and acutely upward to a top frame member that couples with upper side portions of the chassis. Several cross-members impart structural integrity to the rear frame module.

A plunging assembly of a driveshaft includes: an outer housing having a bore having a plurality of outer ball grooves extending in a longitudinal direction; an inner shaft being disposed to be able to undergo relative movement in the longitudinal direction in the bore of the outer housing and having a plurality of inner ball grooves that are paired respectively with the outer ball grooves to form a plurality of ball tracks; a plunging unit connecting the outer housing and the inner shaft to allow a plunging motion and a rotational power transmission between the outer housing and the inner shaft; and a stopper that is provided in the bore of the outer housing to limit relative movement of the inner housing and the inner shaft in a direction in which the inner shaft is inserted into the bore. The outer housing has a mounting hole communicating with the bore, and the stopper is a plug member that is inserted into the mounting hole in a state that a frontal end portion thereof is exposed to the bore.

A universal axle-hub assembly is provided for an off-road vehicle. The universal axle-hub assembly comprises a wheel hub that receives a constant velocity (CV) axle snout into an opening extending through an axle support of the wheel hub. An outboard-most portion of the opening is a splined portion that engages with similar splines disposed on an outboard-most portion of the CV axle snout. An inboard-most portion of the opening is a smooth portion that receives a smooth portion of the CV axle snout. The axle support extends through an entirety of the width of a bearing that supports the wheel hub, such that the bearing supports the smooth portion of the CV axle snout and substantially eliminates shear forces acting on the splined portion of the CV axle snout. A bearing carrier supports the bearing and may be fastened onto a trailing arm or a spindle of the off-road vehicle.

A wheel drive assembly for transferring propelling torque from a source shaft to a wheel, the source shaft receiving torque from a motion actuator. The wheel drive assembly includes a wheel-hub, adapted to have the wheel mounted thereon, the wheel-hub being arranged about a longitudinal axis, which is adapted to coincide with a rotation axis of the wheel. The wheel drive assembly further includes a drive axle and a constant velocity (CV) joint mounted onto an outer end of the drive axle. The CV joint connects the drive axle to the wheel-hub. An outermost surface of the CV joint is disposed outwardly of an outermost surface of the wheel hub, along the longitudinal axis of the wheel-hub.

A constant velocity joint for a vehicle. The constant velocity joint includes: an axle housing fixed to a knuckle by a hub bearing, and a joint assembly inserted into the axle housing to transmit power from a shaft to the axle housing through a plurality of joint balls. In particular, the axle housing includes an extension portion which is extended from an end portion of the axle housing in a radial direction of the axle housing, and the extension portion provides a pressing force to an inner race of the hub bearing in an axial direction of the axle housing. The constant velocity joint further includes a boot surrounding an outer side of the extension portion and coupled to the extension portion so as to form a restraining force between the extension portion and the boot in the axial direction.

A low suspension arm strut coupling is provided for a suspension of an off-road vehicle. The suspension comprises a lower suspension arm that is hingedly coupled between a chassis of the off-road vehicle and a spindle assembly that is coupled with a front wheel. An upper suspension arm is hingedly coupled between the chassis and the spindle assembly. A strut is coupled between the lower suspension arm and the chassis. A lower pivot couples the strut to the lower suspension, and an upper pivot couples the strut to the chassis. The upper and lower pivots provide a lower center of gravity of the off-road vehicle and a relatively smaller shock angle. The lower suspension arm is reinforced to withstand forces due to movement of the front wheel and operation of the strut in response to travel over terrain.

A universal axle-hub assembly is provided for an off-road vehicle. The universal axle-hub assembly comprises a wheel hub that receives a constant velocity (CV) axle snout into an opening extending through an axle support of the wheel hub. An outboard-most portion of the opening is a splined portion that engages with similar splines disposed on an outboard-most portion of the CV axle snout. An inboard-most portion of the opening is a smooth portion that receives a smooth portion of the CV axle snout. The axle support extends through an entirety of the width of a bearing that supports the wheel hub, such that the bearing supports the smooth portion of the CV axle snout and substantially eliminates shear forces acting on the splined portion of the CV axle snout. A bearing carrier supports the bearing and may be fastened onto a trailing arm or a spindle of the off-road vehicle.

A half-shaft assembly includes a first constant velocity (CV) joint, a second CV joint and an axial movement joint connected between the first CV joint and the second CV joint. The axial movement joint includes a first shaft coupled to the first CV joint and a second shaft coupled to the second CV joint, wherein mechanical input received on the first shaft is communicated to the second shaft, and wherein the second shaft slides axially within the first shaft. The axial movement joint further includes an axial boot cover coupled on a first end to the first shaft and on a second end to the second shaft that accommodates axial movement of the first shaft relative to the second shaft. The first constant velocity (CV) joint is coupled to provide torsional input received at an input to the first shaft, the first CV joint having a first CV boot cover. The second CV joint coupled to provide torsional output received from the second shaft to an output, the second CV joint having a second CV boot cover.

A wheel drive assembly for transferring propelling torque from a source shaft to a wheel, the source shaft receiving torque from a motion actuator. The wheel drive assembly includes a wheel-hub, adapted to have the wheel mounted thereon, the wheel-hub being arranged about a longitudinal axis, which is adapted to coincide with a rotation axis of the wheel. The wheel drive assembly further includes a drive axle and a constant velocity (CV) joint mounted onto an outer end of the drive axle. The CV joint connects the drive axle to the wheel-hub. An outermost surface of the CV joint is disposed outwardly of an outermost surface of the wheel hub, along the longitudinal axis of the wheel-hub.

A modular chassis is provided for an off-road vehicle to improve assembly, servicing, and repairing of a drivetrain of the off-road vehicle. The modular chassis includes a chassis to support components of the off-road vehicle. A front frame module couples with a front of the chassis, and a rear frame module couples with a rear of the chassis. The front frame module supports lower suspension arms of the off-road vehicle by way of inboard bushing joints. The front frame module supports at least a steering gear and a front differential of the off-road vehicle. The rear frame module is a tube-frame structure that supports components of the off-road vehicle. A lower portion of the rear frame module extends rearward and acutely upward to a top frame member that couples with upper side portions of the chassis. Several cross-members impart structural integrity to the rear frame module.