The twist axle assembly includes a twist beam which is made of a single integral piece, extends along a length between opposite ends and the twist beam has an open cross-sectional shape between the ends. The twist beam is stamped into a U-shape with a middle section that extends in a first direction between a pair of trailing arm sections. The trailing arm sections extend at least partially in a second direction that is generally transverse to the first direction to reduce twisting stresses within the trailing arm portions during operation of the twist axle assembly.

A utility vehicle comprises a plurality of ground engaging members and a frame supported by the plurality of ground engaging members. The frame includes a front frame portion, a mid-frame portion, and a rear frame portion. The utility vehicle further comprises an attachment supported at the front frame portion. Additionally, the utility vehicle includes an operator area supported by the frame and including an operator seat and an adjacent passenger seat spaced apart from the operator seat. The operator seat and the passenger seat are in a side-by-side arrangement. The utility vehicle also comprises an auxiliary power assembly having an attachment shaft configured to be operably coupled to the attachment. The attachment shaft extends in a generally longitudinal direction of the utility vehicle and projects outwardly from the front frame portion.

A wheeled work vehicle (1) comprises a forward chassis part (4) and a rearward chassis part (5) pivotally connected about a substantially vertically extending primary pivot axis (7) for steering thereof. A pair of forward ground engaging wheels (29) are carried on a forward suspension unit (32), and a pair of rearward ground engaging wheels (30) are carried on a rearward suspension unit (33). The forward suspension unit (32) is pivotally connected to the forward chassis part (4) by a pair of main forward transverse pivot shafts (63) pivotally coupled to the forward chassis part (4) by corresponding main forward pivot mountings (65). The main forward transverse pivot shafts (63) defines a main forward transverse pivot axis (59) about which the forward suspension unit (32) is pivotal relative to the forward chassis part (4). The forward suspension unit (32) comprises a pair of spaced apart trailing arms (35) which are joined by a torsion shaft (68) of tubular steel, which is rigidly connected to the trailing arms (35). The torsion shaft (68) defines a torsional axis (70), and permits limited upward and downward pivotal type torsional deflection of the trailing arms (35) relative to each other. The rearward suspension unit (33) is substantially similar to the forward suspension unit (32) and is coupled to the rearward chassis part (5) about a pair of main rearward transverse pivot shafts (87) in a similar manner as the forward suspension unit (32) is coupled to the forward chassis part (4).

A tubular vibration-damping device including: a vibration-damping device main unit wherein a main rubber elastic body is externally fixed to an inner shaft member; an outer tube member mounted on an outer peripheral face of the main unit; a pair of stopper protrusions protruding to opposite sides of a first axis-perpendicular direction at the inner shaft member; a cushion rubber layer fixed to the stopper protrusions; a stopper concavity provided in an inner peripheral face of the outer tube member to receive the stopper protrusions being inserted, with a wall opposed to the stopper protrusions in an axial direction, the first axis-perpendicular direction, and a second axis-perpendicular direction orthogonal thereto; and stoppers for all the directions constituted by contact of the wall and the stopper protrusions to limit relative displacement between the inner shaft member and the outer tube member.

[Object] Damage to a surface of a resin bush caused by press-fitting is prevented even when a configuration for positioning during welding is added. [Solving Means] A rolled collar (40) is a steel rolled collar into which a resin bush (90) is pressed-fitted, and which is joined to a joining member by welding. The rolled collar includes a main body part (50) formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a clinch part that joins both end surfaces of the main body part together by fitting. The rolled collar includes a notch part (70) formed by cutting off a portion of an annular edge (53) in the main body part. Here, a convex jig determining a position of the main body part at a time of welding is fit into the notch part. The rolled collar includes a cavity part (80) formed to be hollow from an inner circumferential surface side on a wall surface around the notch part to form a clearance (81) between the press-fitted resin bush and an edge portion (71) of the notch part on the inner circumferential surface side.

The twist axle assembly includes a twist beam which is made of a single integral piece and extends along a length between opposite ends. The twist beam has a middle portion which extends in a first direction and a pair of end portions which extend at least partially in a second direction that is generally transverse to the first direction to reduce twisting stresses within the end portions during operation of the twist axle assembly.

A rear suspension structure includes left and right trailing arms, left and right hub carriers, and a lateral beam. Each hub carrier includes a front arm portion extending in a direction inward in the vehicle width direction and frontward of an axis of the rear wheels, and a rear arm portion extending rearward of the front arm portion. Each trailing arm has a rear end portion coupled to the hub carrier or the lateral beam via a first coupling portion that is a bushing. The lateral beam includes a left beam extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the rear arm portion disposed on a left side of the vehicle, a right beam extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the rear arm portion disposed on a right side of the vehicle, and left and right second coupling portions displaceably coupling the left beam and the right beam.

The axle beam type suspension includes: the pair of trailing arms extending in the front-rear direction with the respective front end sections supported on the vehicle body and the respective rear end sections coupled to the wheels; the axle beam extending in the vehicle width direction and coupling the pair of trailing arms to each other; the pair of Watt's linkage mechanisms extending in the vehicle width direction, coupling the pair of trailing arms to each other at a position rearward of the axle beam, and fixed at a middle part to the vehicle body; and the inner shafts as connection members connecting the vehicle-width-direction outer end portions of one of the pair of Watt's linkage mechanisms and the other Watt's linkage mechanism. The inner shafts are characterized in that they are fixed to the trailing arms via the elastic members surrounding the inner shafts.

A torsion axle assembly for supporting of a vehicle body on an undercarriage, including an elongated inner member having an inner member longitudinal axis; a torsion arm interconnected with the elongated inner member and the undercarriage; an elongated enclosure interconnected with the vehicle body and having an interior space; and resilient polymeric material residing within the interior space to support the elongated inner member within the interior space, such that the inner member longitudinal axis resides at an unloaded camber angle to an elongated enclosure longitudinal axis when none of the weight of the vehicle body is borne by the torsion axle assembly and at a loaded camber angle when the weight of the vehicle body is borne by the torsion axle assembly, such that the unloaded camber angle is greater than the loaded camber angle. A vehicle having such a torsion axle assembly and a method are disclosed.

The twist axle assembly includes a pair of spaced apart trailing arms and a twist beam which is made of a single piece and is operably connected with the trailing arms. The twist beam has a top wall, a bottom wall and a pair of side walls. The twist beam presents a pair of end portions which are bent to present edges that face towards one another when viewed in cross-section, and the twist beam presents a middle portion which extends between the end portions. The middle portion has an opening with a generally elliptical shape formed into the bottom wall for reducing a torsion stiffness of the middle portion of the twist beam in comparison to the end portions.