The invention relates to a strut rod made of composite material for a suspension of a front axle of a vehicle, including: an upper part coupled to a rod and piston assembly connected to a vehicle body; and a U-shaped lower part including two brackets for fixing a knuckle arm of the vehicle. This strut rod includes means for detecting a crack. This detection means includes at least one additional edge positioned so as to project from an outer surface of the U-shaped lower part of the strut rod in a region where a crack possibly occurs in the case of an accidental shock on a wheel of the vehicle.

A vibration damper for a vehicle is provided. The vibration damper includes at least one damping cylinder made from a fiber composite material; a guiding element for guiding a piston rod of a piston movably arranged in the damping cylinder. The guiding element is located in a guiding end region at one end of the damping cylinder. A fastening element for use in attaching the at least one damping cylinder to a vehicle is located at a fastening end of the cylinder. At least one of the two end regions of the damping cylinder is conical or wedge-shaped and its element has a corresponding external form that is conical or wedge-shaped. A conical or wedge-shaped clamping sleeve located around the conical or wedge-shaped end regions of the damping cylinder.

A tiltable motor vehicle having 3 or more wheels and at least one bridge having opposite first and second ends where first and second wheel hub assemblies are disposed. First and second wheels are mounted on the first and second wheel hub assemblies. First and second suspension guides are also associated with the first and second wheel hub assemblies, each being attached to a respective end of the at least one bridge such that the suspension guide is rotatable about at least a tilt axis relative to the at least one bridge. Each wheel hub assembly being movable along or across the respective suspension guide such that the wheels are movable relative to the at least one bridge during suspension action. Movement of the wheels and the wheel hub assemblies associated with suspension rebound and compression action and rotation of the bridges relative to the body associated with tilting action are both substantially independent of movement of the steering element.

A utility vehicle includes a frame, a first ground-engaging element coupled to a first portion of the frame, a second ground-engaging element coupled to a second portion of the frame, an operator platform supported by the frame, and a suspension system coupled between the operator platform and the frame to accommodate motion of the frame relative to the operator platform. The suspension system includes a first linkage assembly coupled to the operator platform and operable to accommodate motion of the second portion of the frame relative to the operator platform and a second linkage assembly having a first end coupled to the frame to secure the suspension system to the frame and a second end coupled to the first linkage assembly. The second linkage assembly being operable independent of the first linkage assembly to accommodate motion of the first portion of the frame relative to the operator platform.

A suspension assembly for a vehicle may have a first end for pivotal mounting to a structural member of the vehicle and a second end opposite the first end for attachment of a damping arrangement and a stub axle. The suspension assembly may include first and second shell components that are welded together to form a substantially hollow body between the first and second ends.

An independent suspension system includes a steering unit configured to be controlled to adjust the steering angle of a wheel, a shock absorber engaged with the wheel in order to absorb external impacts applied to the wheel and including first and second shock absorbers, each of the first shock absorber and the second shock absorber arranged in a forward-rearward direction on opposite side surfaces of the wheel, respectively, and a link unit disposed between the shock absorber and the steering unit in order to vary the distance between the wheel and the steering unit. The link unit includes a first upper arm disposed between the first shock absorber and the steering unit, a second upper arm disposed between the second shock absorber and the steering unit, and a ground clearance adjustment unit engaged with the first and second upper arms and configured to vary the distance therebetween while varying the distance between the wheel and the steering unit at the same time.

An independent suspension system for a vehicle includes: a steering unit configured to be controlled to adjust the steering angle of a wheel, a shock absorber engaged with the wheel and configured to absorb impacts applied to the wheel and including a first shock absorber and a second shock absorber, each of which arranged in a forward-rearward direction on opposite side surfaces of the wheel, and a link unit disposed between the shock absorber and the steering unit in order to vary the distance between the wheel and the steering unit. The link unit includes a first upper arm disposed between the first shock absorber and the steering unit, a second upper arm disposed between the second shock absorber and the steering unit, and at least one ground clearance adjustment unit engaged with the first and second upper arms in order to vary the distance between the first and second upper arms.

An independent suspension system includes: a steering unit configured to adjust the steering angle of a wheel; a shock absorber engaged with the wheel in order to absorb impacts applied to the wheel and including a first shock absorber and a second shock absorber, each of which being arranged in a forward-rearward direction on opposite side surfaces of the wheel; and a link unit disposed between the shock absorber and the steering unit in order to vary the distance between the wheel and the steering unit. The link unit includes a first upper arm disposed between the first shock absorber and the steering unit, a second upper arm disposed between the second shock absorber and the steering unit, and a ground clearance adjustment unit engaged with the first and second upper arms in order to vary the distance between the first and second upper arms.

A shock absorber assembly comprises two springs 11, 12 arranged in series so as, in use, to extend between a pair of spaced apart spring seats. A coupling member 13 is arranged between the adjacent ends 11b, 12a of the springs 11, 12. The coupling member 13 is adjustable and is formed by a shaft having a pair of flanges 14, 15 provided on the outer surface thereof. The shaft extends axially beyond each flange 14, 15 so as to extend inside the windings of the abutting spring ends 11b, 12a to locate the spring ends 11b, 12a on the coupler 13. Each flange 14, 15 engages an associated adjacent ends 11b, 12a of one of the springs 11, 12. At least one of said flanges 14, 15 is moveable longitudinally along the shaft so as to vary the longitudinal separation between the two flanges 14, 15 and thereby vary the preload on the springs 11, 12.

An air suspension strut for a motor vehicle, comprising an air spring having a shock, wherein the air spring comprises an air spring cover and a rolling piston, wherein a rolling bellows of elastomer material is clamped in an airtight manner between the air spring cover and the rolling piston, wherein the rolling bellows, together with the air spring cover and the rolling piston, delimit a working chamber filled with compressed air, wherein the shock damper is supported via a damper bearing arranged on a piston rod in a pot-shaped bearing holder of the air spring cover. The closure cap seal comprises an inner sleeve and a closure part radially enclosing the inner sleeve, wherein the inner sleeve is pushed onto an end section of the piston rod, and the closure part is pushed sealingly into the bearing holder.