A vehicle including a frame having an axle and a support apparatus coupled thereto. The support apparatus is configured to support a load coupled to the axle and permit the load to translate along an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

A load sensor having a centrally disposed aperture element through which a fastening element of a vehicle air suspension assembly passes to affix the load sensor between the vehicle air suspension assembly and the vehicle suspension, wherein the load sensor has a force measurement sensor disposed proximate an elongate slot to generate a load signal which varies based on an amount of strain in the load sensor, wherein the load signal received by a load calculator allows calculation of the load exerted from the vehicle frame to the vehicle suspension.

A vehicle rigid axle with an axle beam, at the ends of which axle journals or wheel carriers, respectively, are arranged, and with at least two trailing arms rigidly attached to the axle beam and with at least one air spring bellows assigned to the respective trailing arm. At least one component of an electric drive is placed in the hollow body, the drive shaft of which passes through the axle journal. To form at least one axle journal connection section extending between the two trailing arms, a trailing arm connected thereto and a receptacle for at least one component of an electric drive, two shell elements are formed from sheet metal and connected to one another, in particular welded, to form a hollow body surrounding the receiving space. At least one component of the electric drive is mounted in the receiving space.

A vehicle component such as an axle spindle or suspension beam (3) is connected to a tubular vehicle axle (1) by fitting a connector sleeve (2) onto the axle and subjecting the assembly to a crimping operation in which plural depressions (206,2018) are formed by indentation in the connector sleeve and the axle wall at the connection region (11,12) to fix the connector sleeve on the tubular axle. In the described proposals a solid lubricant (4) such as molybdenum disulphide is applied at the connection region between the connector sleeve (2) and axle (1), before crimping. The further vehicle component (3) is then connected to the connector sleeve (2) by welding.

An independent suspension apparatus includes a cross beam mounted on two transversely spaced mounting elements of a trailer. Two axle frames are independently pivoted on the cross beam to extend longitudinally of the trailer to distal ends that support stub axles for mounting wheels thereon. A suspension element is supported on each axle frame to act between the axle frame and the trailer frame to support weight of the trailer thereon. Each axle frame is pivotally supported on the cross beam by two hinges, in which each hinge is laterally spaced from the other hinges. Optional adjustment assemblies of each hinge allow the axle frames to be adjustably aligned relative to the trailer frame. In one embodiment, an abutment member is cantilevered from the cross beam to support an upper end of the suspension element relative to the trailer frame.

A suspension system for a rear axle of a vehicle provided with a frame equipped with at least two side members, the suspension system connecting the axle to said side members and comprising a left side and a right side, each comprising an axle-holder assembly, a bellows, a leaf spring, first and second bars, and a torsion bar interposed between said left and right sides. The aforementioned elements of the suspension system being arranged to provide a functional layout having reduced costs and overall dimensions.

A Dual Air Spring Design for Applications with NarrowPackaging Envelope and High Load Requirements provides two, small-diameter air springs that can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle frame to provide additional lift and suspension capabilities. The smaller size allows for the same lifting and suspension capabilities as a traditional, single air spring, but with easier and more compact installation, without impeding the factory bump-stops and easy integration with aftermarket lift blocks.

A suspension device for electric vehicle includes a pair of hollow members each connected to an elastic body configured to suspend a vehicle body of the vehicle, the pair of hollow members each configured to house, in an internal space of the hollow member, part of an associated one of a pair of drive shafts, a beam member joined to the pair of hollow members, and at least one of a hollow member joint portion or a beam member joint portion having a projecting portion, the hollow member joint portion constituting a side surface of each of the hollow members, the beam member joint portion constituting a side surface of an end portion of the beam member, the other one of the hollow member joint portion or the beam member joint portion having a recessed portion.

A load sensor having a centrally disposed aperture element through which a fastening element of a vehicle air suspension assembly passes to affix the load sensor between the vehicle air suspension assembly and the vehicle suspension, wherein the load sensor has a force measurement sensor disposed proximate an elongate slot to generate a load signal which varies based on an amount of strain in the load sensor, wherein the load signal received by a load calculator allows calculation of the load exerted from the vehicle frame to the vehicle suspension.

This axle beam is provided with a pair of horizontal plate sections separated vertically from and facing each other; and a vertical plate section extending vertically so as to connect intermediate sections, in a front-rear direction, of the pair of horizontal plate sections. The horizontal plate section on the upper side has a forwardly extending upper front plate section and a rearwardly extending upper rear plate section, and the horizontal plate section on the lower side has a forwardly extending lower front plate section and a rearwardly extending lower rear plate section. One of the upper front plate section, the upper rear plate section, the lower front plate section, and the lower rear plate section is set to have a smaller length in the front-rear direction than the other three plate sections, and among the other three plate sections, the two plate sections which are separated vertically from and facing each other are set to have substantially the same length in the front-rear direction.