Independent wheel suspension system using constant velocity universal joints in combination with a single prop shaft joint and mounted differentials
An independent wheel suspension system is described for a vehicle having a chassis, vehicle support means for resiliently supporting the chassis for displacement with respect to a driving surface, a wheel assembly with a wheel rotatable about a wheel axis, and an engine adapted to provide driving torque about an engine output axis at an engine output, the independent wheel suspension system consists of: control arm means having a wheel end pivotably connected to the wheel assembly and a pair of frame ends pivotably connected to a respective pair of pivot bearings carried by the vehicle support means to define a swing axis therethrough; differential means comprising a differential housing, differential input means and differential output means within the differential housing establishing a respective differential input axis and a differential output axis substantially perpendicular thereto; transverse pivot means coupling the differential means and the vehicle support means for allowing the differential means to pivot relative to the vehicle support means about a transverse pivot axis substantially parallel to the differential output axis; and prop shaft means having a prop shaft axis and first and second prop shaft coupling means coupling, respectively, to the engine output and the differential input, the first prop shaft coupling means being a constant velocity universal joint, the second prop shaft coupling means being one of an axially splined joint or a fixed joint; whereby, as the first prop shaft coupling means undergoes articulation with respect to the prop shaft means as the chassis undergoes the displacement, the transverse pivot means allows the differential means to pivot relative to the vehicle support means about the transverse pivot axis to accommodate the articulation without articulation between the differential means and the prop shaft means.
- Assignee:
- GKN Automotive Components, Inc., Southfield, MI
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4596299
- OSTI ID:
- 5589395
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 05 Mar 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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