GB1155591A - Road Vehicle Wheel Suspension - Google Patents

Abstract

1,155,591. De Dion suspensions. ROVER CO. Ltd. 10 Aug., 1966 [11 May, 1965], No. 19759/65. Heading B7D. A vehicle suspension comprises a dead axle 2, carrying two coaxial parallel wheels 1, disposed in front of the wheel axis and comprising an intermediate section 2a arranged transversely of the vehicle and pivotable about a tranverse vehicle axis on pivot 10 and two rearwardly extending end sections 2b on which the wheels are rotatably mounted, and two rearwardly convergent links 11 which are pivoted to the axle 2 on the axis of pivot 10 and to brackets 13. The brackets 13 and pivot 10 are mounted on a sub-frame which comprises a differential housing 4, from which the rear wheels 1 are driven by extensible shafts 3, a differential housing extension 8 and transverse member 6 and is mounted on the vehicle sprung mass by resilient mounts 7, 5 and 5<SP>1</SP>. Coil springs and dampers 14 may be provided between the axle sections 2b, and the vehicle frame 14 or interconnected springs may be provided when vehicle roll is resisted by pairs of shear rubber blocks 16 respectively interconnecting an almost vertical plate 17 on each side of the vehicle with the axle and with the frame 14. Due to the vertical offset between the blocks on each side of each plate 17 little resistance is provided to bounce movements of the axle. As shown the links 11 are horizontal when the vehicle is unladen but rear understeer or oversteer may be provided by raising or lowering the level of the attachment points 13. The lateral stiffnesses of the pair of mounts 5, 5<SP>1</SP> and of the mount 7 are in inverse ratio to the distance of the mounts from the wheel axis to prevent rear end steering effects and the oversteering effect caused by the forward offset of the pivot 10 of the axle 2 relative to the wheel axis is balanced by the understeering effect caused by the convergent links 11.