MOTOR VEHICLE SUSPENSION ADJUSTER

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a suspension adjuster and method and has been devised particularly < 5. though not solely for adjusting the Camber and/or Caster of a motor vehicle wheel supported by a strut-type suspension.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many forms of motor vehicle suspension use a telescopic strut typically having its upper end mounted to the body or chassis of the motor vehicle and the lower end connected to a bottom 10. arm and the wheel hub assembly. The telescopic strut commonly has a coiled spring arranged coaxially about the strut.

Strut type suspensions of this nature are very common, however many forms of such suspensions commonly in use on motor vehicles do not make any, or adequate provision for camber andVor caster alignment of a wheel mounted on a wheel hub. Such adjustment is desirable to correct 15. misalignment due to suspension wear or sagging or to correct minor defects after collision damage • or by misalignment caused by an object such as a kerb or pothole. If not corrected steering problems may result and tire wear becomes significant.

CURRENT METHODS OF ADJUSTMENT

Currently the common method offered by the aftermarket industry to overcome the above shortcomings is to provide a moveable top strut mounting FIG 1 (1).

20. Transversely moving the top mount pivots the strut body (2) and thereby alters the tyre Camber angle (3) while lengthways alters Caster angle.

It is common practice to have the actual center of the top bearing mount (4) travel in a slot FIG.2(5) of the main body of the mount (6) to achieve this.

Securing the entre of the mount in its new position is usually by tightening two or more retaining 25. screws or bolts in the outer perimeter of the center mount (7) thereby securing it to the main body (6).

Usually a series of mounting holes are provided along each side of the length of the centre slot of the main body for securing at different adjustment settings (8).

Or another common method is to have (instead of series of holes) narrow parallel slots FIG3.(9) in the main body one on each side of the existing center large slot, that the retaining screws or bolts 30. of the center mount can pass through to a clamping plate.

The above securing methods have been common practice for many years as most mount towers for the actual strut FIG.1.(10) have had a large center hole in the top of the tower FIG.4( 11) thereby allowing the described hold down screws or bolts to be accessed and fastened.

There is now &n increasing trend in modern day vehicles for this top tower hole to be considerably

35. Reduced so that access to change Camber and/or Caster settings and tighten the top of the strut center mount assembly using the above described methods is difficult or impossible. Also increasingly new vehicle manufacturers are eliminating the 2 or more outer retaining bolts FIG.1.(23) and their mounting holes FIG.2 ^" .(24) that secure the top strut mounting body FIG.2.(6) To the actual vehicle strut tower FIG.1(10) and instead use a center retaining nut FIG.5 and

40. FIG.6(21) and flange plate (22) on the actual center telescopic strut shaft (26).

This above centre retaining method also invariably means a smaller diameter top tower hole. Another problem also now being encountered is the necessity on some vehicles to have the radial movement of the top center mount assembly, necessary to achieve pivoting of the strut body to allow tyre angle Camber/Caster change, but this to be independent of the outer surrounding upper

45. section of the coil spring top coil seat (if fitted) FIG.1.(12).

This can be required because of several reasons, one of which is insufficient travel/clearance between The outside of the coil spring and inside of the actual strut tower (13) or the top coil spring seat itself (14) on particular vehicle models coming in contact with an inner mount flange FIG.5. (15) such as fitted on 2004 to 2007 General Motors Pontiac Firebird GTO and also 1993 to 2007 Commodore

50. vehicles.

To still achieve Camber and/or Caster adjustment in this situation, one method therefore is for the actual top coil spring seat FIG.1.(14) not to be fixed to the moveable center mount FIG.2.(4) which is the usual practice, but to the stationary main body of the top moant assembly. FIG.5.(16) shows one such securing method, where a bearing (17) allows this attachment and required rotation only

55. of the top coil spring seat (14) on the bearing.

The above securing of the top coil spring seat against radial movement means to move/adjust the center mount (4) which now only has the telescopic strut shaft connected (26) not the coil seat^sideways load needs to be applied to the center mount thereby moving/flexing from its base only the actual

coil spring to still allow this radial movement/adjustment of the center mount assembly (4) and with

60. it the pivoting of the actual strut body FIG.1(2) to take place.

The previous described current systems using multiple screws or bolts means it is extremely difficult to apply and maintain this sideways load sufficient to radially move the center mount assembly to a new adjustment position and at the same time tighten two or more mount screws or bolts. Instead a central screw on clamp ring FIG.5 and FIG.6(18) is fastened onto the center mount assembly

65. (4) clamping the assembly to the main body (6) in the new position.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW INVENTION

The present invention therefore provides a suspension adjuster to overcome:

1. Lack of access to secure current designs of top strut mount assembly adjusters two or more retaining screws or bolts. 70. . 2. Actual requirement of having to secure these two or more screws or bolts to retain the center mount assembly.

3. This new central screw on clamp ring design also allows adjustment for vehicles where there are no outer retaining bolts to secure the main body to the vehicles strut tower, but instead only the center strut shaft.

75., 4. Central screw on clamp ring allows advantage of rapid tightening necessary on models where base of coil spring has to be flexed , independent of the top to gain adjustment. This causes a spring back effect which the advantage of rapid tightening reduces to a minimum. 5. Vehicles without outer retaining bolts to the strut tower means that the central clamp ring holding method allows the main body to be also rotated prior to clamping, thereby combined SO. with the slot adjustment, allowing radial adjustment also in all directions.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 both show small top hole access (20) with FIG. 5 design having a secured coil seat (14) and FIG. 6 a conventional coil seat (14). The invention is preferably a single screw on clamping ring FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 (18) which allows the deletion of retaining screws or bolts FIG. 2 (7) with the advantage therefore of being able to be used in restricted spaces 85. along with providing a rapid tightening procedure in one operation to secure the centre mount FIG. 1 (4) in any required radial position along the main slots length FIG. 5 (5) or FIG. 6 (5) to the main body (6).

The centre mount assembly FIG. 1 (4) can also simply mount in a larger all directional aperture shape hole in the main body FIG. 7 (20) or standard slot shape FIG. 8. (5).

90. Vehicles without outer main body retaining bolts FIG. 1. (23) but instead use the centre strut shaft nut FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 (21) with flange plate (22) to retain the main body in position. The main body can then incorporate a grip such as a recess square FIG .8 (25) to allow the insertion of a socket extension drive, so that the main body can be also rotated in a circle prior to clamping the centre mount ring FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 (18) and subsequent final

95., assembling and clamping of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 (21) (22).

This procedure then allows, when combined with the slot adjustment FlG. 8. (5) precise radial travel in all directions to cater for exact Camber and Caster adjustment.

Once the centre mount is in the required position the external shape FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 (19) of the clamping ring (18) can be designed so that a compact easy to apply hexagon socket can 100. be used to tighten, or by any other suitable means.

Further embodiments can be included such as serrations or toothed clamping surfaces to increase retention.

Leverage for applying side load for adjustment can be by various means including adjusting screws or cam mechanisms.

10.5 _n It should be noted that all of the invention or any component or combination of components of the invention may be formed from or of any metal, synthetic or other material/s, including polymers, in solid hollow or frame-like structure which may provide all or any part of the invention with essential or desired properties such as degrees of strength, lightness, rigidity, flexibility, or otherwise, as required and/or desired.

110. The invention may also be said broadly to consist in/or of parts, elements and features as Illustrated and/or referred to in the description of the invention, individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of their parts or a plurality of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned which have known equivalents in this or other arts to which the invention or aspects relate, such known equivalents are deemed to be

115. - incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although the preferred embodiments have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and/or alterations may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

KEVIN MCINTYRE