Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Patent
1996-06-05
1998-01-20
Rice, Kenneth R.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
280673, B62D 718
Patent
active
057093997
ABSTRACT:
A motor vehicle steering assembly comprising a steering knuckle including a spindle and upper and lower yoke arms receiving a free end of an axle therebetween; upper and lower bushings positioned in upper and lower bores in the upper and lower yoke arms and each having notches in an outboard peripheral edge thereof for engagement by a spanner wrench; a kingpin having upper and lower portions journaled in the upper and lower bushings and an intermediate portion passing through a bore in the axle free end; first and second axially spaced external circumferential grooves in the intermediate portion; first and second lock pins adapted to pass through transverse bores in the axle free end for locking coaction with the circumferential grooves; numerical indicia on one end of the kingpin indicating the annular position of the kingpin relative to the axle; and a socket in one end of the kingpin for receipt of an Allen head wrench. When a measured amount of wear has occurred at the high wear locations on the interface between the kingpin and the bushings, the Allen head wrench is inserted in the socket in the kingpin to move the kingpin through 90.degree. to move relatively unworn portions of the kingpin into the high wear locations and the spanner wrench is engaged with the notches in the bushings to move the bushings through 90.degree. to bring relatively unworn portions of the bushings into the high wear locations. Alternatively, the first and second circumferential grooves may be replaced with first and second axially spaced pairs of flats on the intermediate portion of the kingpin with the flats of each pair of flats angularly spaced with respect to each other. These arrangements and methodology effectively double the life of the kingpin and bushings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3388923 (1968-06-01), Maynard
patent: 3479051 (1969-11-01), Weiss
patent: 3807765 (1974-04-01), Pokornicki
patent: 3915469 (1975-10-01), Vanice
patent: 4229017 (1980-10-01), Hagedorn
patent: 4254967 (1981-03-01), Scanlon
patent: 4635952 (1987-01-01), Smith
patent: 4798394 (1989-01-01), Pollock et al.
patent: 5052203 (1991-10-01), Van Cuyk
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