Steering drive axle assembly

Claim 1

IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF A STEERING DRIVE AXLE ASSEMBLY HAVING A DRIVER AXLE ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN AN AXLE HOUSING, A DRIVEN AXLE ROTATABLY SUPPORTED I N A WHEEL HUB IN OUTBOARD AND SPACED RELATION TO SAID DRIVER AXLE AND IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, A CARDAN-TYPE UNIVERSAL JOINT CONNECTING SAID AXLES TOGETHER, AND INCLUDING AN IMPROVED MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID DRIVEN AXLE FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID DRIVE AXLE, SAID IMPROVED MEANS COMPRISING: (A) A SUSPENSION YOKE FIXED TO SAID AXLE HOUSING AND HAVING END ELEMENTS EXTENDING ABOVE AND BELOW THE UNIVERSAL JOINT; (B) A PAIR OF BALL AND SOCKET KINGPINS SECURED TO THE END ELEMENTS OF SAID YOKE, SAID KINGPINS BEING DISPOSED ON AN AXIS OFFSET FROM THE VERTICAL; (C) A RIGID PLATE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID YOKE AND THE WHEEL HUB AND FIXEDLY SECURED ON ONE SIDE TO SAID HUB; (D) A PAIR OF MOUNTING BRACKETS PROTRUDING FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PLATE AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO SAID KINGPINS; AND, (E) MEANS ON AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MOUNTING BRACKETS TO ADJUST THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE KINGPIN SECURED THERETO AND THE PLATE.