Independent front suspension system for a front wheel drive automobile

Claim 1

In an independent front suspension system for a front-wheel drive automobile, a differential gear unit mounted on the vehicle body and including an output shaft, a driving shaft which is nonextensible and noncontractable for transmitting power from the engine through said output shaft of the differential, and inboard universal joint connecting the output shaft to the driving shaft, an outboard universal joint connecting the driving shaft to the vehicle wheel axle, a bearing housing rotatably supporting said axle, an upper arm coupled to said bearing housing and to said vehicle body for pivoting about a longitudinal axis, and springloaded shock-absorbing means coupled to said upper arm and said vehicle body for buffering the up and down movement of the wheel relative to the vehicle body, the improvement comprising: a lower ball joint provided on said bearing housing and lying beneath said axle, mounting means on said vehicle body at a position rearward of said lower ball joint, a post connected at one end to the lower ball joint and at the other end with said mounting means to define a single fore and aft load suspension arm for the independent front suspension system, and steering gear means connected to said bearing housing for steering said wheel, said mounting means being positioned inboard of, and higher than said lower ball joint when said vehicle is moving at a nonaccelerated rate whereby said post extends in a down and outward position and is prevented from interferring with said wheel when the same is steered to a maximum angle from a longitudinal parallel position to said vehicle body.