Suspension arm assembly for supporting automobile wheel

Claim 2

A front engine front wheel drive motor vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; right and left front road wheels; and right and left suspension arm assemblies each of which includes a suspension arm supporting one of said front road wheels; first and second bushing means placed apart from and coaxially with each other along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a substantially flat and horizontal gusset plate swingably joined with said suspension arm by said first and second bushing means, and fixed substantially horizontally to a downwardly facing surface of said vehicle body by at least three nonpermanent fastening means in such a manner that said gusset plate can be removed from said vehicle body and fixed again, said fastening means being distributed along both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the vehicle on a substantially horizontal planar surface of said gusset plate and at least two of said fastening means being spaced along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at a distance approximately equal to a space between said first and second bushing means, said first bushing means projecting from said gusset plate towards the front of the vehicle, said second bushing means being located ahead of a rear end of said gusset plate under said gusset plate.

Claim 3

A motor vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said gusset plate of each assembly serves as a brace for said surface of the vehicle body.

Claim 4

A motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said fastening means comprise bolts extending substantially vertically.

Claim 5

A suspension arm assembly according to claim 3, wherein said first bushing means comprises a first bushing held by said suspension arm and a first pin permanently fixed to said gusset plate and inserted into said first bushing, and said second bushing means comprises a second bushing held by said gusset and a second pin permanently fixed to said suspension arm and inserted into said second bushing.

Claim 6

A suspension arm assembly according to claim 4, wherein said first pin and said second pin of each assembly extend in the opposite directions.

Claim 7

A motor vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, in each assembly, said first bushing means is placed ahead of said second bushing means along the fore and aft direction of the vehicle, and said first pin projecting from said gusset plate toward the front of the vehicle.

Claim 8

A motor vehicle according to claim 6 wherein said gusset plate of each assembly is fixed to a dash cross member of the vehicle body.

Claim 9

A motor vehicle according to claim 6, wherein in each assembly, said second bushing is disposed between an underside of said gusset plate and a bracket which is fixed to the underside of said gusset plate plate by at least two of said bolts distributed on both sides of said second bushing.

Claim 10

A front engine front wheel drive motor vehicle comprising: right and left road wheels connected with right and left drive shafts, respectively, a vehicle body comprising a cross portion extending laterally between right and left sides of said vehicle body, and right and left mounting portions extending longitudinally toward the front of said vehicle, respectively, from right and left end of said cross portion, and terminating at respective front ends located rearwardly of said drive shafts; and right and left suspension arm assemblies each of which comprises a suspension arm supporting one of said front road wheels, first and second bushing means placed apart from and coaxially with each other along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said first bushing means being located ahead of said front end of said mounting portion, a substantially flat and horizontal gusset plate joined swingably with said suspension arm by said first and second bushing means, and fixed substantially horizontally to downwardly facing surfaces of said cross portion and one of said right and left mounting portions by at least three nonpermanent fastening means in such a manner that said gusset plate can be removed from said vehicle body and fixed again, said fastening means being distributed along both of the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of said vehicle in a substantially horizontal planar surface of said gusset plate, said first bushing means projecting from said gusset plate toward the front of the vehicle, and said second bushing means being located ahead of a rear end of said gusset plate under said gusset plate.

Claim 11

A front engine front wheel drive motor vehicle comprising: right and left road wheels connected with right and left drive shafts, respectively, a vehicle body comprising a cross portion extending laterally between right and left sides of said vehicle body, and right and left mounting portions extending longitudinally toward the front of said vehicle, respectively, from right and left end of said cross portion, and terminating at respective front ends located rearwardly of said drive shafts; and right and left suspension arm assemblies each of which comprises a suspension arm supporting one of said front road wheels, first and second bushing means placed apart from and coaxially with each other along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said first bushing means being located ahead of said front end of said mounting portion, a substantially flat and horizontal gusset plate joined swingably with said suspension arm by said first and second bushing means, and fixed substantially horizontally to downwardly facing surfaces of said cross portion and one of said right and left mounting portions by at least three nonpermanent fastening means in such a manner that said gusset plate can be removed from said vehicle body and fixed again, said fastening means being distributed along both of the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of said vehicle in a substantially horizontal planar surface of said gusset plate, said first bushing means projecting from said gusset plate toward the front of the vehicle, and said second bushing means being located ahead of a rear end of said gusset plate under said gusset plate.

Claim 12

A motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein each of said mounting portion extends vertically, and has a hole through which a steering linkage is inserted.

Claim 13

A motor vehicle according to claim 9 wherein, in each assembly, at least one of said fastening means is located ahead of a middle point between said first and second bushing means, at least one of said fastening means is located near said second bushing means on an outboard side of said second bushing means at a position whose distance from said first bushing means along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is equal to or longer than a distance of said second bushing means from said first bushing means along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and at least one of said fastening means is located on an inboard side of said second bushing means.

Claim 14

A motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein, in each assembly, said gusset plate has a front portion to which said first pin is fixed and a rear portion holding said second bushing, and said suspension arm has a front portion holding said first bushing and a rear portion to which said second pin is fixed, said front portion of said gusset plate being interposed between said front and rear portion of said arm and said rear portion of said arm being interposed between said front and rear portions of said gusset plate.