Vehicle suspension bushing assembly with two-piece bar pin and method of assembling the same

A bushing assembly, comprising:

• an inner sleeve extending longitudinally between a first inner sleeve end and a second inner sleeve end, the inner sleeve extending annularly about a longitudinal axis;
• an outer sleeve extending annularly about the inner sleeve in a radially spaced relationship;
• a bushing disposed radially between the inner and outer sleeves;
• and
• a two-piece bar pin assembly including a first bar pin component and a second bar pin component, the first bar pin component extending longitudinally between a first inboard end and a first outboard end, the second bar pin component extending longitudinally between a second inboard end and a second outboard end,
• wherein the first and second inboard ends of the first and second bar pin components are received in the inner sleeve and at least one of the first and second inboard ends of the first and second bar pin components has a closed end bore such that the first and second bar pin components cooperate to form a closed cavity within the two-piece bar pin assembly, wherein the first inboard end of the first bar pin component includes a first closed end bore and the second inboard end of the second bar pin component includes a second closed end bore such that the first closed end bore and the second closed end bore cooperate to form the closed cavity within the two-piece bar pin assembly.

A method of assembling a bushing assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming an inner sleeve with first and second inner sleeve ends;
• arranging an outer sleeve annularly about the inner sleeve such that the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve are radially spaced from one another and are concentrically aligned about a longitudinal axis;
• positioning a bushing of elastomeric material between the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve;
• forming a two-piece bar pin by individually forming first and second bar pin components, the first bar pin component having a first inboard end and a first outboard end and the second bar pin component having a second inboard end and a second outboard end;
• and
• pressing the first inboard end of the first bar pin component into the first inner sleeve end and pressing the second inboard end of the second bar pin component into the second inner sleeve end until the first and second inboard ends of the first and second bar pin components abut one another inside the inner sleeve.