Front suspension assembly for an off-road vehicle

A vehicle comprising:

• a frame;
• a driver seat connected to the frame;
• a front left suspension assembly connected to the frame;
• a front left wheel operatively connected to the front left suspension assembly, the front left wheel having a left wheel axis, the front left wheel including:
• a front left rim having an inner rim radius, and
• a front left tire mounted to the front left rim;
• a front right suspension assembly connected to the frame;
• a front right wheel operatively connected to the front right suspension assembly, the front right wheel having a right wheel axis, the front right wheel including:
• a front right rim having the inner rim radius, and
• a front right tire mounted to the front right rim;
• a rear left suspension assembly connected to the frame;
• a rear left wheel operatively connected to the rear left suspension assembly;
• a rear right suspension assembly connected to the frame;
• a rear right wheel operatively connected to the rear right suspension assembly;
• a front gear train operatively connected to the front left wheel and the front right wheel;
• a motor operatively connected to the front gear train, the motor driving the front right wheel and the front left wheel via the front gear train;
• a right shaft having a laterally outward end connected to the front right wheel and a laterally inward end connected to the front gear train;
• and
• a left shaft having a laterally outward end connected to the front left wheel and a laterally inward end connected to the front gear train,
• each of the front left suspension assembly and the front right suspension assembly comprising:
• a knuckle pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the front right wheel and the front left wheel, the knuckle including:
• a first portion connected to a wheel hub, the wheel hub being operatively connected to the corresponding one of the front right wheel and the front left wheel, the first portion including a first ball joint, and
• a second portion connected to and extending generally upward from the first portion, the second portion including a second ball joint disposed at a top portion of the knuckle;
• a lower A-arm having a laterally outward end pivotally connected to the first ball joint of the knuckle and two laterally inward ends pivotally connected to the frame, the lower A-arm including a front arm and a rear arm;
• an upper A-arm having a laterally outward end pivotally connected to the second ball joint of the knuckle and two laterally inward ends pivotally connected to the frame,
• the second ball joint being distanced from a corresponding one of the right wheel axis and the left wheel axis by a distance greater than the inner rim radius;
• a shock absorber assembly having a lower end pivotally connected to the lower A-arm via a bearing of the shock absorber assembly and an upper end pivotally connected to the frame;
• and
• a sway bar assembly including:
• a sway bar including:
• a central portion arranged generally horizontally left to right,
• a right portion extending generally forward from a right end of the central portion, and
• a left portion extending generally forward from a left end of the central portion;
• a left link having a bottom end pivotally connected to the front arm of the lower A-arm of the front left suspension assembly and a top end pivotally connected to a left end of the sway bar;
• and
• a right link having a bottom end pivotally connected to the front arm of the lower A-arm of the front right suspension assembly and a top end pivotally connected to a right end of the sway bar,
• the central portion of the sway bar is disposed forward of the shock absorber assembly of the front left suspension assembly and the shock absorber assembly of the front right suspension assembly.