Slipper leaf spring suspension systems with compliant torque-and-load wear pad dampers

A slipper leaf-spring vehicle suspension system, comprising:

• left and right steel slipper leaf springs each comprising a main body and front and rear slipper leaf spring ends, wherein the main body extends between the front and rear slipper spring ends, in a shallow U-shaped bow shape, and which left and right slipper leaf spring ends have spaced front and rear upper surface portions proximate the respective front and rear slipper ends defining left and right front and rear upper bearing surfaces (228);
• an axle and spaced left and right axle mounts, wherein the axle is mounted to the left and right slipper springs with respect to the spaced left and right axle mounts respectively;
• front left and right suspension hangers;
• rear left and right suspension hangers;
• left and right elongate control arms each comprising a main body and forward ends (258) and trailing ends (262), wherein each control arm's main body extends between the forward and trailing ends (258 and 262), and wherein the forward (258) ends are mounted to the front left and right suspension hangers respectively, and, the respective left and right trailing ends (262) are connected with respect to the left and right axle mounts respectively;
• left and right front and rear compliant torque-and-load wear pad dampers (400) mounted crosswise through the left and right front suspension hangers and left and right rear suspension hangers respectively;
• wherein each of the compliant torque-and-load wear pad dampers (400) comprises:
• a steel tubular inner sleeve (404) which is elongate between spaced left and right ends,
• a steel tubular outer sleeve (406) which is elongate between respective spaced left and right ends thereof, wherein the outer wall of the inner sleeve and inner wall of the outer sleeve define a generous cylindrical annular space, and
• an elastomeric intermediate sleeve (402) filling the cylindrical annular space and immovably fixed to both the outer sidewall of the inner sleeve (404) and inner sidewall of the outer sleeve (406),
• said steel tubular outer sleeve (406) having an outer sidewall (448);
• wherein the slipper leaf-spring vehicle suspension system is sized and configured such that:
• the left front upper bearing surface (228) and left front compliant torque-and-load wear pad damper (400)'s outer sleeve (406)'s outer sidewall (448) oppose each other and are in frictional engagement with each other,
• the right front upper bearing surface (228) and right front compliant torque-and-load wear pad damper (400)'s outer sleeve (406)'s outer sidewall (448) oppose each other and are in frictional engagement with each other,
• the left rear upper bearing surface (228) and left rear compliant torque-and-load wear pad damper (400)'s outer sleeve (406)'s outer sidewall (448) oppose each other and are in frictional engagement with each other, and
• the right rear upper bearing surface (228) and right rear compliant torque-and-load wear pad damper (400)'s outer sleeve (406)'s outer sidewall (448) other and are in frictional engagement with each other;
• and
• wherein each inner sleeve (404) is immovably fastened with respect to the respective suspension hanger respectively as the outer sleeve (406) is free to rotate with respect to any resistance from the respective suspension hanger while subject to substantial resistance to rotate subject to the stiffness of the elastomeric material (402) that is resistant to torsional distortion, whereby providing rotational damping means.