Vehicle Suspension System

A suspension assembly for a vehicle wheel having a known axis of travel used in a vehicle having at least one front and one rear suspension wherein the vehicle is connected to each suspension assembly by a transverse beam comprising:

• a king pin axis to which the transverse beam is attached;
• a steering carrier assembly pivotally attached to said king pin axis;
• a spring/damper unit having a sprung end and an unsprung end, attached on its sprung end to said king pin axis;
• at least one upper suspension link with two ends oriented along its length generally parallel to the axis of travel of the vehicle having a pivot axis generally perpendicular to the axis of travel of the vehicle and pivotally attached on a first sprung end to said steering carrier assembly;
• at least one lower suspension link with two ends oriented along its length generally parallel to the axis of travel of the wheel, said suspension link spaced below and away from said upper suspension link having a pivot axis generally perpendicular to the axis of travel of the vehicle pivotally attached on a first sprung end to said steering carrier assembly;
• a wheel carrier attached by a first bearing assembly to the second unsprung end of each said upper suspension link and by a second bearing assembly to the second unsprung end of each said lower suspension link;
• and
• a steering link track rod movably attached to said wheel carrier.

A method for enabling substantially independent setting, adjustment and tuning of longitudinal, transverse and steering geometry in a suspension system for each wheel of a vehicle, each wheel having a king pin axis, a steering carrier assembly, a steering link track rod, a wheel carrier and a spring/damper unit with one sprung end and one unsprung end and each wheel further having at least one upper suspension link and at least one lower suspension link, each link having further one sprung end and one unsprung end, where each wheel has a known axis of travel comprising, for each wheel:

• locating a king pin axis generally perpendicular to one and the same end of each of the upper suspension links and each of the lower suspension link;
• attaching the steering carrier assembly pivotally to the king pin axis;
• further attaching the steering link track rod movably to the steering carrier assembly;
• connecting the sprung end of the spring/damper unit electively either to the king pin axis or to another sprung structure on the vehicle;
• further connecting the sprung end of each upper and each lower suspension link to the steering carrier assembly;
• orienting each upper and each lower suspension link so as to be generally parallel along their length with the axis of travel for that wheel;
• and
• yet further attaching the unsprung ends of each upper suspension link and each lower suspension link to the wheel carrier.