Lightweight suspension upright or knuckle

A method for obtaining a lightweight suspension upright or knuckle for a vehicle providing a bearing connection interface for receiving a wheel bearing, the bearing connection interface including a first sleeve element;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• i)—providing the bearing connection interface with a second sleeve element arranged radially outside the first sleeve element and comprising an annular body having a radially outer lateral surface and a radially inner lateral surface, the annular body being formed by injection or compression molding a composite material including reinforcing fibers dispersed in a polymer matrix directly upon a radially outer lateral surface of the first sleeve element so as to mechanically couple the second sleeve element to the first sleeve element;
• ii)—forming, by compression molding, a first and a second shell element, both generally cup-shaped and both made of high-performance fiber reinforced composite materials mono-directionally oriented;
• iii)—joining the first shell element and second shell element integrally with the bearing connection interface and with each other, the second shell element being arranged onto the first shell element, radially outside or inside thereof and radially and peripherally mating therewith, sandwiching the annular body of the bearing interface there between;
• iv)—forming a core filling an empty space delimited between the joined first and second shell element, the core being formed so as to include the annular body and to mechanically and chemically couple the radially outer lateral surface of the annual body with the first and second shell element, either directly or indirectly;
• v)—the annular body of the second sleeve element and the first and second shell elements being formed separately to one another as independent self-supporting elements but being left in a semi-cured state;
• then being mechanically assembled onto one another and during an injection or compression molding step in which the core is formed in its entirety are totally cured so as that adjacent contacting portions thereof are chemically and mechanically bonded together.