Steering knuckle of compact axles for autonomous vehicle application

A vehicle comprising:

• a steering cylinder;
• a trailing assembly;
• and
• an axle assembly, the axle assembly including:
• a housing;
• a steering knuckle, the steering knuckle having a first extension, a second extension, and a core;
• a first tie rod assembly connected to the steering cylinder and pivotally coupled to the first extension;
• and
• a second tie rod assembly pivotably coupled to the trailing assembly and pivotally coupled to the second extension,
• where the first extension extends away from the core and is connected to a first side of the core, the second extension extends away from the core and connected to a second side of the core the first side is opposite to the second side.

A method of steering a plurality of wheels of an axle assembly of a first vehicle comprising:

• driving a second vehicle in a first direction, where the second vehicle is a human operated vehicle, and the second vehicle is coupled to the first vehicle via a trailing assembly;
• steering the second vehicle, in a second direction, the second direction is at an angle from the first direction;
• turning a tow coupling system coupled via turning the second vehicle, where the trailing assembly comprises the tow coupling system;
• turning a trailer coupling system via turning the tow coupling system and applying a first force therefrom, where the trailing assembly comprises the trailer coupling system and the trailer coupling system couples the tow coupling system;
• applying the first force from the turning of the trailer coupling system to shift a first tie rod assembly in a third direction, where the first tie rod assembly couples to the trailer coupling system;
• pivoting a first steering knuckle to turn in the third direction via shifting the first tie rod assembly and a first lever of the first steering knuckle, where the first lever couples the first tie rod assembly;
• pivoting a first wheel hub assembly with the first steering knuckle in the third direction, where the first wheel hub assembly couples to the first steering knuckle;
• and
• turning the first vehicle in the second direction with the pivoting of the first wheel hub assembly and a second wheel hub assembly of the axle assembly, where the first wheel hub assembly and the second wheel hub assembly are pivoting in the second direction.