Suspension strut assemblies for motor vehicle suspensions

A suspension strut assembly for a motor vehicle suspension, comprising a telescopic damper having a tubular casing, a stub axle secured to the tubular casing to form a rotary mounting for a road wheel of the vehicle, a damper tube disposed within the tubular casing, a damper piston axially movable within the damper tube, a piston rod secured to the damper piston and projecting axially from the tubular casing, spring seat means secured to the tubular casing, a helical suspension spring surrounding the tubular casing and seated at one end on the spring seat means, a thrust plate surrounding the piston rod and comprising an annular outer part which has an external diameter substantially the same as that of the suspension spring and forms a seat for the other end of the suspension spring, a disc-shaped central part, and means releasably securing the annular outer part to the disc-shaped central part of the thrust plate, an intermediate member of generally circular cross-section releasably secured to an end portion of the piston rod and providing reaction for the thrust plate, and a vehicle body portion having formed therein an aperture of generally circular cross-section, disposed coaxially above the suspension strut and having a larger diameter than the intermediate member and a larger diameter than the disc-shaped central part of the thrust plate, and means releasably securing the intermediate member to the body portion of the vehicle at an edge region of the said aperture therein, whereby after release of the securing means for the intermediate member the intermediate member can be withdrawn upwardly through the aperture and thereupon after release of the securing means of the thrust plate the disc-shaped central part of the thrust plate can be withdrawn upwardly through the aperture.

In a motor vehicle suspension having a suspension strut assembly which comprises a telescopic damper with a tubular casing, lower spring seat means secured to the tubular casing, a piston rod for an axially movable damper piston projecting axially from the casing, an upper spring seat thrust plate surrounding the piston rod, a compression spring surrounding the tubular casing and piston rod and reacting with its ends on the said respective lower spring seat means and upper spring seat thrust plate, and a wheel carrier secured to the tubular casing for forming a rotary mounting for a road wheel of the vehicle, the improvement which comprises an intermediate member secured to the piston rod and abutting the upper spring seat thrust plate and having a generally circular cross-section with a plurality of radially outwardly directed lug-shaped extensions, an aperture formed in a body portion of the vehicle above the intermediate member and having a generally circular cross-section of larger diameter than the intermediate member with a plurality of lug-like widenings of the aperture which have a shape and angular arrangement corresponding approximately to the shape and angular arrangement of the lug-shaped extensions of the intermediate member but having dimensions exceeding those of the lug-shaped extensions, and releasable securing means securing the lug-shaped extensions, to an edge region of the aperture in the body portion with the lug-shaped extensions circumferentially staggered relative to the lug-like widenings, whereby after release of the securing means the intermediate member can be turned into a position permitting withdrawal of the intermediate member upwardly through the aperture.

In a motor vehicle suspension having a suspension strut assembly which comprises a telescopic damper with a tubular casing, lower spring seat means secured to the tubular casing, a piston rod for an axially movable damper piston projecting axially from the casing, an upper spring seat thrust plate surrounding the piston rod, a compression spring surrounding the tubular casing and piston rod and reacting with its ends on the said respective lower spring seat means and upper spring seat thrust plate, and a wheel carrier secured to the tubular casing for forming a rotary mounting for a road wheel of the vehicle, the improvement which comprises an intermediate member secured to the piston rod and abutting the upper spring seat thrust plate and having a generally circular cross-section with a pair of diametrically opposed radially outwardly directed lug-shaped extensions, an aperture formed in a body portion of the vehicle above the intermediate member and having a generally circular cross-section of larger diameter than the intermediate member with a pair of lug-like widenings of the aperture which have a shape and angular arrangement corresponding approximately to the shape and angular arrangement of the lug-shaped extensions of the intermediate member but having dimensions exceeding those of the lug-shaped extensions, and releasable securing means securing the lug-shaped extensions to an edge region of the aperture in the body portion with the lug-shaped extensions circumferentially staggered relative to the lug-like widenings, whereby after release of the securing means the intermediate member can be turned into a position permitting withdrawal of the intermediate member upwardly through the aperture.

A suspension strut assembly for a motor vehicle suspension, comprising a telescopic damper having a tubular casing, a stub axle secured to the tubular casing to form a rotary mounting for a road wheel of the vehicle, a damper tube disposed concentrically within the tubular casing, a damper piston axially movable within the damper tube, a piston rod secured to the damper piston and projecting axially from the tubular casing, a ring nut surrounding the piston rod and releasably securing an end portion of the tubular casing to an end portion of the damper tube, spring seat means secured to the tubular casing, a helical suspension spring surrounding the tubular casing and seated at one end on the spring seat means, a thrust plate surrounding the piston rod and comprising an annular outer part which has an external diameter substantially the same as that of the suspension spring and an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the ring nut and forms a seat for the other end of the suspension spring, a disc-shaped central part, and means releasably securing the annular outer part to the disc-shaped central part of the thrust plate, an intermediate member of generally circular cross-section releasably secured to an end portion of the piston rod and providing reaction for the thrust plate, and a vehicle body portion having formed therein an aperture of generally circular cross-section, disposed coaxially above the suspension strut and having a larger diameter than the intermediate member and a larger diameter than the disc-shaped central part of the thrust plate, and means releasably securing the intermediate member to the body portion of the vehicle at an edge region of the said aperture therein, whereby after release of the securing means for the intermediate member the intermediate member can be withdrawn upwardly through the aperture, after release of the securing means of the thrust plate the disc-shaped cental part of the thrust plate can be withdrawn upwardly through the aperture, and thereupon the ring nut can be withdrawn upwardly through the aperture, so giving access to the damper piston to permit upward withdrawal thereof.