Vehicle steering knuckle arm angle compensator

In vehicle steering mechanism, a tie rod adjustable in effective length and having an end portion including a ball joint, a steering knuckle arm having a joint portion, and a rigid connector connecting said tie rod end portion ball joint and said steering knuckle arm joint portion, being swivelably adjustable relative to said steering knuckle arm joint portion and relative to said tie rod end portion and including an offset between said ball joint and said steering knuckle arm joint portion.

In vehicle steering mechanism, a tie rod adjustable in effective length and having an end portion including a spherical ball joint component, a steering knuckle arm having a joint component, and a rigid connector connecting said tie rod end portion and said steering knuckle arm and including a spherical ball joint component complemental to and fitted with said tie rod end portion ball joint component and a shank projecting generally radially from said connector ball joint component complemental to and fitted with said steering knuckle arm joint component and rotatively adjustable relative thereto about an axis, the portion of said shank between said connector ball joint component and said further joint component being offset to dispose such axis offset from the diameter of the ball joint components parallel to such axis.

In a vehicle steering gear connector for connecting a tie rod and a steering knuckle arm for relative swinging about an axis, such connector including first means for attaching the connector to the tie rod, second means for attaching the connector to the knuckle arm and means for connecting the first and second means, the improvement comprising the connecting means and the tie rod including means for shifting the swinging axis relative to the steering knuckle arm without altering the final toe condition of the steering knuckle arm.

In a method of adjusting vehicle steering linkage having a steering knuckle arm and a tie rod pivotally connected for relative swinging about a pivot axis, the improvement which comprises the step of changing the position of the pivot axis relative to the steering knuckle arm without altering the final toe condition of the steering knuckle arm and thereby changing the effective angle between the steering knuckle arm and the wheel spindle.