Method and apparatus for suspending a vehicular wheel assembly

A suspension for a wheel assembly of a vehicle having a body, the suspension comprising:

• a first support arm having a first wheel assembly mount and a pair of first body mounts, and a first support arm plane defined by the first wheel assembly mount and the first body mounts;
• a second support arm having a second wheel assembly mount and a pair of second body mounts, and a second support arm plane defined by the second wheel assembly mount and the second body mounts;
• wherein the first wheel assembly mount is pivotally attached to the wheel assembly at an upper wheel assembly point, and the second wheel assembly mount is pivotally attached to the wheel assembly at a lower wheel assembly point, and the first body mounts are pivotally attached to the body at a pair of lower body points, and the second body mounts are attached to the body at a pair of upper body points, and the first support arm and the second support arm thereby cross each other;
• wherein the first support arm plane intersects a longitudinally extending plane that passes through a centerline of a tire supported by the first wheel assembly along a first line;
• wherein the second support arm plane intersects the longitudinally extending plane along a second line;
• and
• wherein the first and second lines are skewed and converge at a point located within the longitudinally extending plane.

A method for suspending a vehicle having a body, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first wheel assembly suspension that extends between a first wheel assembly and the body, wherein the first wheel assembly suspension includes an instant center;
• providing a second wheel assembly suspension that extends between a second wheel assembly and the body, wherein the second wheel assembly suspension includes an instant center;
• aligning the first wheel assembly and the second wheel assembly so that a vertical centerline of each wheel assembly lies within a vertical plane that extends therebetween;
• positioning the first wheel assembly suspension and the second wheel assembly suspension so that the instant center of each wheel assembly suspension is located within the vertical plane, below a roll center located within the vertical plane;
• wherein the first wheel assembly suspension and the second wheel assembly suspension each comprise a first support arm and a second support arm;
• the first support arm having a first wheel assembly mount and a pair of first body mounts, wherein a first support arm plane is defined by the first wheel assembly mount and the first body mounts;
• the second support arm having a second wheel assembly mount and a pair of second body mounts, wherein a second support arm plane is defined by the second wheel assembly mount and the second body mounts;
• wherein the first support arm and the second support arm are positioned such that the first support arm plane intersects the vertical plane along a first line, and the second support arm plane intersects the vertical plane along a second line, and the first line and second line cross each other at the instant center;
• wherein the first support arm plane intersects a longitudinally extending plane that passes through a centerline of a tire supported by the first wheel assembly along a third line, and the second support arm plane intersects the longitudinally extending plane along a fourth line;
• and
• skewing the third and fourth lines so that they converge at a point located within the longitudinally extending plane.