Steering knuckle carrier-to-suspension arm pivotal connection and method of assembling and preloading the pivotal connection

A steering knuckle carrier-to-suspension arm pivotal connection, comprising:

• (a) a ring shaped segment integrally provided generally centrally on a cylindrical interior surface of a first diameter defining a bore through a carrier for supporting a steering knuckle, said ring shaped segment projecting radially from said cylindrical interior surface into said bore so as to define a pair of annular surfaces on opposite sides of said ring shaped segment facing in opposite directions from one another;
• (b) an elongated pin extending through said bore and having a cylindrical exterior surface of a second diameter less than said first diameter and spaced radially inwardly from said cylindrical interior surface of said carrier, said pin also having an annular flange of a third diameter less than said first diameter and greater than said second diameter formed around and projecting radially outwardly from said pin at one of a pair of opposite ends of said cylindrical exterior surface of said pin, said pin further having an annular groove of a fourth diameter less than said second diameter formed around and projecting radially inwardly into said pin at the other of said pair of opposite ends of said cylindrical exterior surface of said pin;
• (c) a pair of opposing annular bearing assemblies disposed around said cylindrical exterior surface of said pin and having respective outer cups and inner races rotatable relative to said outer cups with said inner races being fitted around and in contact with said cylindrical exterior surface of said pin and said outer cups being fitted within and in contact with said cylindrical interior surface of said carrier such that said pin is enabled to rotate with said inner races relative to said outer cup and said carrier, said outer cups of said annular bearing assemblies having first ends adjacent to one another abutting said annular surfaces on said opposite sides of said ring shaped segment on said carrier and second ends remote from one another, said inner races of said annular bearing assemblies having first ends spaced from one another and second ends remote from one another facing in opposite directions such that said second end of said inner race of one of said annular bearing assemblies abuts a side of said annular flange on said pin and said second end of said inner race of the other of said annular bearing assemblies is spaced from said annular groove in said pin so as to define an annular gap extending from said annular groove to said second end of said inner race of said other of said annular bearing assemblies;
• (d) a split ring disposed in said annular groove at said other of said opposite ends of said cylindrical exterior surface of said pin and projecting radially outwardly beyond said cylindrical exterior surface of said pin and thus spaced by said annular gap from said second end of said inner race of said other of said annular bearing assemblies;
• (e) a stack of annular elements positioned around said cylindrical exterior surface of said pin between said split ring and said second end of said inner race of said other of said annular bearing assemblies so as to fill said annular gap in a manner that imposes a predetermined preload on said second ends of said inner races of said annular bearing assemblies that causes said first ends of said outer cups of said annular bearing assemblies to clamp therebetween said ring shaped segment on said carrier;
• and
• (f) means disposed at opposite ends of said pin for attaching said pin to ends of a suspension arm.

A method of assembling and preloading a steering knuckle carrier-to-suspension arm pivotal connection, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an annular member centrally located along and projecting radially into a bore through a steering knuckle carrier;
• (b) providing an elongated pin having an annular flange formed around and projecting radially outwardly from and proximate to one end of the pin and an annular groove formed around and projecting radially inwardly into and proximate to an opposite end of the pin;
• (c) placing the pin and a pair of relatively rotatable annular bearing assemblies within the bore such that the bearing assemblies are disposed around the pin between the flange and groove thereof in abutting relationship with opposite sides of the annular member in the bore with one of the bearing assemblies also abutting the flange of the pin and the other of the bearing assemblies being spaced from the groove of the pin so as to define a gap therebetween and with the bearing assemblies having respective components rotatable relative to one another and respectively being fitted around and in contact with the pin and within and in contact with the bore of the carrier such that said pin is enabled to rotate relative to the carrier;
• (d) installing a spacer ring about the pin adjacent to the other bearing assembly and the groove in the pin;
• (e) applying a predetermined preload force against the spacer ring in the direction of the bearing assemblies so as slide the spacer ring toward the other bearing assembly and away from the groove;
• (f) installing a retainer ring in the annular groove;
• (g) measuring the width along the pin of a space left between the spacer ring and retainer ring and predetermining the number of annular shims it takes to fill the space;
• (h) removing the predetermined preload force and the retainer ring;
• (i) installing the predetermined number of annular shims along with the spacer ring around the pin in the gap between the annular groove in the pin and the other bearing assembly;
• (j) reapplying the predetermined preload force against the spacer ring and annular shims in the direction of the bearing assemblies so as slide the spacer ring and annular shims toward the other bearing assembly and away from the groove;
• and
• (k) reinstalling the retainer ring in the groove so as to retain the spacer ring and annular shims around the pin so as to fill the gap in a manner that imposes the predetermined preload on the bearing assemblies that causes the bearing assemblies to clamp therebetween the annular member in the bore of the carrier.