Caster-camber plate assemblies

A caster-camber plate assembly, comprising:

• a fastener plate including a plurality of chassis fastening members fixedly engaged therewith and extending from a first side face thereof;
• a lower adjustment plate having a first side face thereof positioned adjacent the side face of the fastener plate such that said chassis fastening members extend therethrough, wherein the lower adjustment plate is moveable with respect to the fastener plate along a first translation axis and a second translation axis, and wherein the second translation axis extends substantially perpendicular to the first translation axis;
• a bearing cup body fixedly engaged with the lower adjustment plate, wherein a shoulder of the bearing cup body protrudes above a second side face of the lower adjustment plate;
• an upper adjustment plate having a first side face thereof positioned adjacent the second side face of the lower adjustment plate such that said chassis fastening members extend therethrough, wherein the upper adjustment plate is effectively constrained to movement with respect to the fastener plate along the second translation axis, wherein the upper adjustment plate includes an elongated aperture extending therethrough, wherein the upper adjustment plate and the lower adjustment plate are jointly configured for allowing the upper adjustment plate to be moveable with respect to the fastener plate along the second translation axis, wherein the protruding portion of the bearing cup body is constrained between opposing edge portions of the elongated aperture for allowing relative movement between said adjustment plates along the first translation axis and for effectively inhibiting relative movement between said adjustment plates along the second translation axis;
• an upper adjustment plate fastening member integral with and extending from a second side face of the upper adjustment plate;
• a support member engaged between the upper adjustment plate fastening member and at least one of said chassis fastening members;
• and
• a spring perch component group mounted directly on the bearing cup body, wherein the spring perch component group includes a strut top mounting bearing, a thrust bearing and a spring perch, wherein the strut top mounting bearing is mounted within a bore of a portion of the bearing cup body extending below a second side face of the fastener plate, wherein the spring perch is coupled to the bearing cup body, wherein the thrust bearing is coupled between only the spring perch and the bearing cup body, wherein the spring perch is mounted entirely on the bearing cup body such that all forces exerted on the spring perch by a coil spring engaged therewith are transmitted through the thrust bearing to the bearing cup body and wherein a central axis of the bearing cup body, a central axis of the strut top mounting bearing and a central axis of the spring perch are effectively aligned.

A caster-camber plate assembly kit, comprising:

• a backing plate;
• a plurality of chassis fastening members, wherein each one of said chassis fastening members is one of fixedly attached to the backing plate and engagable with the backing plate, wherein said chassis fastening members extend from a first side face of the backing plate when attached thereto or engaged therewith;
• a lower adjustment plate having a first side face thereof configured for being positioned adjacent the side face of the fastener plate such that said chassis fastening members extend therethrough when the first side face of the lower adjustment plate is positioned adjacent the side face of the fastener plate, wherein the lower adjustment plate is configured for being moveable with respect to the fastener plate along a first translation axis and a second translation axis when positioned adjacent the side face of the fastener plate with said chassis fastening members extending therethrough, and wherein the second translation axis extends in a non-parallel manner with respect to the first translation axis;
• a bearing cup body that is one of fixedly engagable with and fixedly engaged with the lower adjustment plate, wherein a shoulder of the bearing cup body protrudes above a second side face of the lower adjustment plate when the bearing cup body is fixedly engaged with the lower adjustment plate;
• an upper adjustment plate having a first side face thereof configured for being positioned adjacent the second side face of the lower adjustment plate and for having said chassis fastening members extending therethrough when the first side face of the upper adjustment plate is positioned adjacent the second side face of the lower adjustment plate, wherein the upper adjustment plate is effectively constrained to movement with respect to the fastener plate along the second translation axis when the first side face of the upper adjustment plate is positioned adjacent the second side face of the lower adjustment plate, wherein the upper adjustment plate and the lower adjustment plate are jointly configured for allowing the upper adjustment plate to be moveable with respect to the fastener plate along the second translation axis, wherein the upper adjustment plate includes an elongated aperture, and wherein the protruding portion of the bearing cup body and opposing edge portions of the elongated aperture are jointly configured for constraining the protruding portion of the bearing cup body between said opposing edge portions of the elongated aperture for allowing relative movement between said adjustment plates along the first translation axis and for effectively inhibiting relative movement between said adjustment plates along the second translation axis;
• and
• a spring perch component group mounted directly on the bearing cup body, wherein the spring perch component group includes a strut top mounting bearing, a thrust bearing and a spring perch, wherein the strut top mounting bearing is mounted within a bore of a portion of the bearing cup body extending below a second side face of the fastener plate, wherein the spring perch is coupled to the bearing cup body, wherein the thrust bearing is coupled between only the spring perch and the bearing cup body, wherein the thrust bearing is coupled between only the spring perch and the bearing cup body, wherein the spring perch is mounted entirely on the bearing cup body such that all forces exerted on the spring perch by a coil spring engaged therewith are transmitted through the thrust bearing to the bearing cup body and wherein a central axis of the bearing cup body, a central axis of the strut top mounting bearing and a central axis of the spring perch are effectively aligned.