V-rod attachment assembly for vehicle suspension

A V-rod attachment assembly for use in a vehicle suspension, comprising:

• a first V-shaped member having a vertex, said V-shaped member adapted for pivotable attachment to a first axle, a first arm extending from the vertex and a second arm extending from the vertex;
• a first arm bracket adapted for attachment to an end of the first arm of the first V-shaped member;
• a first gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes adapted for attachment to a first frame rail, said first gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the first arm bracket;
• a second arm bracket adapted for attachment to an end of the second arm of the first V-shaped member;
• a second gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes adapted for attachment to a second frame rail, said second gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the second arm bracket;
• wherein the first plurality of mounting holes on the inwardly extending mounting flange of the first gusset or a plurality of mounting holes on the first arm bracket comprise longitudinally extending slots that may accommodate relative longitudinal movement of the first arm bracket with respect to the first gusset;
• and
• wherein the first plurality of mounting holes on the inwardly extending mounting flange of the second gusset or a plurality of mounting holes on the second arm bracket comprise longitudinally extending slots that may accommodate relative longitudinal movement of the second arm bracket with respect to the second gusset.

A method of adjusting to a change in a distance D1 between a first frame rail and a second frame rail in a vehicle suspension having a V-rod attachment assembly including a first V-shaped member having a vertex, said V-shaped member adapted for pivotable attachment to a first axle, a first arm extending from the vertex and a second arm extending from the vertex, a first arm bracket adapted for attachment to an end of the first arm of the first V-shaped member, said first arm bracket having a plurality of holes for attachment to a first plate through a plurality of mounting holes on the first plate, a first gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes adapted for attachment to a first frame rail, said first gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the first plate through a second plurality of mounting holes on the first plate, a second arm bracket adapted for attachment to an end of the second arm of the first V-shaped member, said second arm bracket having a plurality of holes for attachment to a second plate through a first plurality of holes on the second plate, and a second gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes adapted for attachment to a second frame rail, said second gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the second plate through a second plurality of mounting holes on the second plate, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing the first V-shaped member having a vertex, said first V-shaped member adapted for pivotable attachment to a first axle, a first arm extending from the vertex and a second arm extending from the vertex;
• providing the first arm bracket attached to an end of the first arm of the first V-shaped member;
• providing the first gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes for attachment to a first frame rail, said first gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes for attachment to the first arm bracket, said first gusset having a second plurality of mounting holes for attachment to a first cross member extending between the first frame rail and a second frame rail;
• providing the second arm bracket attached to an end of the second arm of the first V-shaped member;
• providing the second gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes adapted for attachment to the second frame rail, said second gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the second arm bracket, said second gusset having a second plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the first cross member extending between the first frame rail and the second frame rail;
• wherein the first plurality of mounting holes on the inwardly extending mounting flange of the first gusset comprise longitudinally extending slots that may accommodate relative longitudinal movement of the first arm bracket with respect to the first cross member;
• and
• wherein the first plurality of mounting holes on the inwardly extending mounting flange of the second gusset comprise longitudinally extending slots that may accommodate relative longitudinal movement of the second arm bracket with respect to the first cross member;
• and
• wherein the first plurality of mounting holes and the second plurality of mounting holes on the inwardly extending mounting flange of the first gusset are located in a first position relative to the frame rail mounting flange of the first gusset and the first plurality of mounting holes and the second plurality of mounting holes on the inwardly extending mounting flange of the second gusset are located in a first position relative to the frame rail mounting flange of the second gusset;
• moving the first plurality of mounting holes and the second plurality of mounting holes on the inwardly extending mounting flange of the first gusset a distance D2 from the first position to a second position relative to the frame rail mounting flange of the first gusset;
• and
• moving the first plurality of mounting holes and the second plurality of mounting holes on the inwardly extending mounting flange of the second gusset a distance D3 from the first position to a second position relative to the frame rail mounting flange of the second gusset;
• wherein the combined distance of D2 and D3 is equal to D1.

A method of adjusting a pinion angle of an axle in a vehicle suspension including a first V-shaped member having a vertex, said V-shaped member adapted for pivotable attachment to a first axle, a first arm extending from the vertex and a second arm extending from the vertex;

• a first arm bracket adapted for attachment to an end of the first arm of the first V-shaped member, said first arm bracket having a plurality of holes for attachment to a first plate through a plurality of mounting holes on the first plate;
• a first gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes adapted for attachment to a first frame rail, said first gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the first plate through a second plurality of mounting holes on the first plate;
• a second arm bracket adapted or attachment to an end of the second arm of the first V-shaped member, said second arm bracket having a plurality of holes for attachment to a second plate through a first plurality of holes on the second plate;
• and
• a second gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes adapted for attachment to a second frame rail, said second gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the second plate through a second plurality of mounting holes on the second plate, the method comprising the steps of:
• providing the first V-shaped member having a vertex, said V-shaped member attached to a first axle, a first arm extending from the vertex and second arm extending from the vertex;
• providing the first arm bracket attached to an end of the end of the first arm of the first V-shaped member;
• providing the first gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes for attachment to a first frame rail, said first gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes for attachment to the first arm bracket, said first gusset having a second plurality of mounting holes for attachment to a first cross member extending between the first frame rail and a second frame rail;
• providing the second arm bracket attached to an end of the second arm of the first V-shaped member;
• providing the second gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes for attachment to the second frame rail, said second gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes for attachment to the second arm bracket, said second gusset having a second plurality of mounting holes for attachment to the first cross member extending between the first frame rail and the second frame rail;
• wherein the first plurality of mounting holes n the inwardly extending mounting flange of the first gusset comprise longitudinally extending slots that may accommodate relative longitudinal movement of the first arm bracket with respect to the first cross member;
• and
• wherein the first plurality of mounting holes on the inwardly extending mounting flange of the second gusset comprise longitudinally extending slots that may accommodate relative longitudinal movement of the second arm bracket with respect to the first cross member;
• moving the first arm bracket from a first position relative to the first cross member to a second position relative to the first cross member;
• and
• moving the second arm bracket from a first position relative to the first cross member to a second position relative to the first cross member.

A V-rod attachment assembly for use in a vehicle suspension, comprising:

• a first V-shaped member having a vertex, said V-shaped member adapted for pivotable attachment to a first axle, a first arm extending from the vertex and a second arm extending from the vertex;
• a first arm bracket adapted for attachment to an end of the first arm of the first V-shaped member, said first arm bracket having a plurality of holes for attachment to a first plate through a plurality of mounting holes on the first plate;
• a first gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes adapted for attachment to a first frame rail, said first gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the first plate through a second plurality of mounting holes on the first plate;
• a second arm bracket adapted for attachment to an end of the second arm of the first V-shaped member, said second arm bracket having a plurality of holes for attachment to a second plate through a first plurality of holes on the second plate;
• and
• a second gusset having a frame rail mounting flange having a plurality of holes adapted for attachment to a second frame rail, said second gusset having a mounting flange inwardly extending from the frame rail mounting flange and having a first plurality of mounting holes adapted for attachment to the second plate through a second plurality of mounting holes on the second plate.