Abstract: A vehicle suspension system which includes a passive spring system including composite control arms for normal support of the vehicle for normal load, road and handling conditions and an active system responseive to deviations from normal conditions for support of the vehicle for abnormal load, road and handling conditions.

Abstract: A flexible, resilient control arm is rigidly connected at an inner end thereof to a side of a vehicle frame and pivotally connected at an outer end thereof to a wheel assembly. A rigid control arm may be pivotally connected at an inner end thereof to the side of the frame and pivotally connected at an outer end thereof to the wheel assembly. A shock absorber is connected for damping motion of the wheel assembly. The flexible control arm thus operates in place of a second rigid control arm and a separate coil or leaf spring. The flexible control arm may have various composite constructions for providing both dimensional integrity and flexibility, including metal and binder impregnated fiber portions having varying thickness and width along their lengths.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes a primary composite control arm element and a secondary composite control arm element. The secondary element has a length shorter than a length of the primary element. A root attachment assembly is provided for mounting an inner end of each of the primary and secondary elements to a corresponding side of a vehicle frame. The primary and secondary elements are positioned relative to each other such that the secondary element overlaps an inner portion of the primary element. An outer portion of the primary element extends beyond an outer end of the secondary element. A wheel hub assembly is mounted to the outer portion of the primary element. A shock absorber is connected to the side of the frame for damping motion of the outer end of the primary element relative to the frame. The primary and secondary composite control arm elements provide greater overall strength, a progressive spring rate, and over-load protection.

Abstract: An elongate metal cross-member is connected to and extends transversely across a vehicle frame. A pair of elongate composite control arms are connected to opposite ends of the cross-member by mounting mechanisms which control and guide the flexing of the control arms to prevent failure thereof. Wheel hub assemblies are connected to the outer ends of the control arms. A shock absorber is connected between each one of the wheel hub assemblies and the vehicle frame to dampen oscillations. The control arms may be made of reinforcing glass or graphite fibers held together with a thermoset resin binder and formed by the pultrusion process.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes a parallel set of pultruded composite leaf springs connected by a sway bar to minimize rolling of the vehicle body during turning. The rear ends of the springs are pivotally connected to shackles which are in turn pivotally connected to the vehicle frame and rigidly connected to opposite ends of the sway bar.

Abstract: An elongate member with a composite construction has a pair of spring portions connected by an intermediate beam portion. The elongate member is connected to a uni-body or other vehicle frame so that it extends horizontally in a transverse direction across the frame. The spring portions may be tapered so that they are flexible and resilient when a predetermined set of wheel loads are applied to the outer ends thereof. The intermediate beam portion is dimensioned and configured to provide a rigid structural element that may be used to provide additional lateral strength for the uni-body frame. A wheel assembly is connected to the outer end of each of the spring portions and a shock absorber connects each wheel assembly to the uni-body frame to damp up and down motion of the corresponding wheel.

Abstract: Composite control arm apparatus combines the functions of dimensional integrity and flexibility to replace a control arm and a spring in the suspension of an automotive vehicle. Different embodiments of composite control arm apparatus are shown, some of which include two materials bonded together, with one material providing primarily dimensional integrity and the other material providing primarily springiness or flexibility so that the two functions are combined in a single composite element.