Abstract: A two-stage shock absorber comprises a casing having a low level damping piston rod therein an end portion of which has two spaced apart flanges thereon with a low resistance fluid path formed therebetween. A floating ring piston is slidingly seated about the piston rod between the flanges and has high resistance throughbores therein. When vibrational forces become excessive to a point where one or the other of the flanges engages against the floating ring piston, the low resistance fluid path is closed off by the floating piston and the high resistance throughbores engage within the fluid flow system to cause a shift from primary low level damping to a high level damping. Once pressure within the system equalizes and the ring piston is no longer in contact with either of the flanges, low level damping resumes.

Abstract: An aerodynamic-gap sealing structure for a tractor-trailer combination includes rigid multipiece articulating shields at rear corners of the tractor and extending rearwardly to engage a side of a front face of the trailer. Similarly, a cab of the tractor is provided with a roof extension pivotally mounted on a top corner of a roof, or roof fairing, of the cab and extends rearwardly and upwardly to a roof of the trailer disposed thereabove. The side shields include a plurality of panels, preferably three, between the cab and the trailer which are pivotally connected to each other by centering springs to allow for varying distances between the cab and the trailer corners as a turn is negotiated while normally maintaining the panels as a straight extension from the cab to the trailer.

Abstract: A side mounted rear view mirror assembly for a motor vehicle is provided with a small air deflector integral therewith disposed upstream of and parallel to a forwardly convex mirror housing of the assembly, the deflector being spaced therefrom a sufficient distance to cause the air stream to be smoothly channelled past the lateral edges of the mirror housing. The "see through" open portion of the mirror assembly between the deflector and the mirror housing is provided with an amber light reflecting side marker surface on the front of the mirror housing and a low intensity light disposed on the rear side of the air deflector and shining light onto the light reflecting surface of the mirror housing to become a side marker to indicate the side of the vehicle. The rear side of the mirror housing is provided with a conventional image reflecting surface to reflect a rear side view to the operator.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes an elongate dual leaf spring assembly mounted at each end thereof to a vehicle frame member and which is adapted to be engaged over an axle of the vehicle at an approximate midpoint along the length thereof. A brake torque reaction beam comprising a thick, planar half leaf spring member has one end thereof engaged between the leaf spring assembly and the axle. The other end of the reaction beam member extends rearwardly away from the midpoint of the leaf spring assembly a predetermined distance which is slightly less than to greater than the distance the leaf spring assembly extends rearwardly. In a preferred embodiment, an air bag is suspended from the vehicle frame member and interposed between the frame member and the leaf spring assembly at the approximate midpoint thereof and is engaged to the leaf spring assembly.

Abstract: An ambient air-to-engine fluid heat exchanger, vehicle having independent ambient air modulators are provided for both the radiator and the charge air cooler in the form of an apertured plate mounted adjacent the face of the heat exchanger and controllably slidable to bring the plate apertures in registry with the ambient air openings of the heat exchanger. For the heat exchanger for engine coolant, the front face of the heat exchanger comprises a second plate having the heat exchanger ambient air openings therein. For the charge air cooler, a second plate is unnecessary because, in an air-to-air heat exchanger, the charge air tubes are about the same width as the ambient air passages and thus the tubes can block the air flow through the modulator apertures when the plate is positioned to do so. The modulator plate is further preferably provided with integral louver portions between the apertures for channelling and streamlining the ambient air flow into the apertures and heat exchanger.

Abstract: An ambient air-to-engine fluid heat exchanger, preferably a charge air cooler, for a vehicle having an ambient air modulator in the form of an apertured plate mounted adjacent the face of the heat exchanger and controllably slidable to bring the plate apertures in registry with the ambient air openings of the heat exchanger. If the heat exchanger is for engine coolant, the front face of the heat exchanger comprises a second plate having the heat exchanger ambient air openings therein. If it is a charge air cooler, a second plate is unnecessary because, in an air-to-air heat exchanger, the charge air tubes are about the same width as the ambient air passages and thus the tubes can block the air flow through the modulator apertures when the plate is positioned to do so. The modulator plate is further preferably provided with integral louver portions between the apertures for channelling and streamlining the ambient air flow into the apertures and heat exchanger.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension system is provided with dual offset cantilevered leaf springs. A forward and a rearward extending leaf spring are both mounted to a vehicle axle in a longitudinally overlapping transversely offset manner. The forward and rearward springs are also connected at their extended ends to a structural frame member of the vehicle. The longitudinally overlapped mounting of forward and rearward extending springs allows the deflection per given load of the suspension system to be increased while at the same time minimizing the overall length of the spring suspension system. The transverse offset of the spring may provide for a decreased turning radius by allowing greater clearance between the wheel and suspension system.

Abstract: An adjustable steering wheel assembly for a motor vehicle comprises an elongated guide member secured to the motor vehicle body having an arcuate shaped longitudinal axis that intersects with the axis of the steering shaft, and an elongated side member secured to the steering wheel shaft support having an arcuate shaped longitudinal axis conforming to the longitudinal axis of the guide member for providing a sliding engagement therebetween. A releasable lock means is provided for selectively holding the slide member in one of a plurality of pre-set positions along the guide member.