Abstract: A compact wheel end (A) serves to couple a road wheel (B) to a suspension system component (C) on an automotive vehicle and to transmit torque from a CV joint (D) to the road wheel. The wheel end includes a housing (2) that is attached to the suspension system component and a hub (4) provided with a drive flange (18) on which the road wheel is mounted and a spindle (20) that extends through the housing. The hub rotates relative to the housing on a double row tapered roller bearing (6), the raceways (40, 42, 44, 46) of which are surfaces on the housing and hub spindle. The wheel end also has a coupler (8) that is engaged with the hub spindle and the CV joint through mating splines (32, 72, 76, 94) and further provides a rib face (52) that backs the rollers (62) of the inboard row. The CV joint has a small diameter stub shaft (92) that extends through the hub to secure the CV joint to the hub, but does not transmit torque.

Abstract: A wheel hub assembly configured to receive and support a brake rotor component in either a fixed or floating arrangement, such that a wheel assembly mounted to the wheel hub abuts directly against the outboard flange of the hub, and not against an entrapped brake rotor surface.

Abstract: A compact wheel end (A) serves to couple a road wheel (B) to a suspension system component (C) on an automotive vehicle and to transmit torque from a CV joint (D) to the road wheel. The wheel end includes a housing (2) that is attached to the suspension system component and a hub (4) provided with a drive flange (18) on which the road wheel is mounted and a spindle (20) that extends through the housing. The hub rotates relative to the housing on a double row tapered roller bearing (6), the raceways (40, 42, 44, 46) of which are surfaces on the housing and hub spindle. The wheel end also has a coupler (8) that is engaged with the hub spindle and the CV joint through mating splines (32, 72, 76, 94) and further provides a rib face (52) that backs the rollers (62) of the inboard row. The CV joint has a small diameter stub shaft (92) that extends through the hub to secure the CV joint to the hub, but does not transmit torque.

Abstract: A sensing system for sensing the drive torque applied to a vehicle wheel end assembly (100). The sensor system (200) is integrated into the internal spaces of the bearing assembly (103) within vehicle wheel end assembly (100), and is protected from environmental conditions. The sensor system (200) incorporates a pair of spaced-apart sensing elements (202a, 202b) disposed on a stationary member (104) of the vehicle wheel end assembly (100) in alignment with the axis or rotation. A target element (300) disposed on the rotating member (102) of the vehicle wheel end assembly (100). Each sensing element (202a, 202b) generates a signal which is responsive to the passage of the target element (300), at a frequency which is proportional to the rotational speed of the wheel end assembly (100).

Abstract: A corner module for an automotive vehicle includes a suspension upright, a wheel end, and a CV joint. The wheel end has a housing that is secured to the suspension upright and a hub that is provided with a flange to which a road wheel is attached and also spindle that projects from the flange into the housing. In addition, the wheel end has a tapered roller bearing located between the housing and the hub spindle. The CV joint drives the hub through a coupler ring or an inboard bearing cone that fits around and is engaged with the hub spindle, all through mating splines. The CV joint may have a stub shaft that projects from the bell through the hub spindle to clamp the CV joint and hub spindle together. Torque is transferred to the hub spindle at a large diameter through the bell of the CV joint. When present, the stub shaft serves merely to hold the CV joint and hub spindle together and thus may exist at a small diameter.

Abstract: A load sensing antifriction bearing (16) for a vehicle that senses wheel loads applied by a road wheel R to a suspension upright (10) of the vehicle. The load sensing antifriction bearing (16) supports a shaft connected to the road wheel R and provides an axis X of rotation about which the road wheel R can rotate. The load sensing antifriction bearing (16) comprises an outer race (36), the outer race further (36) having a flange (20) configured for attachment to the suspension upright (10). The flange (20) has a face (22) that is presented away from the suspension upright (10) and having a groove (24) opening out of that face (22). The bearing (16) also comprises an inner race (42). Rolling elements (48) are located between and contact the outer race (36) and the inner race (42). A sensor substrate (54) attaches to the flange (20) on each side of the groove (24) such that the sensor substrate (54) spans the groove (24).

Abstract: A corner module for an automotive vehicle includes a suspension upright, a wheel end, and a CV joint. The wheel end has a housing that is secured to the suspension upright and a hub that is provided with a flange to which a road wheel is attached and also spindle that projects from the flange into the housing. In addition, the wheel end has a tapered roller bearing located between the housing and the hub spindle. The CV joint drives the hub through a coupler ring or an inboard bearing cone that fits around and is engaged with the hub spindle, all through mating splines. The CV joint may have a stub shaft that projects from the bell through the hub spindle to clamp the CV joint and hub spindle together. Torque is transferred to the hub spindle at a large diameter through the bell of the CV joint. When present, the stub shaft serves merely to hold the CV joint and hub spindle together and thus may exist at a small diameter.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle has road wheels that are coupled to suspension uprights of the vehicle through wheel ends that have the capacity to monitor lateral loads that act on the road wheels at tire patches where the road wheels contact a road surface. Each wheel end offsets displacements that would be produced within the wheel end by vertical loads with displacements that would be produced by moments induced by the vertical loads, so that the remaining displacements within the wheel end reflect essentially lateral loads exerted at the tire patch. The wheel end contains a sensor and a target that the sensor monitors to detect the presence and magnitude of the displacements and hence the magnitude and direction of the lateral force at the tire patch. The sensor may also monitor angular velocity, angular position, and temperature.

Abstract: A tool (T) facilitates the installation of a hub/bearing assembly (B) on a CV joint (F) during the assembly of an automotive vehicle. The hub/bearing assembly has a housing (4), a hub (6) provided with a spindle (20) that projects into the housing, and a bearing (8) between the spindle and housing to enable the hub to rotate in the housing. The spindle contains an internal spline (34) which mates with an external spline (72) located on a half-shaft (68) of the CV joint, when the hub/bearing assembly is fitted to the CV joint, but the universal movement of the CV joint makes fitting difficult in the absence of the tool. The tool has a sleeve (90) which fits into the spline of the hub spindle and over a reduced end (74) that projects beyond the spline on the half-shaft. It aligns the two splines so that the hub is simply pushed off the sleeve and over the spline of the half-shaft.

Abstract: A mounting for the road wheel of a vehicle includes a hub, a suspension system component, which may be a steering knuckle, and an antifriction bearing located between the hub and the suspension system component to enable the hub to rotate within the component. The wheel is bolted to the hub, whereas the suspension system component is attached to the frame or unified body of the vehicle. The bearing has an outer race in the form of an insert that is embedded with the suspension system component. That insert is formed from a bearing grade steel, whereas suspension system component is formed by casting a different metal around the insert. The insert may also be within a hub that rotates on an axle.

Abstract: A hub assembly includes a hub having a spindle with a flange and a shoulder at one end of the spindle and a formed end turned outwardly at the other end of the spindle. In addition, the hub assembly includes a bearing having two cones set end to end and an outer race in the form of a housing located around the cones, and tapered rollers arranged in two rows between the outer race and cones. Initially the formed end of the spindle exists as an axially directed end portion of the spindle. The bearing is installed over this end portion and moved further along the spindle to bring the back face of one of its cones against the shoulder on the flange. The back face of the other cone lies at the end of a spline that leads out to the end portion on the spindle. A coupler ring having exterior and interior splines is installed over the spindle end porotion with its interior spline engaged with the spindle spline.

Abstract: A package bearing includes a nonrotatable outer bearing ring having flanges along which it is attached to the suspension system of a vehicle, a rotatable inner bearing ring located within the outer ring and having a flange to which a road wheel is attached, and tapered rollers arranged in two rows between the outer and inner rings. The large ends of rollers on the outboard row bear against a rib at the flange on the inner ring, while the large ends of the rollers of the inboard row bear against a rib ring that is formed as a separate element and is subsequently connected to one of the rings. Between its inboard and outboard raceways the inner ring has a cylindrical intervening surface, the diameter of which exceeds the largest diameter on the inboard raceway of the inner ring. This enables an encoder ring to advance over the inboard raceway, and to be pressed over the intervening surface to its final position.

Abstract: A seal for an antifriction bearing having a fixed inner race and a rotating outer race includes inner and outer seal cases which are pressed over cylindrical mounting surfaces on the inner and outer races, respectively. To this end, the seal cases have extended axial walls which actually fit over the mounting surfaces in the bearing races and radial walls, connected to the extended axial walls. The radial walls of the two cases are spaced apart so that an annular chamber exists between the two radial walls. Each seal case has an elastomeric seal element supported by its radial wall remote from its extended axial wall and that seal element establishes a fluid barrier along the other seal case, so that the two seal elements isolate the chamber from the interior of the bearing and from the environment at the exterior of the bearing. The inner case carries a sensor having a head that is located in the annular chamber between the two axial walls.

Abstract: A double row tapered roller bearing, which has the capacity to produce a pulsating electrical signal, the frequency of which reflects angular velocity, includes an outer race having a pair of tapered raceways that are presented inwardly, two cones, each having a tapered raceway that is presented outwardly toward a different raceway of the outer race, and tapered rollers arranged in two rows between the raceways of the outer race and the cones, with the small ends of the tapered rollers in each row being presented toward space between the two rows. The outer race has an oblique bore which opens into the space, whereas one of the cones has an axially directed seat which extends into the space. The oblique bore contains a sensor while the axially directed seat has a target wheel fitted over it, and the target wheel has an oblique operative surface that is presented opposite the inner end of the sensor, there being a slight gap between the two.

Abstract: A unitary bearing assembly having two rows of rolling elements between a first body with internal raceways angularly diverging from each other, and a second body formed with external raceways inclined toward each other, the bearing assembly being adapted for having either body connected to a wheel or to the vehicle body as may be selected, and in which a full complement of tapered rollers can be incorporated between the internal and external raceways, and a single rib ring fixed in position on one or the other of the inner or outer bodies to fully unitize the assembly.

Abstract: A wheel mounting assembly which unifies the suspension strut and trailing control arm in a single unitary member which provides a principal part of a wheel bearing assembly. The unitary member avoids a multiplicity of parts which is a known problem common in the automotive art, and it reduces costs and weight, and results in a simpler job of repair when necessary. The companion member of the mounting system is associated with the wheel to provide a unitary member with the wheel supporting flange and a hollow sleeve to receive a shaft or spline.