Abstract: A multistage jounce bumper, including a jounce bumper cushion integrated with a hydraulic jounce bumper, wherein provided are the damping characteristic of the hydraulic jounce bumper and the damping/spring characteristics of a jounce bumper cushion. The hydraulic jounce bumper hydraulic response is tunable via adjustment of hydraulic flow with respect to a communicating hydraulic fluid reservoir. When maximum jounce is approached, jounce force and energy are exchanged, at a first stage, with the jounce bumper cushion, then at a predetermined compression, jounce force and energy are exchanged, at a second stage, with the hydraulic jounce bumper. Thereafter, a mechanical abutment is provided as a third stage of jounce management.

Abstract: Dampers for vehicle suspensions include a housing comprising a tube attached to a wheel axle of a vehicle and a piston rod extending from a piston within the tube and attached to the vehicle body. The piston divides the tube into first and second chambers. In order to damp responses when minor smooth road imperfections impart low force excitations to the wheel of the vehicle, a fluid bypass passageway in the form of a sleeve is positioned around the tube and overlies the piston. This provides second stage quasi-ideal damping at low force excitations to the wheels and thus to the wheel axles of the vehicle. The sleeve communicates with the first and second chambers through metered orifices or valves. As low force excitations from smooth road imperfections displace fluid within the tube through the metered orifices or valves, the orifices damp responses to the low force excitations, thereby smoothing the ride of the vehicle.

Abstract: A decoupled mono tube damper assembly includes an outer tube attached to a vehicle's unsprung mass. The outer tube has a base and a sleeve end. An outer tube sleeve engaging end of an inner tube is slidingly engaged with the sleeve end. The inner tube has an end distal to the sleeve engaging end, and is attached to the vehicle's sprung mass at the distal end. A damper rod has one opposed end extending axially into a base aperture, and an opposed end connecting to the inner tube. The rod moves axially relative to the outer tube. A low amplitude energy-managing member is operatively disposed within the outer tube, and has a throughbore receiving the rod. A travel-limiting member attaches to the rod and is engageable with the energy-managing member to constrain axial movement of the rod through the outer tube base to a predetermined limit.

Abstract: A wear compensator for use in a vehicle rack and pinion steering assembly and a method of biasing a rack against a pinion shaft gear in a rack and pinion steering assembly are disclosed. The wear compensator may include a rack follower, an adjuster plug, a wear cam and a torsion spring. The rack follower slides on the rack. The adjuster plug is retained by the steering gear housing and includes a plug cam surface. The wear cam includes a wear cam surface operatively engaging the plug cam surface, is mounted between the rack follower and the adjuster plug, and can rotate relative to the adjuster plug. The torsion spring connects between the adjuster plug and the wear cam in order to rotatably bias the wear cam relative to the adjuster plug.

Abstract: A multistage jounce bumper, including a jounce bumper cushion integrated with a hydraulic jounce bumper, wherein provided are the damping characteristic of the hydraulic jounce bumper and the damping/spring characteristics of a jounce bumper cushion. The hydraulic jounce bumper hydraulic response is tunable via adjustment of hydraulic flow with respect to a communicating hydraulic fluid reservoir. When maximum jounce is approached, jounce force and energy are exchanged, at a first stage, with the jounce bumper cushion, then at a predetermined compression, jounce force and energy are exchanged, at a second stage, with the hydraulic jounce bumper. Thereafter, a mechanical abutment is provided as a third stage of jounce management.

Abstract: A damper assembly for a suspension system of a vehicle includes a housing adapted to be mounted to one end of a strut in the suspension system. The housing has a chamber with fluid therein. The damper assembly also includes at least one diaphragm extending across the chamber to react with the fluid, to be compliant at relatively small displacements, and to be rigid at relatively large displacements.

Abstract: A damper assembly for a suspension system of a vehicle includes a housing adapted to be mounted to one end of a strut in the suspension system. The housing has a chamber with fluid therein. The damper assembly also includes at least one diaphragm extending across the chamber to react with the fluid, to be compliant at relatively small displacements, and to be rigid at relatively large displacements.

Abstract: The ability of a damper to attenuate smooth road shake in a vehicle is tested using a test fixture that is controlled by inputting data for periodic low amplitude periodic excitations having a selected frequency range, selected amplitude range and a selected dither representative of vehicle operation on relatively smooth roads. The selected frequency range is about 5 Hz to 30 Hz and the selected amplitude range is about 0.05 mm to 2.00 mm. A preferred frequency is about 15 Hz which is applied preferably for about 200 cycles in a series of separate tests at individual amplitudes of, for example, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00 and 2.00 mm. The damper is tested to produce low amplitude test results comprising displacement, force and velocity parameters, measured as functions of time.