초록

A camber adjustment device including a cam bolt and cam plate assembly and method of installation thereof which enables a vehicle to be quickly and conveniently provided with an assembly for adjusting the front wheel camber.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of adjusting the camber of a wheel in a vehicle suspension system of the type ordinarily including a generally vertically extending strut assembly having an upper end attached to a vehicle frame assembly and having a pair of strut flanges positioned in parallel relationship with one another

A method of adjusting the camber of a wheel in a vehicle suspension system of the type ordinarily including a generally vertically extending strut assembly having an upper end attached to a vehicle frame assembly and having a pair of strut flanges positioned in parallel relationship with one another and projecting laterally outwardly from a lower end portion of the strut assembly; a wheel knuckle assembly mounted on the strut assembly and having a mounting portion positioned between the two strut flanges with a first hole therein adapted to closely, axially slidingly receive a first bolt therein which also passes through a first pair of coaxially aligned holes in the strut flanges in close axially sliding relationship and with a second hole therein adapted to closely, axially slidingly receive a second bolt which also passes through a second pair of coaxially aligned holes in the strut flanges in close axially sliding relationship, the first and second holes in the wheel knuckle mounting portion being vertically spaced apart, the first and second bolt holes in the wheel knuckle mounting portion and the first and second pair of holes in the strut flanges having axes positioned in substantially perpendicular relationship with the axis of rotation of a wheel supported on the wheel knuckle, the camber adjustment method comprising: (a) removing the first bolt from the first hole in the wheel knuckle and the first pair of aligned holes in the strut flanges; (b) producing oppositely positioned, parallel, laterally extending slots in said pair of strut flanges having a vertical dimension approximately equal to the diameter of one of said first pair of holes and an expanded lateral dimension by lateral extension of said first pair of holes therein; (c) providing a cam bolt assembly comprising: an elongate threaded shaft portion having a central shaft longitudinal axis, a first end and a second end and having a diameter approximately equal to said first bolt; a cylindrical cam portion having a cylindrical axis positioned in parallel offset relationship with said shaft central longitudinal axis and positioned at said first end of said shaft portion; a bolt torquing portion positioned at a terminal portion of said first end of said shaft portion; a nut threadingly mountable on said second end of said threaded shaft portion; (d) providing a cam plate comprising: parallel cam engagement surfaces extending perpendicular to the direction of extension of said parallel laterally extending slots and spaced apart by a distance slightly larger than the diameter of said cylindrical cam portion of said cam bolt; a cam plate slot extending laterally between said cam engagement surfaces and having approximately the same configuration as the slots in the strut flanges and having strut flange engaging means for maintaining the cam plate in fixed relationship with an associated strut flange; (e) placing the cam plate in engagement with an outer surface of one of the strut flanges with the cam plate slot in aligned relationship with the laterally extending slot in the flange; (f) inserting the shaft portion of the cam bolt assembly through the slots in both strut flanges an the cam plate and through the first hole in the wheel knuckle mounting portion and positioning the cylindrical cam portion of the cam bolt assembly between the parallel cam engagement surfaces of the cam plate; (g) threading the cam assembly nut onto the cam shaft portion so as to prevent substantial axial movement of the cam bolt assembly and so as to allow rotational movement of the cam assembly; (h) maintaining the second bolt passing through the strut flanges and wheel knuckle in sufficiently loose engagement therewith so as to allow pivotal movement of the wheel knuckle assembly about the second bolt; (i) adjustably laterally moving the cam bolt assembly shaft portion within the slots in the strut flanges and cam plate so as to pivotally move the wheel knuckle assembly to adjust the camber of the associated wheel by selectively rotating the cam bolt assembly about the central longitudinal axis of the cylindrical cam portion thereof.