Automotive suspension member

Abstract

To eliminate negative camber generated by lowering a car height without applying large remodeling to a car body.SOLUTION: The vehicle suspension member 1 includes a fastened portion 2 that is fastened to an upper side of a vehicle-width-direction front end portion of the lower arm 120, and a ball joint support portion 3 that extends from the fastened portion 2 toward the vehicle-width-direction outer side and has a fitting hole 3a into which a shaft portion of a ball stud 192 of a ball joint 190 that supports a lower portion of a knuckle 130 of the suspension device 100 is fitted. The position of the fitting hole 3a in the vehicle-width direction is set such that the vehicle-width-direction inner portion of the socket 193 of the ball joint 190 overlaps the vehicle-width-direction front end portion of the lower arm 120 in a plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to automotive suspension components. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a double wishbone suspension system is known as a suspension system mounted on an automobile (see Patent Document 1). The double wishbone suspension system includes upper and lower arms that are supported so as to be able to swing freely relative to the vehicle body, and knuckles that are supported at the ends of the upper and lower arms via ball joints so as to be able to turn. In Patent Document 1, the upper arms are configured to have a shorter arm length than the lower arms. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-121933 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there are cases where a user desires to lower the vehicle height of an automobile, for example. Lowering the vehicle height in a double wishbone suspension system in which the lower arms are longer than the upper arms, as in Patent Document 1, increases the camber angle in the negative direction. If the camber angle becomes too negative, it can adversely affect the vehicle's driving performance and also increase the likelihood of uneven tire wear.

[0005] One solution would be to narrow the gap between the left and right lower arms by modifying the structure of the vehicle frame to which the lower arms are attached, but modifying the body frame would be a major undertaking and would require expensive modifications.Furthermore, if the body frame structure is modified, the body frame would also need to be restored to its original position, which would require extensive work.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to make it possible to eliminate negative camber that occurs when lowering the vehicle height without making major modifications to the vehicle body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present disclosure can be premised on an automotive suspension member attached to a vehicle width direction tip of a lower arm of a suspension device. The automotive suspension member includes: a fastened portion disposed above the vehicle width direction tip of the lower arm and having a threaded hole formed therein into which a bolt inserted from below into a bolt insertion hole penetrating vertically through the lower arm is threaded; and a ball joint support portion extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the fastened portion and having an insertion hole formed therein into which a shank of a ball stud of a ball joint supporting a lower portion of a knuckle of the suspension device is inserted. The vehicle width direction position of the insertion hole is set so that, in a plan view, a vehicle width direction inner portion of a socket of the ball joint is positioned to overlap the vehicle width direction tip of the lower arm.

[0008] According to this configuration, with the fastened portion of the automotive suspension member positioned above the vehicle width direction tip of the lower arm, a bolt is inserted from below the lower arm through the bolt insertion hole and screwed into the threaded hole, thereby fastening and fixing the automotive suspension member to the vehicle width direction tip of the lower arm. Furthermore, by inserting the shank of the ball stud of the ball joint into the insertion hole formed in the ball joint support portion of the automotive suspension member, the lower portion of the knuckle is supported by the lower arm via the automotive suspension member. In this case, the vehicle width direction position of the insertion hole is set so that the vehicle width direction inner portion of the socket of the ball joint is positioned so as to overlap the vehicle width direction tip of the lower arm in a plan view. Therefore, the insertion hole is positioned inward in the vehicle width direction, and therefore the lower portion of the knuckle is positioned inward in the vehicle width direction, thereby eliminating negative camber caused by lowering the vehicle height.

[0009] The screw holes may include a first screw hole and a second screw hole formed at a distance from each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In this case, the center of the insertion hole can be located between the center of the first screw hole and the center of the second screw hole in a side view. When the distance between the center of the first screw hole and the center of the second screw hole is A and the distance between a line passing through the centers of the first screw hole and the second screw hole and the center of the insertion hole in a direction perpendicular to the line is B, distance B can be set shorter than distance A. In other words, by forming the first screw hole and the second screw hole spaced apart from each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the fastened portion can be stably fastened to the lower arm. Furthermore, by making the distance between the line passing through the centers of the first screw hole and the second screw hole and the center of the insertion hole shorter than the center-to-center distance between the first screw hole and the second screw hole, the insertion hole can be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction. This eliminates negative camber even when the vehicle height is significantly lowered.

[0010] The ball joint may have a boot whose outer periphery is disposed so as to cover at least a portion of the upper end opening of the threaded hole that opens into the upper surface of the ball joint support part. In this way, when an attempt is made to position the lower portion of the ball joint inward in the vehicle width direction, a portion of the boot may be disposed so as to cover the upper end opening of the threaded hole. However, in this aspect, the tip of the bolt is positioned within the threaded hole in the fastened state of the fastened part, so the bolt does not come into contact with the boot, and damage to the boot can be suppressed.

[0011] The fastened portion and the ball joint support portion may be formed from a single plate material. In this case, by forming the upper surface of the plate material as a flat surface from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction, damage to the boot of the ball joint when the boot comes into contact with the upper surface of the plate material can be suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As explained above, the fastened portion is fastened and fixed to the upper side of the vehicle width direction tip of the lower arm with a bolt, and the insertion hole formed in the ball joint support portion extending from this fastened portion is positioned on the inside in the vehicle width direction, so that the negative camber that occurs when the vehicle height is lowered can be eliminated without making major modifications to the vehicle body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a part of a suspension device including an automobile suspension member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the automobile suspension member. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the automobile suspension member. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the automobile suspension member. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a right side view of the automobile suspension member. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a left side view of the automobile suspension member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a portion of a suspension device 100 equipped with an automobile suspension member 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The suspension device 100 is provided at the front of an automobile and is a device for supporting a front wheel (not shown). FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the left side of the automobile as seen from the front of the vehicle. In describing this embodiment, the front side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the front, the rear side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the rear, the left side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the left, and the right side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the right. The left-right direction is the vehicle width direction. Because FIG. 1 is a view from the front, the right side of FIG. 1 is the left side of the vehicle, and the left side of FIG. 1 is the right side of the vehicle.

[0016] The automobile on which the suspension device 100 is mounted includes a body frame 101. A cross member 102 extending in the left-right direction is fixed to the lower part of the body frame 101, and this cross member 102 is a part of the body frame 101. The automobile may be a passenger car, or may be a truck capable of transporting cargo, and the present invention can be applied to any type of automobile.

[0017] Suspension device 100 is a double wishbone suspension device. Because double wishbone suspension devices have a bilaterally symmetrical structure, the structure of the left side will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1. Suspension device 100 has an upper arm 110, a lower arm 120 that is longer in the vehicle width direction than upper arm 110, a knuckle 130, an air spring 140, and a damper 150. The vehicle width inner end (right end) of upper arm 110 is supported via an upper support shaft (not shown) that extends in the front-to-rear direction relative to an upper portion of body frame 101. As a result, upper arm 110 is supported by body frame 101 in a swingable manner so that the vehicle width outer end (left end) can be displaced up and down around the upper support shaft.

[0018] Lower arm 120 is provided below and spaced apart from upper arm 110. An inner end (right end) of lower arm 120 in the vehicle width direction is supported via a lower support shaft (not shown) extending in the front-to-rear direction relative to cross member 102 located at the bottom of body frame 101, whereby upper arm 110 is supported by cross member 102 in a swingable manner so that an outer end (left end) in the vehicle width direction can be displaced in the up-and-down direction around the lower support shaft.

[0019] Air spring 140 is disposed between upper arm 110 and lower arm 120 with its extension and contraction direction in the vertical direction. Compressed air pressurized by an air pump (not shown) is introduced into air spring 140, and the vertical dimension can be changed by adjusting the amount of compressed air introduced. For example, the vehicle height of the vehicle can be lowered by reducing the amount of air introduced into air spring 140, and the vehicle height can be raised by increasing the amount of air introduced into air spring 140.

[0020] A lower support 121 that supports the lower end of air spring 140 is provided at the middle portion of lower arm 120 in the vehicle width direction. The lower end of air spring 140 is fixed to lower support 121 and supported from below.

[0021] Spring supports 103 that come into contact with the upper ends of air springs 140 are provided in the vertical middle of body frame 101 so as to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction. The upper ends of air springs 140 are fixed to spring supports 103. Therefore, when lower arm 120 swings upward from the state shown in FIG. 1 against the biasing force of air springs 140, air springs 140 compress, thereby ensuring the suspension stroke amount.

[0022] A tip-side arm 122 constituting a part of the lower arm 120 is provided at a portion of the main body of the lower arm 120 that is closer to the tip in the vehicle width direction than the lower support 121. The tip-side arm 122 is disposed above the main body of the lower arm 120 and is fastened to the main body of the lower arm 120 together with an automotive suspension member 1 (described later) by a first bolt B1. A front portion of the tip-side arm 122 extends forward beyond the front end of the main body of the lower arm 120. A vehicle width direction outer end of a control rod 160 is fastened and fixed to the front portion of the tip-side arm 122 by a second bolt B2. A vehicle width direction inner end of the control rod 160 is connected to a lower portion of the body frame 101 so as to be able to swing freely up and down. The control rod 160 is also a member constituting a part of the suspension device 100.

[0023] A bracket 161 to which the lower end of the damper 150 is attached is provided at the middle portion of the control rod 160 in the vehicle width direction. The lower end of the damper 150 is attached to the bracket 161 with a third bolt B3. The left portion of the stabilizer 170 is also attached to the bracket 161 with the third bolt B3, together with the lower end of the damper 150. The upper end of the damper 150 is attached to a damper support (not shown) of the vehicle body. Therefore, when the lower arm 120 swings upward from the state shown in FIG. 1 against the biasing force of the air spring 140, the damper 150 compresses.

[0024] The knuckle 130 is a member that supports the front wheel so that it can rotate and also steer in the left and right directions. An upper ball joint 180 is provided on the upper portion of the knuckle 130, and a lower ball joint 190 is provided on the lower portion of the knuckle 130. The upper ball joint 180 and the lower ball joint 190 enable the knuckle 130 to rotate about an axis that extends in the up-down direction, i.e., to steer the front wheel. The upper ball joint 180 and the lower ball joint 190 are members that constitute part of the suspension device 100. The upper ball joint 180 and the lower ball joint 190 may be members that constitute part of the knuckle 130, or may be members separate from the knuckle 130.

[0025] An upper portion of the knuckle 130 is supported by an upper ball joint 180 on the outer end portion of the upper arm 110 in the vehicle width direction. The upper ball joint 180 has a base 181 that is fastened to the outer end portion of the upper arm 110 in the vehicle width direction by four fourth bolts B4. Although not shown, four bolt insertion holes are formed in the base 181 so as to pass through in the vertical direction. By inserting the fourth bolts B4 into each bolt insertion hole, the base 181 is fastened and fixed to the outer end portion of the upper arm 110 in the vehicle width direction.

[0026] The upper ball joint 180 has an upper ball stud 182 extending in the vertical direction, an upper socket 183 into which a ball formed on the top of the upper ball stud 182 rotatably fits, and a rubber upper boot 184. The lower portion of the upper ball stud 182 is fitted into an upper insertion hole (not shown) formed in the upper portion of the knuckle 130. A first nut N1 is threaded onto the portion of the upper ball stud 182 that protrudes downward from the upper insertion hole, and this first nut N1 prevents the upper ball stud 182 from coming out of the upper insertion hole.

[0027] A front wheel is rotatably supported at the vertically intermediate portion of the knuckle 130, and a disc plate 200 constituting a braking device is also rotatably supported thereon.

[0028] The automobile suspension member 1 is a member that is attached to the tip of the lower arm 120 in the vehicle width direction, and is a member that constitutes part of the suspension device 100. Before the automobile suspension member 1 is attached to the lower arm 120, another support member (not shown) is attached to the lower side of the tip of the lower arm 120 in the vehicle width direction.

[0029] Here, this automobile suspension device 100 is set so that the camber angle is an appropriate angle for a standard vehicle height. Specifically, a member that is long in the vehicle width direction is provided as the support member so that the position of the lower portion of the knuckle 130 in the vehicle width direction is located outward (to the left) in the vehicle width direction compared to the position shown in Figure 1. By supporting the lower ball joint 190 on the outer portion in the vehicle width direction of this support member, the position of the lower portion of the knuckle 130 in the vehicle width direction can be located outward in the vehicle width direction compared to the position shown in Figure 1.

[0030] However, there are cases where a user desires to lower the vehicle height, for example, due to their own preferences. If the vehicle height is lowered by only a few centimeters, the camber angle does not change significantly. However, if the vehicle height is lowered significantly, for example, by 10 cm or more, or 15 cm or more, the camber angle of the front wheels of the double wishbone suspension system 100, which has lower arms 120 that are longer in the vehicle width direction than the upper arms 110, becomes larger in the negative direction. If the camber angle becomes too large in the negative direction, it can adversely affect the vehicle's driving performance and increase the likelihood of uneven tire wear. To solve this problem, the automobile suspension member 1 is attached to the lower arms 120 in place of the support member. In other words, the automobile suspension member 1 is a replacement part that is attached to the lower arms 120 in place of the existing support member that is threaded onto the underside of the lower arms 120 when lowering the vehicle height. The lower arms 120 and the upper arms 110 are also existing parts.

[0031] The dimension of the automobile suspension member 1 in the vehicle width direction is set to be shorter than the dimension of the support member in the vehicle width direction. The automobile suspension member 1 is made of a single sheet of high-strength plate material, for example, steel. The thickness of the automobile suspension member 1 is, for example, 10 mm or more, or 15 mm or more, and is in the form of a thick plate. The upper surface of the plate material that constitutes the automobile suspension member 1 is formed as a flat surface from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction. The lower surface of the plate material that constitutes the automobile suspension member 1 is also formed as a flat surface from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction. The upper and lower surfaces of the plate material that constitutes the automobile suspension member 1 are approximately parallel to each other.

[0032] The automobile suspension member 1 includes a fastened portion 2 that is fastened to the lower arm 120, and a ball joint support portion 3 that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the fastened portion 2. Because the automobile suspension member 1 is made of a single plate material, the fastened portion 2 and the ball joint support portion 3 are also made of a single plate material. For example, the automobile suspension member 1 including the fastened portion 2 and the ball joint support portion 3 can be obtained by cutting a plate material, or the automobile suspension member 1 including the fastened portion 2 and the ball joint support portion 3 can be obtained by casting a metal material. There are no particular limitations on the method for manufacturing the automobile suspension member 1. The automobile suspension member 1 may be made of, for example, a combination of multiple members.

[0033] The fastened portion 2 is fastened and fixed to the lower arm 120 while being disposed above the tip end of the lower arm 120 in the vehicle width direction. More specifically, it is disposed on the upper surface of the tip arm 122, which is part of the lower arm 120, and is fastened and fixed to the lower arm 120 by two first bolts B1 and also by two fifth bolts B5. The two first bolts B1 are disposed spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The two fifth bolts B5 are disposed spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction and further outboard from the first bolts B1 in the vehicle width direction. The distance between the two fifth bolts B5 is set narrower than the distance between the two first bolts B1.

[0034] Two inner bolt insertion holes 120a, into which first bolts B1 are inserted, are formed in the lower arm 120 so as to pass up and down through the lower arm 120. Since the two first bolts B1 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear direction, the two inner bolt insertion holes 120a are also formed at a distance from each other in the front-to-rear direction to correspond to this. Each first bolt B1 is inserted into the inner bolt insertion hole 120a from below, with its head positioned downward.

[0035] Two outer bolt insertion holes 120b, into which fifth bolts B5 are inserted, are formed in the lower arm 120 so as to penetrate the lower arm 120 in the up-down direction. Because the fifth bolt B5 is located more outboard in the vehicle width direction than the first bolt B1, the outer bolt insertion hole 120b is located more outboard in the vehicle width direction than the inner bolt insertion hole 120a. Furthermore, because the two fifth bolts B5 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, the two outer bolt insertion holes 120b are also formed with a corresponding gap between them in the front-rear direction. Each fifth bolt B5 is inserted from below into the outer bolt insertion hole 120b with its head positioned downward.

[0036] An inner screw hole 2a is formed in an inner portion of the fastened portion 2 in the vehicle width direction, into which the shank (threaded portion) of the first bolt B1 inserted from below into the inner bolt insertion hole 120a is threaded. Two inner screw holes 2a are formed, the same number as the number of first bolts B1, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction so as to coincide with the two inner bolt insertion holes 120a. Each inner screw hole 2a is configured as a through hole that penetrates the fastened portion 2 in the up-down direction, and a thread groove is formed on its inner circumferential surface into which the shank of the first bolt B1 is threaded. The shank of the first bolt B1 can be threaded into the inner screw hole 2a while passing through the main body portion and the tip-side arm 122 of the lower arm 120 to fasten the fastened portion 2 to the lower arm 120. In the fastened state, the tip (upper end) of the shank of the first bolt B1 is positioned within the inner screw hole 2a and is in a non-protruding state, not protruding from the top surface of the fastened portion 2. In other words, the length of the shank of the first bolt B1 is set so that the tip of the shank of the first bolt B1 does not protrude from the upper surface of the fastened part 2. The number of first bolts B1 may be one.

[0037] Outer screw holes 2b1, 2b2 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) are formed in the fastened portion 2 in a portion outward in the vehicle width direction from the inner screw hole 2a, into which the shank (threaded portion) of the fifth bolt B5 inserted from below into the outer bolt insertion hole 120b is threaded. Two outer screw holes 2b1, 2b2 are formed, the same number as the number of fifth bolts B5, and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction so as to coincide with the two outer bolt insertion holes 120b. The outer screw holes 2b1, 2b2 are through holes that pass through the fastened portion 2 in the up-down direction, and their inner peripheral surfaces are formed with threads into which the shank of the fifth bolt B5 is threaded. The shank of the fifth bolt B5 can be threaded into the outer screw holes 2b1, 2b2 while passing through the front end of the lower arm 120 in the vehicle width direction, thereby fastening the fastened portion 2 to the lower arm 120. In the fastened state, the tip (upper end) of the shank of the fifth bolt B5 is positioned within the outer screw holes 2b1, 2b2 and is in a non-protruding state where it does not protrude from the top surface of the fastened part 2. In other words, the length of the shank of the fifth bolt B5 is set so that the tip of the shank of the fifth bolt B5 does not protrude from the top surface of the fastened part 2.

[0038] Because the distance between the two first bolts B1 in the front-rear direction is wider than the distance between the two fifth bolts B5 in the front-rear direction, the distance between the two inner screw holes 2a in the front-rear direction is wider than the distance between the two outer screw holes 2b1, 2b2 in the front-rear direction. To accommodate this difference in distance, the inner portion of the fastened portion 2 in the vehicle width direction has a wider front-rear dimension than the outer portion. In other words, the portion where the two inner screw holes 2a are formed is wider than the portion where the two outer screw holes 2b1, 2b2 are formed. The outer screw hole located on the front side is the first screw hole 2b1, and the outer screw hole located on the rear side is the second screw hole 2b2. Therefore, the outer screw holes include the first screw hole 2b1 and the second screw hole 2b2, which are formed at an interval in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0039] 1, ball joint support portion 3 extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the outer portion of fastened portion 2, and is a portion that supports lower ball joint 190. Lower ball joint 190 has a structure similar to upper ball joint 180, and is a member that supports a lower portion of knuckle 130. Lower ball joint 190 has a lower ball stud 192 that extends in the vertical direction, a lower socket 193 into which a ball formed on the upper portion of lower ball stud 192 rotatably fits, and a lower boot 194 made of rubber.

[0040] An insertion hole 3a into which the shank of the lower ball stud 192 fits is formed in the ball joint support part 3. The insertion hole 3a is configured as a through-hole that passes vertically through the ball joint support part 3. The inner diameter of the insertion hole 3a is set to be largest at the upper end and smallest at the lower end, and is formed in a tapered shape that becomes smaller as it approaches the lower end.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, the center C1 of the insertion hole 3a is located in the center of the automobile suspension member 1 in the front-to-rear direction. The center C2 of the front outer screw hole 2b1 is located forward of the center C1 of the insertion hole 3a. The center C3 of the rear outer screw hole 2b2 is located rearward of the center C1 of the insertion hole 3a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, in a side view, the center C1 of the insertion hole 3a is located between the center C2 of the front outer screw hole 2b1 and the center C3 of the rear outer screw hole 2b2. By forming the front outer screw hole 2b1 and the rear outer screw hole 2b2 at a distance in the front-to-rear direction in this way, the distance between the fifth bolts B5 can be increased in the front-to-rear direction, allowing the automobile suspension member 1 to be stably fastened and fixed to the lower arm 120. FIG. 4 is a view of the automobile suspension member 1 as seen from the rear side. The front view of the automobile suspension member 1 is symmetrical to the rear view.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the distance between the center C2 of the front outer screw hole 2b1 and the center C3 of the rear outer screw hole 2b2 is defined as A. A first line L1 is drawn passing through the center C2 of the front outer screw hole 2b1 and the center C3 of the rear outer screw hole 2b2. A second line L2 is drawn that is perpendicular to the first line L1 and passes through the center C1 of the insertion hole 3a. The distance between the first line L1 and the center C1 of the insertion hole 3a in a direction perpendicular to the first line L1 (the direction in which the second line L2 extends) is defined as B. In this case, distance B is set to be shorter than distance A. In other words, the longitudinal distance between the front outer screw hole 2b1 and the rear outer screw hole 2b2 and the position of the insertion hole 3a in the vehicle width direction are set so that distance B is shorter than distance A.

[0043] Making distance B shorter than distance A means that the insertion hole 3a is positioned inward in the vehicle width direction while widening the longitudinal distance between the front outer screw hole 2b1 and the rear outer screw hole 2b2 to stabilize the automobile suspension member 1 when fastened to the lower arm 120. Positioning insertion hole 3a inward in the vehicle width direction allows lower ball joint 190 to be positioned more inward in the vehicle width direction than an existing support member. Positioning lower ball joint 190 more inward in the vehicle width direction than when it is supported by an existing support member makes it possible to eliminate negative camber that occurs when the vehicle height is lowered.

[0044] More specifically, the position of insertion hole 3a in the vehicle width direction is set so that, in a plan view, the vehicle width direction inner portion of lower socket 193 of lower ball joint 190 overlaps with the vehicle width direction tip end of lower arm 120. This allows lower ball joint 190 to be inserted inward in the vehicle width direction until the vehicle width direction inner portion of lower socket 193 is positioned directly above the vehicle width direction tip end of lower arm 120.

[0045] Lower boot 194 of lower ball joint 190 is made of rubber and is an easily deformable member. When lower ball joint 190 is supported by automobile suspension member 1, lower boot 194 is compressed, and its outer diameter becomes larger than the outer diameter of lower socket 193. In FIG. 2, the outer shape of lower boot 194 is shown by phantom lines. Because lower boot 194 has such a large outer diameter, a portion of the outer periphery of lower boot 194 is positioned to cover at least a portion of the upper end openings of outer screw holes 2b1, 2b2 that open into the upper surface of ball joint support portion 3, and comes into contact with the upper surface of ball joint support portion 3. This is because lower ball joint 190 is positioned inward in the vehicle width direction.

[0046] Because the tip of the shank of the fifth bolt B5 does not protrude from the upper surface of the fastened part 2, the shank of the fifth bolt B5 does not come into contact with the lower boot 194. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the lower boot 194 when the lower boot 194 comes into contact with the upper surface of the ball joint support part 3.

[0047] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, when lowering the vehicle height of an automobile, after removing the existing support member, the fastened portion 2 of the automobile suspension member 1 is positioned above the vehicle width direction tip of the lower arm 120, and the fifth bolt B5 is inserted from below the lower arm 120 into the outer bolt insertion hole 120b and screwed into the outer screw holes 2b1, 2b2, thereby fastening and fixing the automobile suspension member 1 to the vehicle width direction tip of the lower arm 120.

[0048] Furthermore, by fitting the shaft portion of lower ball stud 192 of lower ball joint 190 into fitting hole 3a formed in ball joint support portion 3 of automobile suspension member 1, the lower portion of knuckle 130 is supported on lower arm 120 via automobile suspension member 1. At this time, the position of fitting hole 3a in the vehicle width direction is set so that the vehicle width directional inner portion of lower socket 193 of lower ball joint 190 is positioned so as to overlap the vehicle width directional tip end portion of lower arm 120 in a plan view, so that fitting hole 3a enters the vehicle width directional inner side, and therefore the lower portion of knuckle 130 enters the vehicle width directional inner side, and therefore, negative camber that occurs when the vehicle height is lowered can be eliminated without making major modifications to the vehicle body, and uneven tire wear and the like are less likely to occur.

[0049] The above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, all modifications and variations within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the automobile suspension member 1 may be attached to the lower ball joint 190 and then fastened to the lower arm 120. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] As described above, the automotive suspension member according to the present disclosure can be used in, for example, a double wishbone suspension device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 Automobile suspension components 2 Part to be fastened 2b1, 2b2 Outer screw holes (1st screw hole, 2nd screw hole) 3 Ball joint support 3a Insertion hole 100 Suspension device 120 Lower Arm 120b Outer bolt insertion hole 130 Knuckles 190 Lower ball joint 192 Lower ball stud 194 Lower Boots B5 5th bolt

Claims

1. An automobile suspension member attached to a vehicle width direction tip portion of a lower arm of a suspension device, a fastened portion that is disposed above a vehicle width direction tip end of the lower arm, the fastened portion having a threaded hole into which a bolt that is inserted from below into a bolt insertion hole that penetrates the lower arm in the up-down direction is threaded; a ball joint support portion extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the fastened portion and having an insertion hole formed therein into which a shank of a ball stud of a ball joint supporting a lower portion of a knuckle of the suspension device is inserted, An automobile suspension member in which the vehicle width position of the insertion hole is set so that, in a plan view, the vehicle width inner portion of the socket of the ball joint overlaps with the vehicle width tip end of the lower arm.

2. 2. The automotive suspension member according to claim 1, The screw holes include a first screw hole and a second screw hole formed at an interval in the vehicle front-rear direction, When viewed from the side, a center of the insertion hole is disposed between a center of the first screw hole and a center of the second screw hole, A is the distance between the center of the first screw hole and the center of the second screw hole, When the distance between a line passing through the center of the first screw hole and the center of the second screw hole and the center of the insertion hole in a direction perpendicular to the line is defined as B, The automobile suspension member, wherein the distance B is set to be shorter than the distance A.

3. 3. The automobile suspension member according to claim 2, a boot provided in the ball joint is disposed so that a portion of the outer periphery thereof covers at least a portion of the upper end opening of the screw hole that opens in the upper surface of the ball joint support part; A suspension member for an automobile, wherein the tip of the bolt is positioned within the screw hole when the fastened portion is fastened.

4. 4. The automobile suspension member according to claim 3, the fastened portion and the ball joint support portion are made of a single plate material, An automobile suspension member, wherein the upper surface of the plate material is flat from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction.

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