US20170136874A1 - Off road vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

An off-road vehicle includes a frame, a front suspension, and a rear suspension. In some examples of the off-road vehicle, the rear suspension includes trailing arms with are pivotally attached to the frame rearward of an operator area. Further, the frame can include a front subframe assembly and a rear subframe assembly which are easily removable from the main frame of the vehicle to permit access to various components of the off-road vehicle.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional application titled “Off Road Vehicle,” having inventor Robby Gordon, and Application No. 62/208,805, filed Aug. 23, 2015, which is herein incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
• This document pertains generally, but not by way of limitation, to off road vehicles and their components.
BACKGROUND
• Various types of off road vehicles are known in the art. There remains a need for vehicles having improved suspensions, frames, components, and modular construction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an off-road vehicle.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 is a front view of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 is a side view of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 5 is a rear view of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 6 is a top vie of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1
• FIG. 9 is a rear view of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 10 is top view of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 11 is a side view of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 12 is a detailed side view of a portion of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 11.
• FIG. 13 is a detailed side view of a portion of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 11.
• FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a rear suspension assembly of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 15 is a rear view of a rear suspension assembly of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 16 is a side view of a rear suspension assembly of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 17 is a top view of a rear suspension assembly of the off-road vehicle ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 18 is a detailed side view of a portion of an off-road vehicle.
• FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an off-road vehicle.
• FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a portion of a rear suspension assembly.
• FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a portion of an off-road vehicle.
• FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a portion of an off-road vehicle.
• FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a portion of an off-road vehicle.
• FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a portion of an off-road vehicle.
• FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a portion of an off-road vehicle.
• FIG. 26 is a view of a drive assembly.
• FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a portion of an off-road vehicle.
• FIG. 28 is a detailed exploded view of a portion of a rear suspension assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• U.S. Pat. No. 8,764,039, titled “Suspension for Vehicle,” filed Apr. 24, 2012, having inventors Keller and Seal is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Further, the contents of U.S. Provisional application titled “Camber Adjusting Assembly,” having inventor Robby Gordon, and Application No. 62/208,537, filed Aug. 21, 2015, is herein incorporated by reference. Additionally, the contents of U.S. Provisional application titled “Universal Wishbone Trailing Arm,” having inventor Robby Gordon, and Application No. 62/208,531, filed Aug. 21, 2015, is also incorporated by reference herein. Additionally, the contents of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/242,320, titled “Universal Wishbone Trailing Arm,” and U.S. application Ser. No. 15/242,864, titled “Camber Adjusting Assembly,” both having first named inventor Robby Gordon are incorporated by reference herein. Finally, U.S. Provisional application titled “Off Road Vehicle,” having inventor Robby Gordon, and Application No. 62/208,805, filed Aug. 23, 2015, is herein incorporated by reference. Further, the immediate application claims the benefit of and priority to Application 62/208,805, titled “Off Road Vehicle,” having inventor Robby Gordon, and filed Aug. 23, 2015.
• A vehicle includes a frame, a front suspension, and a rear suspension. In some examples, the vehicle is an off-road vehicle. The front and rear suspensions are attached to the frame. The vehicle further comprises an engine and drivetrain. In some examples, the drivetrain includes a CVT (continuously variable transmission). Further, in some examples, the vehicle is 4-wheel drive. In some examples, however, the vehicle is 2-wheel drive, for example having rear ground engaging members that are driven and front ground engaging members that are not driven by a prime mover (e.g., engine).
• In some examples, the vehicle has one or more removable frame portions, for example a lower front frame portion. In some examples, a rear frame portion is removable. In some examples, removable frame portions are subframes. The removable frame portions can be configured to permit a user or mechanic to replace or work on a component or a set of components of the vehicle without having to incur significant time or effort to access the component or components.
• In some examples, the vehicle suspension comprises a rear trailing arm suspension and a front A-arm suspension. The front suspension can include a spring attached to a lower A-arm. The front suspension can further include a shock attached to the lower A-arm. In some examples, the spring and shock attached to the lower A-arm and are configured in a coil-over configuration.
• In some examples, the vehicle includes a front lower subframe or front cradle that is removably attached to the frame, for example by fasteners such as nuts and bolts. In turn, the front lower subframe can be detached from the frame quickly. Further, in some examples, removal of the front cradle permits the front differential to be removed from the vehicle in conjunction with the front cradle. In some examples, the steering rack is also attached to the front cradle such that the steering rack can be removed with the front lower subframe.
• In some examples, the vehicle includes a rear subframe that is removably attached to the frame, for example by fasteners such as bolts and nuts. In some examples, the nuts are nut plates. Additionally, bolts can be threaded into threaded portions of structure. In some embodiments, the rear subframe is removed to permit easy access to a rear bulkhead, which is positioned forwardly of the rear of the rear subframe.
• In some examples, the rear subframe is attached to a rear portion of the frame. The rear portion of the frame is located under an engine cradle and the engine and CVT are attached to the cradle. In some examples, the cradle is attached to the frame and the rear subframe with fasteners (e.g., bolts) such that the rear drive (e.g., rear differential) and engine can be removed with the cradle.
• In some examples, the rear subframe includes a bulkhead. In some examples, the bulkhead is located rearwardly of the engine and the engine is located rearwardly of the passenger compartment. In some examples of the vehicle, the rear drive (e.g., rear differential) and engine can be removed in a modular fashion with the cradle and a bulkhead; upon removal of the engine and rear drive assembly, the rear suspension remains largely intact and attached to the frame. In some embodiments, removal of the cradle, bulkhead, engine, transmission, and rear drive can be removed in a modular fashion.
• With regard toFIGS. 1 and 2, a first example of a vehicle is shown. The vehicle includes a rear trailing arm suspension and a front A-arm suspension. As shown, the rear suspension includes upper and lower trailing arms and the upper trailing arm has a larger cross-sectional area than the lower trailing arm at a given position along the length of the vehicle. Additionally, the upper trailing arm has a spring and shock attached thereto. The spring and shock (e.g., a coil-over) are coupled to a frame member of the vehicle. In some examples, the coil-over is coupled to a frame member behind the passenger compartment. In some examples, the lower trailing arm is coupled to a frame member forwardly of a rear of a seatback. In some examples, the upper trailing arm is coupled to a frame member forwardly of a rear of a seatback. In some examples, however, one or both of the upper trailing arm and lower trailing arm is coupled to a frame member rearward of the rear of the seatback. Further, in some examples, one or both of the upper trailing arm and lower trailing arm is coupled to a respective frame member in the same lateral position (along the length of the vehicle) as the rear of the seatback.
• As further illustrated inFIG. 1, the vehicle includes a roll-cage or roll-over protection system. The roll cage includes a plurality of roll cage disconnect locations. The roll cage disconnect locations permit removal of portions of the roll cage, for example to facilitate shipping of the vehicle.
• As further shown inFIG. 2, the rear suspension includes an upper rear link and a lower rear link. The upper and lower rear links are attached to a wheel hub, for example a rear of the wheel hub. In some examples, the upper and lower rear links extend rearwardly from their attach points on the vehicle frame. In some examples, the upper and lower rear links are co-planar, such that the upper rear link is parallel to the lower rear link. Stated differently, in some examples, a plane passes through the upper and lower rear links.
• With further regard to the front suspension, in some examples, the vehicle includes an upper A-arm, wherein the rear link of the upper A-arm is located forwardly of the shock and spring. The rear link of the upper A-arm can be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
• Turning toFIG. 3, the front suspension has upper and lower A-arms and a spring and a shock, for example in a “coil-over” configuration. As shown, the coil-over is attached to a lower A-arm of the front suspension. In some examples, the lower A-arm has a bend in order to increase ground clearance at the outer portion of the A-arm. In some examples, however, one or both of the links of the lower A-arm is straight and does not include a bend. In some examples, both of the lower A-arm links lie in a plane such that neither of the links has a bend when viewed from the front of the vehicle, as shown inFIG. 3. In some examples, one of the links of the lower A-arm has a bend while the other of the links is straight, when viewed from the front of the vehicle.
• With regard toFIG. 5, the rear of an example of a vehicle is shown. As will be appreciated, the frame attachment location of the rear spring/shock is at least half the total height of the vehicle. In some examples, the frame attachment location of the rear spring/shock is at least 60%, 70% the total height of the vehicle.
• With regard toFIG. 6, in some examples, the vehicle has a rear suspension having a front link disposed in front of the CV shaft. The front link can be attached to the wheel hub above or below the CV shaft. As shown inFIG. 7, however, the front link is attached to the hub below the CV shaft.
• In some examples, a radiator is disposed rearwardly of the passenger compartment; in some examples, the radiator is in front of the passenger compartment, for example situated above the front differential. In some examples, coolant runs through a portion of the tubular members of the frame, for example where the engine is located rearwardly of the passenger compartment and the radiator is located forwardly of the engine compartment. Alternatively, in some examples, the vehicle has tubes or passages through which the coolant flows in a circuit between the engine and radiator.
• An example of a rear suspension for a vehicle is further shown inFIGS. 14-17. As illustrated for example inFIG. 17, the spring and shock (e.g., coil-over) are coupled to the upper trailing arm along a line extending between the wheel center and the location at which the upper trailing arm attaches to the frame. In this way, torsional forces in the upper trailing are reduced when compared to a trailing arm having the spring pickup laterally offset from the line extending between the wheel center and the attachment location of the trailing arm.
• A second example of a rear suspension assembly is shown inFIG. 19. As illustrated, the rear suspension assembly ofFIG. 19 includes a coil-over that is attached to a wishbone trailing arm between parallel portions of the wishbone. In some examples, the wishbone trailing arm is universal such that it can be attached to the left side of the vehicle or flipped over and attached to the right side of the vehicle. Moreover, in some examples, the wishbone trailing arm includes an anti-roll bar pickup for attachment to an anti-roll bar. The anti-roll bar pickup can be placed along the length of the wishbone trailing arm at any desirable location.
• With regard toFIG. 19, the vehicle includes a driveshaft extending from the transmission (e.g., CVT) rearwardly of the passenger compartment to the front of the vehicle to drive the front ground engaging members (e.g., wheels). In some examples, the driveshaft has a driveline mount to rout the driveshaft through a center section of the vehicle between the right and left had sides (e.g., between a driver and passenger). The vehicle can include one or more driveline mounts which can be rigidly attached to the vehicle frame or, in some embodiments, can be mounted to the vehicle frame via damping members, such as rubberized inserts which can act to reduce the transmission of vibration from the driveline into the frame. In some examples, at least one driveline mounts is located along the centerline of the vehicle.
• As further shown inFIG. 19, an example of a wishbone trailing arm is shown. The camber of the wishbone trailing arm can be adjusted by moving the adjuster, which can be any member that lengths or shortens, as desired. In some examples, the adjuster is a turnbuckle. In some examples, the adjuster can be a linear actuator or motor which is attached to a threaded barrel. In this way, the adjuster can be adjusted by the operator of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle. For example, the operator can adjust the wishbone suspension (e.g., camber) dynamically while the vehicle is in motion by flipping a switch in the passenger compartment. The adjuster can be moved in a first direction with a toggle switch attached to the linear actuator or a DC motor, this causing the adjuster to move in the first direction. To move the adjuster in the reverse direction, the operator can flip the toggle switch in an opposite direction to move the adjuster in an opposite direction. Such an adjuster may be particularly useful in a race application where the driver desires to adjust the performance characteristics of the vehicle without having to stop in a pit-stop, for example, and manually adjust the adjuster.
• In some examples, the wishbone trailing arm includes two arms which meet at their distal end to form the wishbone. Each of the arms has an independent proximal end. In some examples, each of the proximal ends has a spherical bearing. An example of a spherical bearing being attached to an inboard arm of the wishbone trailing arm is shown inFIG. 28. One of the spherical bearings, for example of the inboard arm of the wishbone trailing arm is coupled to the adjuster, for example with a bolt. In some examples, the outboard arm of the wishbone suspension is coupled to the frame via a spherical bearing. In some examples, one or both of the spherical bearings are heim joints.
• FIGS. 7 and 8 show an example of a vehicle having a prime mover (e.g., engine) mounted behind the passenger compartment. The prime mover can be of any suitable configuration, for example it can be an inline3 cylinder gasoline engine. In some examples, the engine has a turbocharger with our without an intercooler. The intercooler can be an air-to-air intercooler or it can be a water-to-air intercooler. Additionally, the engine can have a mechanically driven supercharger, for example a belt driven blower, roots blower, centrifugal supercharger, screw-type supercharger, or any other suitable supercharger or turbocharger.
• FIGS. 9-11 show additional views of the vehicle.
• With regard toFIG. 13, a portion of a rear end of a vehicle is shown. In some examples, the vehicle includes an engine and transmission assembly with a cradle extending underneath the engine and attaching to both the engine and transmission.
• With regard toFIG. 21, an example of a vehicle is shown. As illustrated, the rear subframe can be removed from the frame to expose the rear bulkhead. In some examples, the top portion of the rear subframe extends upwardly to a height that is higher than the transmission (e.g., CVT). In some examples, the top portion of the rear subframe extends upwardly to a height that is higher than the top of the engine camshaft(s). In some examples, the top portion of the rear subframe extends upwardly to a height that is higher than the top of the engine. In some example, the top portion of the rear subframe is lower than the upper attachment location of the rear spring.
• In some examples, the transmission is attached to the rear bulkhead. An engine cradle is attached to both the engine and the transmission. In some examples, the engine cradle attaches to both the front and rear of the engine, for example with vibration isolating mounts (e.g., elastomeric mounts for example having a rubber or rubberized material). The engine cradle is formed, at least in part, from tubular material such as steel which is bent into a u-shape to form the cradle. The engine cradle has left and right tubes that extend underneath the engine. In some examples, the engine cradle is part of an engine cradle assembly and it attaches to the transmission, for example a front of the transmission. In some examples, the rear of the transmission is attached to the frame, for example via vibration isolating mounts (e.g., elastomeric or rubberized mounts). In some examples, the rear of the transmission (e.g., transaxle) is attached to a bulkhead (e.g.,FIG. 26), for example with vibration isolating mounts. In some examples, however, the rear of the transmission is attached to a portion of the main frame (e.g.,FIG. 11), for example via a vibration isolating mount and a fattener (e.g., bolt and nut).
• In another example, as inFIGS. 21-25, the vehicle comprises a modular frame, having a removable front frame portion. In some examples, the front frame portion can be dropped from the remainder of the frame in order to quickly remove the steering rack and front suspension as a module. Further, the front differential can also be attached to the removable front frame portion such that the front differential can be removed from the vehicle as part of the removable front frame modular assembly. Further, in some examples, the lower A-arms are rotatably attached to the removable front frame. Thus, the lower A-arms can be removed as part of the modular assembly. In order to remove the front frame portion and assembly, in some examples, one or more bolts are removed from the front of the frame and removable front frame portion; the bolts are used to couple the lower front frame assembly to the frame. Additionally, in order to remove the lower front frame portion from the frame, bolts attaching the lower front frame portion and the frame are removed from an area in front of the passenger compartment but rearwardly of the front CV shafts. Further, the upper A-arms can be attached to a portion of the frame; removal of the upper A-arms can be accomplished by removing bolts attaching the upper A-arms to the frame. In some examples, the front differential is a stressed member, meaning that substantial forces of the front suspension are transferred through the front differential.
• As shown inFIGS. 21 and 22, in some examples, the vehicle includes a rear subframe that is removable from the vehicle to access the rear bulkhead, engine, transmission, and area behind the passenger compartment. Upon removal of the rear subframe, the mechanic, for example, can easily access the rear bulkhead. The rear bulkhead, in turn, is coupled to the transmission. Therefore, the transmission and engine can be removed along with the bulkhead as they are coupled together via the cradle.
• In some examples, the engine has a wet sump. In some examples, the engine has a dry sump. The oil tank for the dry sump can be located between the engine and transmission, for example. In some examples, the oil tank is part of the cradle assembly such that it is removed with the engine and transmission without having to disconnect any oil lines or oil fittings. In some examples, the radiator is part of the cradle assembly such that it is removed with the engine and transmission without having to disconnect any coolant lines or coolant fittings. This modularity permits a mechanic to easily work on the engine, transmission, cooling, and oiling system outside of the vehicle without having to disconnect fluid lines. In a racing application, this can save time in pit stops, for example.
• With regard toFIG. 23, in some examples, the frame includes tubular members through which coolant for the engine and radiator flows. Coolant flows in one direction through one of the coolant flow members and in the opposite direction through the other of the coolant flow members in order to create a coolant circuit. The coolant routing members can also serve a structural purpose for the frame. Such coolant routing members can be utilized where the engine is behind the passenger compartment and the radiator is in front of the passenger compartment, for example.
• In some examples, the vehicle utilizes the same coil-over spring and shock combination with both the front and rear suspensions. In some examples, however, the front coil-over spring and shock combination is different than the rear spring and shock combination. For example, the front suspension may not have the same travel as the rear. In some examples, however, the spring and shock combination in the front has a greater travel than that of the rear suspension.
• In some examples, the vehicle is less than 70″; in some examples, less than 68″, 66″, 64″, 62″, and in some examples, less than 60″.
• In some examples, the front CV shaft length is less than 30″, less than 29″, 28″, 27″, 26″, 25″, 24″, 23″, 22″. In some examples, the front CV shaft is 24″. In some examples, the front CV shaft can move 4.5″ (e.g., the “plunge”) due to the depth of the CV joint housing.
• Those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments and examples disclosed herein are not limited to the variations or figures described. The present disclosure is to be understood as not limited by the specific embodiments described herein.
• Returning toFIG. 1, in some examples, an off-road vehicle10 comprises aframe12. Theframe12 includes a plurality offrame members14 which are arranged to surround the occupant or occupants of the off-road vehicle10. In some examples, theframe members14 have circular cross-sections, however, other cross sections are also suitable, such as rectangular, square, etc. Theframe members14 may further have a profiled cross-section to allow mating of a door frame or window against the frame member.
• As shown inFIGS. 2 and 4, some examples of theframe12 have a plurality ofrear frame members16,18, including an upperrear frame member18 and a lower rear frame member16. In some examples, the rear most portion of the upper and lowerrear frame members16,18 lie on a commonvertical plane20 that is orthogonal to thelongitudinal axis22 of the off-road vehicle10, as shown inFIG. 4. Further, in some examples, theframe12 has a plurality of generally longitudinally extending frame members, including a lower generally longitudinally extendingframe member24 and an upper generally longitudinally extendingframe member26. In some examples, at least portions of the generally longitudinally extendingframe members24,26 are parallel to one another when viewed from the side. When viewed from above, however, in some examples, the generally longitudinally extendingframe members24,26 are non-parallel, as shown inFIG. 6. In some examples, a portion of the rear spring andshock assembly28 extends between the lower generally longitudinally extendingframe member24 and upper generally longitudinally extendingframe member26.
• As further shown inFIG. 4, in some examples, theframe12 further includes a rear upperangled frame member30 and rear lowerangled frame member32. When viewed form the side, as inFIG. 4, in some examples, the rear upperangled frame member30 and rear lowerangled frame member32 appear parallel.
• In some examples, theframe12 includes a roll-over protection structure (ROPS)34. In some examples, the ROPS is wider at its base than at the top of the vehicle, for example as shown inFIG. 6. In some examples, the ROPS attaches to the remainder of theframe12 at a plurality ofdisconnects36, as illustrated inFIG. 4. In some examples, thedisconnects36 are formed from cast members that are welded toadjacent frame members14. Further, as shown inFIG. 9, in some examples, the disconnects36amatingly fit with adjacent disconnects36bto facilitate secure attachment of therelevant frame members14. In some examples, the disconnects36aand36bare attached to one another via bolts or other fasteners.
• In some examples, the off-road vehicle10 has a plurality of frame members having a wall thickness of 0.065″, 0.072″, 0.083″, 0.095″, 0.109″. Other suitable wall thicknesses can also be used.
• With regard toFIG. 6, in some examples, the off-road vehicle10 includes arear suspension assembly38. As shown in greater detail inFIGS. 14-17, therear suspension assembly38 includes a leftrear suspension assembly40 and a right rear suspension assembly42. In at least some examples, each of the leftrear suspension assembly40 and right rear suspension assembly42 comprises a lowerrear link44 and an upper rear link46. In some examples, one or both of the lower and upperrear links44,46 include a notched or bent portion48 to permit clearance for theground engaging member50, as shown inFIG. 14. In some examples, one or both of the lower and upperrear links44,46 are formed from sheet metal such as sheet steel. In some examples, the lower and upperrear links44,46 are formed from a corrugated sheet steel material which provides increased strength as compared to non-corrugated material. The lower and upperrear links44,46 may alternatively be referred to as trailing arms or trailing links. In some examples, one or both of the lower and upperrear links44,46 extend rearwardly from a portion of theframe12 rearwardly of the operator area. In some examples, the lower and upperrear links44,46 are attached to a portion of theframe12 via a universal style joint permitting the lower and upperrear links44,46 to move along an arc58 (FIG. 15) governed, in-part, by thelateral links52,54,56, as introduced below.
• In some examples, each of the leftrear suspension assembly40 and right rear suspension assembly42 further includes one or morelateral links52,54,56, as shown by way of example inFIG. 14. In some examples, one or more of thelateral links52,54,56 are attached to a wheel hub60 via pivots62. As illustrated inFIG. 15, in some examples, thelateral links52,54,56 extend rearwardly from the frame (not shown inFIG. 15) to the wheel hub60.
• As further illustrated inFIG. 17, which shows a top-down view, in some examples, the coil-overspring68 is attached to the upper rear link46 on aline64 that extends between the attachment location of the upper rear link46 to the frame (not shown inFIG. 17) and the center of the ground engaging member'scontact patch66. As shown inFIG. 16, in some examples, the coil-over68 is attached to the upper rear link46 via a bracket70. In some examples, the coil-over68 is attached to the bracket70 in a double shear configuration, as illustrated inFIG. 14. In some examples, the coil-over68 can include adjustments one or more of the spring and shock settings. By way of example, a stop on the spring can be adjusted; further, the shock can be adjusted to impact the damping characteristics of the shock.
• Returning toFIG. 3, the off-road vehicle10 further includes a front suspension assembly72, which includes left and rightfront suspension assemblies74,76, respectively. In some examples, the leftfront suspension assembly74 is a mirror image of the rightfront suspension assembly76. In some examples, each of the left and rightfront suspension assemblies74,76 includes alower A-arm78 and an upper A-arm80. Located intermediate the upper and lower A-arms80,78 is a half-shaft82, which drives the frontground engaging member50. In some examples, thelower A-arm78 has a spring and shock (e.g., coil-over68) pivotably attached thereto. As illustrated inFIG. 6, in some examples, the spring and shock are located rearwardly of the half-shaft82. As further shown inFIG. 6, asteering link84 can be located forwardly of the half-shaft82, however, other configurations are also permissible.
• With regard toFIG. 7, in some examples, the off-road vehicle10 further comprises a prime mover86 (e.g., engine, electric motor, hybrid motor, etc.) and aCVT88.
• Turning toFIG. 11, in some examples, the off-road vehicle10 includes a transaxle90 and adrive shaft92. In some examples, at least a portion of thedrive shaft92 extends forwardly from the transaxle90. In some examples, a portion of thedrive shaft92 extends under theprime mover86. In some examples, the prime mover is a three-cylinder engine having a dry-sump oiling system, as shown inFIG. 21, including aremote oil tank122.
• With regard toFIG. 12, in some examples, thelower A-arm78 is pivotably attached to theframe12 vialower attachment tabs94. Further, the upper A-arm80 is pivotable attached to theframe12 viaupper attachment tabs96.
• A front differential98 drives the frontground engaging members50 viadrive shaft92. The front differential98 can be of any suitable variety, for example a manually locking differential, automatically locking differential, air locker, limited slip, hydraulically actuated limited slip differential, etc.
• With regard toFIG. 18, in some examples, theframe12 has a front subframe100. In some examples, the front differential98 is attached to the front subframe100 such that upon removal of subframe fasteners102 andfasteners104 attaching the front differential98 to the main portion of theframe12, the front differential98 can be removed with the front subframe100.
• Turning toFIG. 19, in some examples, therear suspension assembly38 comprises awishbone trailing arm106. In some examples, thewishbone trailing arm106 is pivotably attached to theframe12. In some examples, thewishbone trailing arm106 is pivotably attached to theframe12 via one or morespherical bearings108. In some examples, thewishbone trailing arm106 is attached to the frame via a spherical bearing108 (FIG. 28) coupled to anadjuster110. Theadjuster110 can be adjusted upwardly or downwardly as illustrated viaarrow112 in order to adjust the camber profile of the ground engaging member (not shown inFIG. 19). In some examples, theadjuster110 is a turnbuckle, linear actuator, or rotary actuator that can be adjusted either manually when the vehicle is stopped or dynamically, e.g., from inside the operator compartment via a switch, when the vehicle is in operation.
• As shown in greater detail inFIG. 20, thewishbone trailing arm106 includes two adjacent arms along a portion of its length. As will be appreciated, theadjuster110 is coupled, in some embodiments, to the inside arm of thewishbone trailing arm106, for example viamount114, which, in some examples, forms a bell crank. In some examples, thewishbone trailing arm106 further includes awheel bearing116.
• Turning toFIG. 21, in some examples, theframe12 of off-road vehicle10 has a removablerear subframe118. In some examples, therear subframe118 includes arear bulkhead120. Therear subframe118 can be removed from the main portion of theframe12 atrear disconnects136, which, in at least some examples, have a structure similar to those ofdisconnects36 and, further, upon removal offasteners124, which attach the lowerrear subframe members126 to a portion offrame12. Upon removal of therear subframe118, therear drive assembly128 can be removed from theframe12 by removingfasteners130 from theframe12 and by uncoupling theprime mover86 from its attachment location132 (FIG. 22) on theframe12. In some examples, thefasteners130 are bolts extending through a portion of therear bulkhead120 to attach therear bulkhead120 to theframe12. In some examples, therear subframe118 cam be removed from theframe12 via eight, six, four, or even fewer fasteners (e.g., bolts); further, in some examples, therear drive assembly128 can be removed from theframe12, along withrear bulkhead120, with the removal offasteners130 and fastener orfasteners134. In some examples therear bulkhead120 is attached to the transaxle90, for example via a plurality of fasteners.
• With further regard toFIG. 21, in some examples, the prime mover86 (e.g., engine) has anair filter138 attached thereto. In some examples, theair filter138 is fluidly coupled to theprime mover86 by way of intake runners140. Further, in some examples, the off-road vehicle10 includes aradiator142 located rearwardly of the passenger compartment and forwardly of theprime mover86. In some embodiments, however, as shown inFIG. 27, for example, theradiator142 is located forwardly of the operator area.
• With regard toFIG. 22, an example of theframe12 is shown with therear drive assembly128 removed from the off-road vehicle10. As illustrated, in some examples, therear frame12 includes ahorizontal frame member144 through which the torsion portion of an anti-roll bar146 (FIG. 21) can be inserted. In some examples, theanti-roll bar146 includes a torsion portion having splines onto which links can be added to attach to the rear suspension, as shown for example inFIG. 21. In some examples, however, theanti-roll bar146 is formed from a single piece of material that is bent at the ends thereof.
• Turning toFIGS. 23 and 24, in some examples, the off-road vehicle10 includes aframe12 and a removable front subframe100. In some examples, the front subframe100 can be removed from theframe12 by removal offasteners148 and150 which, in some examples, are bolts/nuts securing the removable front subframe100 to theframe12. In some examples, the front differential98 is attached to the removable front subframe100 and also to theframe12. Moreover, in some examples, suspension loads (e.g., transferred through the A-arms) are transferred through the differential case148. In this way, in some examples, the differential case148 acts as a structural member, resulting in the elimination of frame members (e.g., tubes) and, consequently, a lighter frame12 (and overall off-road vehicle10). In some examples. The front subframe100 is attached to theframe12 via a channel162 andprotrusion164; theprotrusion164 can be inserted into the channel162.
• In some examples, the off-road vehicle10 further includes asteering shaft150 and a steering rack152. In some examples, the steering rack152 is a rack-and-pinion having a progressive steering ratio. In some examples, the off-road vehicle10 includes electric power steering (EPS), as shown viaEPS unit154 inFIG. 1.
• In some examples, for example where the radiator is located forwardly of the operator area, theframe12 includes coolant lines156. In some examples, thecoolant lines156 double as structural members. In some examples, thecoolant lines156 include “exit” and “return” lines and associatedports158,160.
• As further shown inFIG. 24, theframe12 is shown in an embodiment thereof, with the front subframe100 andrear subframe118 removed. In some examples, the off-road vehicle10 includes one or more grab handles166.
• Turning toFIG. 25, in some examples, theframe12 includes frame members forming an inverted “V”168 angling downwardly along a forward portion of the operator area. In some examples, the frame members forming the inverted V include disconnects to permit removal (e.g., for shipping) of the ROPS structure. In some examples, theframe12 includes tabs170 for attachment of therear bulkhead120 to theframe12.
• With regard toFIG. 26, an embodiment of arear drive assembly128 is shown attached tobulkhead120. As illustrated, in some examples, therear drive assembly128 can be removed from theframe12 along withremote oil tank122. As further shown, in some examples, a U-shaped member is coupled to a front of theengine174 and a rear of the engine176. In some examples, the U-shaped member is coupled to the transaxle90, for example with aspacer member178.
• As shown now inFIG. 27, in some examples, the off-road vehicle10 further includes front spring andshock68 attached to a suspension bracket180. In some examples, the suspension bracket180 is formed from sheet metal (e.g., sheet steel) such that both left and right coil-overs are pivotably attached to a common suspension bracket180.
• With regard toFIG. 28, a detailed view of aninner arm portion182 of thewishbone trailing arm106 is shown in exploded view. As illustrated, in some examples, the inner arm portion has aspherical bearing184. Thespherical bearing184 is attached to the mount114 (FIG. 20) viaspacers186 and a fastener188 (e.g., nut and bolt).
• In some examples, the off-road vehicle10 has two side-by-side seats. In some the off-road vehicle10 has two or more rows of side-by-side seats.
• The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b), to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description as examples or embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims (20)

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle frame;

a front subframe and a rear subframe, wherein the front subframe and the rear subframe are removable from the vehicle frame;

a rear bulkhead, the rear bulkhead forwardly of the rear of the rear subframe; an engine, the engine being transverse to the longitude of the vehicle;

and a wishbone trailing arm suspension.

2. The vehicle ofclaim 1, further comprising a front differential.

3. The vehicle ofclaim 2, further comprising a rear differential.

4. The vehicle ofclaim 1, further comprising a rear cradle, the rear cradle suspending the engine above a lower frame members.

5. The vehicle ofclaim 4, wherein the rear cradle suspends the engine above a portion of the rear subframe.

6. The vehicle ofclaim 5, further comprising a transmission.

7. The vehicle ofclaim 6, wherein the rear bulkhead is coupled to the transmission.

8. The vehicle ofclaim 7, wherein the engine, transmission, bulkhead are removable from the vehicle as a first assembly.

9. The vehicle ofclaim 8, further comprising an oil tank that is remote from the engine.

10. The vehicle ofclaim 9, wherein the oil tank is removable as part of the first assembly without disconnecting oil lines.

11. The vehicle ofclaim 10, further comprising a radiator, wherein the radiator is removable as part of the first assembly without disconnecting coolant lines.

12. The vehicle ofclaim 1, wherein the wishbone trailing arm suspension attaches to the frame at two locations.

13. The vehicle ofclaim 1, wherein the wishbone trailing arm suspension is coupled to the frame via an adjuster, the adjuster configured to dynamically adjust camber angle during operation of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle ofclaim 13, wherein the adjuster comprises an actuator.

15. An off-road vehicle comprising:

a main frame;

a front suspension pivotably coupled to the main frame;

a rear suspension pivotably coupled to the main frame, the rear suspension comprising a first trailing arm and a second trailing arm, the first and second trailing arms being generally parallel to one another, the first trailing arm being above the second trailing arm, wherein the first trailing arm has a greater cross-sectional area than the second trailing arm.

16. The off-road vehicle ofclaim 15 further comprising a plurality of lateral links and a wheel hub, the later links coupled to the main frame and the wheel hub, wherein the lateral links extend laterally and rearwardly.

17. The off-road vehicle ofclaim 15 further comprising a dry sump oiling system.

18. An off-road vehicle comprising:

a frame, the frame comprising a plurality of tubular frame members, including a upper rear frame member and lower rear frame member, the upper and lower rear frame members each having a portion thereof extending laterally, wherein the rear most portion of the lower rear frame member and the rear most portion of the upper rear frame member lie on a common plane that is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the off-road vehicle.

19. The off-road vehicle ofclaim 18 further comprising a 5-link rear suspension.

20. The off-road vehicle ofclaim 19 further comprising a coil-over shock and an A-arm front suspension including a lower A-arm member and an upper A-arm member, the coil over shock being pivotally attached to the lower A-arm.

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