US-12617461-B2 - Rear steer knuckles for off-road vehicles

Abstract

A steering and suspension system for an off-road vehicle includes a steering rack assembly and a tie rod, the inboard end of the tie rod coupled to the steering rack assembly. The steering and suspension system includes a knuckle having a top side defining an upper control arm connector arm and an aft side defining a tie rod connector arm, the tie rod connector arm having a distal end coupled to the outboard end of the tie rod. The steering and suspension system also includes an upper control arm having an outboard end coupled to the upper control arm connector arm. The distal end of the tie rod connector arm is positioned such that the tie rod has substantially the same elevation as the upper control arm.

Inventors

• Brent Thomas Gilge
• Todd Ethan MacDonald

Assignees

• ARCTIC CAT INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20250318

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A steering and suspension system for an off-road vehicle, the steering and suspension system comprising: a steering rack assembly; a tie rod having inboard and outboard ends, the inboard end of the tie rod coupled to the steering rack assembly; a knuckle having a top side defining an upper control arm connector arm having a distal end forming an upper control arm clevis with leading and trailing prongs and an aft side defining a tie rod connector arm having a distal end forming a tie rod clevis with top and bottom prongs, the outboard end of the tie rod coupled between the top and bottom prongs, the knuckle having a support webbing extending aftward from the trailing prong of the upper control arm clevis to the tie rod connector arm outboard of the tie rod clevis; and an upper control arm having an outboard end coupled between the leading and trailing prongs; wherein, the distal end of the tie rod connector arm is positioned such that the tie rod has a substantially same elevation as the upper control arm.
2. 2 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 1 wherein, the knuckle has a bottom side defining a lower control arm connector arm, the tie rod connector arm positioned closer to the upper control arm connector arm than the lower control arm connector arm.
3. 3 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 1 wherein, the support webbing is configured to provide structural support to the tie rod connector arm.
4. 4 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 1 wherein, the distal end of the tie rod connector arm is positioned such that the tie rod is substantially parallel with the upper control arm.
5. 5 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 1 wherein, the distal end of the tie rod connector arm is positioned such that the inboard end of the tie rod has a higher elevation than the outboard end of the tie rod forming a first slope; wherein, an inboard end of the upper control arm has a higher elevation than the outboard end of the upper control arm forming a second slope; and wherein, the first slope is substantially equal to the second slope.
6. 6 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 1 wherein, the tie rod connector arm comprises a proximal segment protruding in an upward and aft direction and a distal segment protruding in an inboard direction.
7. 7 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 6 wherein, the tie rod connector arm further comprises an intermediate twisting segment between the proximal and distal segments of the tie rod connector arm.
8. 8 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a bolt having a top end coupled to the top prong of the tie rod clevis and a bottom end coupled to the bottom prong of the tie rod clevis.
9. 9 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 8 wherein, the outboard end of the tie rod is coupled between the top and bottom prongs via a spherical joint including a ball swivel and an annular casing, the ball swivel secured between the top and bottom prongs of the tie rod clevis by the bolt, the annular casing defined by the outboard end of the tie rod.
10. 10 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 1 wherein, the tie rod clevis has a substantially same elevation as the upper control arm clevis.
11. 11 . The steering and suspension system as recited in claim 1 wherein, the upper control arm comprises an A-arm.
12. 12 . An off-road vehicle comprising: a frame assembly including a front frame assembly; and a steering and suspension system supported by the front frame assembly, the steering and suspension system comprising: a steering rack assembly; a tie rod having inboard and outboard ends, the inboard end of the tie rod coupled to the steering rack assembly; a knuckle having a top side defining an upper control arm connector arm having a distal end forming an upper control arm clevis with leading and trailing prongs and an aft side defining a tie rod connector arm having a distal end forming a tie rod clevis with top and bottom prongs, the outboard end of the tie rod coupled between the top and bottom prongs, the knuckle having a support webbing extending aftward from the trailing prong of the upper control arm clevis to the tie rod connector arm outboard of the tie rod clevis; and an upper control arm having an outboard end coupled between the leading and trailing prongs; wherein, the distal end of the tie rod connector arm is positioned such that the tie rod has a substantially same elevation as the upper control arm.
13. 13 . The off-road vehicle as recited in claim 12 wherein, the knuckle comprises a center annulus defining a center hub aperture, the distal end of the tie rod connector arm positioned aft and inboard of the center annulus.
14. 14 . The off-road vehicle as recited in claim 13 wherein, the distal end of the tie rod connector arm has a higher elevation than the center annulus.
15. 15 . The off-road vehicle as recited in claim 13 wherein, the tie rod connector arm protrudes from an upper aft diagonal corner of the center annulus.
16. 16 . The off-road vehicle as recited in claim 13 wherein, the tie rod connector arm protrudes from an aft surface of the center annulus; wherein, the top and bottom prongs point in an inboard direction; and wherein, the tie rod connector arm has a curved profile twisting substantially ninety degrees from the aft surface of the center annulus to the inboard direction of the top and bottom prongs.
17. 17 . The off-road vehicle as recited in claim 13 further comprising a half shaft having inboard and outboard ends, the center hub aperture receiving the outboard end of the half shaft.
18. 18 . The off-road vehicle as recited in claim 17 wherein, the distal end of the tie rod connector arm is positioned such that the inboard end of the tie rod has a higher elevation than the outboard end of the tie rod forming a first slope; wherein, the inboard end of the half shaft has a higher elevation than the outboard end of the half shaft forming a second slope; and wherein, the first slope is substantially equal to the second slope.
19. 19 . The off-road vehicle as recited in claim 17 wherein, the distal end of the tie rod connector arm has a higher elevation than the outboard end of the half shaft.
20. 20 . The off-road vehicle as recited in claim 12 wherein, the tie rod connector arm comprises a proximal segment protruding in an upward and aft direction, a distal segment protruding in an inboard direction and an intermediate twisting segment between the proximal and distal segments of the tie rod connector arm.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/572,125, filed Mar. 29, 2024 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/572,137, filed Mar. 29, 2024, the entire contents of each are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates, in general, to steering systems for off-road vehicles and in particular, to front knuckles coupled to the steering system of an off-road vehicle, each knuckle defining a tie rod connector arm protruding from the aft side of the knuckle, the distal end of the tie rod connector arm coupled to the outboard end of the tie rod to elevate the tie rod in a rear steer configuration. BACKGROUND Off-road vehicles are popular land vehicles used to transport people, cargo and accessories. Off-road vehicles include all-terrain vehicles (ATV), light utility vehicles (LUV), side-by-side vehicles (SxS), utility-terrain vehicles (UTV), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROV) and multipurpose off-highway utility vehicles (MOHUV), to name a few. Certain off-road vehicles are primarily designed for utility applications and may offer high ground clearance, low gear ratios for towing, racks for hauling large loads, large cargo boxes and/or high payload capacity. Other off-road vehicles are primarily designed for recreational or sport applications and may offer high performance engines as well as safety features including rollover protection, hard tops, windshields and/or cab enclosure features such as body panels that restrict occupant egress in the event of a rollover. While some off-road vehicles have handlebar steering and motorcycle-style straddle seating, many off-road vehicles utilize automobile-style controls such as a steering wheel and foot pedals, and have side-by-side seating for the occupants. Off-road vehicles commonly have front and/or rear suspensions including shock absorbers that damp vibrations and reduce the rocking and swaying experience of the occupants making such off-road vehicles suitable for travel over a diversity of terrains, in various conditions and at an array of speeds. The various systems of off-road vehicles are supported by a frame assembly, which includes a forward frame assembly at the front of the off-road vehicle, a middle frame assembly at least partially defining an occupant seating area and an aft frame assembly at the rear of the off-road vehicle. The forward frame assembly provides structural support for systems positioned at the front of the off-road vehicle such as the front suspension, the steering system and certain drivetrain components, each of which may be coupled to the forward frame assembly. Current front suspension systems utilize left and right shock absorbers positioned at a shallow orientation angle relative to a horizontal reference plane, thereby decreasing leverage on the spring and failing to take full advantage of the spring rate of the shock absorbers. At a shallow orientation angle, the front suspension may require stiffer and heavier shock absorbers, adding to the weight and expense of the vehicle. Current front suspension systems may also have kingpin axes that fail to provide adequate stability for the off-road vehicle for a wide range of tire sizes. One accessory often located on the front end of an off-road vehicle is a winch assembly, which includes a winch and a fairlead to guide the winch cable. Winches installed on current off-road vehicles are integrated with the front bumper. For example, winches have been installed forward of the forward frame assembly and behind the front bumper such that the winch is sandwiched between the front bumper and the forward frame assembly and the fairlead is coupled to the front side of the front bumper. Additional components including a winch bracket are required to support the winch between the front bumper and the forward frame assembly, increasing the cost of parts for installation. In this existing configuration, the winch cannot be accessed for maintenance or replacement without removing numerous components on the front end of the off-road vehicle including the front bumper and winch bracket, resulting in additional installation time and labor costs. Also, replacing or repairing damage to the front bumper requires certain components of the winch assembly to be removed or replaced. In another current implementation, removable subframes have been fastened to the forward frame assembly and used to support a winch assembly, resulting in less desirable positioning and weaker structural support for the winch. Currently, winches are mounted such that the bolts retaining the winch are loaded in tension when the winch is in use, which contravenes the recommendations of certain winch manufacturers specifying that winch retaining bolts should be loaded in the shear direction. The lower front end of the forward frame assembly may be particularly susceptible to damage as the off-road v