An axle suspension with a unitary bracket attachable to a vehicle frame, the bracket having three sets of depending rails, between the first two of which a torque beam is pivoted with members at its other end for connection to an axle, and between the second and third rail sets a lift beam is pivoted to lie alongside the torque beam, the lift beam having members for connection to the axle; a hydraulic piston motor connected between the bracket and the lift beam; and a leaf spring bearing at one of its ends on the axle opposite to the piston motor; bearing at its middle on the bracket to receive vehicle load, and shackle members for supporting its other end.

A suspension assembly for a vehicle having front and rear axles. Front and rear hanger assemblies depending from the vehicle chassis. A free floating shackle assembly between the axles. A front leaf spring extending between the front hanger assembly and the shackle assembly and bearing downwardly on the front axle. A rear leaf spring extending between the shackle assembly and the rear axle and bearing upwardly against an elastomer main load pad in the rear hanger assembly. The rear leaf spring bears downwardly against the rear axle. Elastomeric load pad spacers are used to mount the leaf springs. A slide limiter mounted to an end of the rear leaf spring allows linear sliding within specified limits while retaining the leaf spring in a downwardly bearing relationship to the rear axle.

An equalized suspension system is provided for the truck of a truck-trailer combination of the tandem axle type. The suspension on each side of the vehicle includes independent semi-elliptic leaf springs mounted in tandem relationship one behind the other, and which are respectively connected at their midpoint to the forward and rearward axles. The remote ends of each spring are supported in rolling contact with respective roller assemblies housed by respective brackets which, in turn, are secured to the frame of the truck. An equalizer support bracket is provided between the adjacent ends of each pair of springs and an equalizer is pivotally supported within each equalizer support bracket. The adjacent ends of the springs are pivotally attached to shackles which, in turn, are pivotally mounted to the respective equalizers.

A mounting structure for vehicle suspensions for adjustably mounting first and second members of the suspension including a pin extending through aligned openings in the first and second members. The openings in one of these members are greater in at least one dimension than the pin which may be released from a locking condition to allow the pin to slide within the opening in the direction of its larger dimension producing movement of one of the members relative to the other for purposes of providing axle alignment, adjustment of axle load distribution, and the like. The movement or positioning of the pin and hence the one member relative to the other is produced at least in part through rotation of a shank extending through said first and second members and having an eccentric shank portion engaging one of said first and second members, the operative engagement of the eccentric portion of the shank producing movement of one member relative to the other with corresponding guided movement of the pin within the enlarged opening.

A suspension for tandem axles of a vehicle comprising a pair of walking beams, one for the right side and the other for the left side of the vehicle, each comprising a composite leaf spring comprising fibers embedded in a resin matrix, the fibers extending lengthwise of the spring.