Vehicle brake assembly and method of installation

• US 5,398,999 A
• Filed: 03/01/1993
• Issued: 03/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Co. (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Kelsey-Hayes Co. (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Last, Larry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stormer, Russell D.
• Application Number:
  US08/024,982
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 301/6.1, 301/6.6, 301/6.8, 301/105.1, 188/106 A, 188/361, 188/362, 29/469
• US Class Current: 301/6.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/067 employing drum B60T1/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2051/003 Brake supports

Abstract

A method of installing a vehicle spindle and brake assembly on a vehicle component. First, the spindle and brake assembly are "preassembled" into a complete brake unit. The preassembled spindle and brake assembly includes a spindle, a rotatable component, a bearing member for supporting the rotatable component relative to the spindle, and a brake mounting plate secured to the spindle and adapted to support brake friction pads. The preassembled spindle and brake assembly further includes a plurality of inwardly extending vehicle mounting lugs carried by the spindle, and a plurality of outwardly extending wheel mounting lugs carried by the rotatable component. Next, the preassembled spindle and brake assembly is positioned on a vehicle component such that the vehicle mounting lugs extend through a plurality of corresponding lug receiving apertures formed in the vehicle component. The preassembled spindle and brake assembly can then be secured relative to the vehicle component. In order to accomplish this method, an improved spindle and brake assembly is needed, wherein the plurality of vehicle mounting lugs are secured relative to the spindle prior to installing the preassembled spindle and brake assembly on the vehicle component.

Claims

1. A method of installing a vehicle spindle and brake assembly on a vehicle component comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a spindle and brake assembly including a spindle, bearing means carried by said spindle, a rotatable component supported relative to said spindle by said bearing means, a plurality of vehicle mounting lugs adapted to extend through a plurality of lug receiving apertures formed in a vehicle component and be secured thereto by a plurality of lug nuts, a plurality of wheel mounting lugs carried by said rotatable component, and means carried by said spindle for securing said plurality of vehicle mounting lugs to said spindle to maintain said vehicle mounting lugs in a predetermined orientation such that said spindle and brake assembly can be installed on the vehicle component;

(b) subsequent to step (a), positioning the spindle and brake assembly on the vehicle component such that said vehicle mounting lugs extend through said plurality of lug receiving apertures formed in the vehicle component; and

(c) securing the spindle and brake assembly to the vehicle component.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the spindle and brake assembly of step (a) includes brake friction pads supported relative to said spindle, and said rotatable component includes an annular surface engageable by the brake friction pads.

3. A vehicle spindle and brake assembly comprising:

a spindle;

bearing means carried by said spindle;

brake friction pads supported relative to said spindle;

a rotatable brake component supported relative to said spindle by said bearing means and having an annular surface engageable by said brake friction pads;

a plurality of wheel mounting lugs carried by said rotatable component;

a plurality of vehicle mounting lugs adapted to extend through a plurality of lug receiving apertures formed in a vehicle component and be secured thereto by a plurality of lug nuts; and

means carried by said spindle for securing said plurality of vehicle mounting lugs to said spindle to maintain said vehicle mounting lugs in a predetermined orientation such that said spindle and brake assembly can be installed on the vehicle component.