| 摘要 |
The auxiliary wheel assembly includes a transverse axle member extending below the vehicle frame members, either forwardly or rearwardly of the vehicle rear wheels, a king pin assembly on each of the outer end portions of the axle member, an auxiliary wheel rotatably mounted on each of the king pin assemblies for steering movement and a tie rod interconnecting the auxiliary wheels so they steer together. The axle member is carried on one end of a pair of laterally spaced arms, the other end of which is pivotally mounted on the vehicle frame member between an operating position and a retracted position. The axle member has a generally U-shape with a central portion and upwardly offset outer end portions carrying the king pin assemblies so that the axle member can be retracted to a location with the central portion immediately adjacent to and the rotational axis of the auxiliary wheels located above the bottom edges of the vehicle frame members to thereby provide above-the-ground clearance of 11-12 inches or more. In one embodiment, the auxiliary wheels are connected to the vehicle front wheels through a hydraulic actuation system which is arranged so that the auxiliary wheels are steered along with the vehicle front wheels.
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