Patent ID: 7467800

Claim:
The method of operating an all terrain vehicle having a driver supporting frame disposed about a vehicle axis, a steering mechanism, oppositely disposed right and left front wheels each rotatable with a hub about a wheel axis, the hub being rotatably mounted with a spindle supported, in turn, by upper and lower ball joints arranged in spaced adjacency and relatively positionable about the wheel axis to define zero caster, positive caster and negative caster, comprising the steps: providing a right front wheel suspension assembly pivotally mounted to said frame, extending generally transversely outwardly therefrom to connection with relatively moveable upper and lower ball joints at said right front wheel, actuateable in a positive sense to urge one or more of the ball joints supported thereby toward a positive caster orientation, and actuateable in a negative sense to urge the ball joints supported thereby toward a negative caster orientation; providing a left front wheel suspension assembly pivotally mounted to said frame, extending generally transversely outwardly therefrom to connection with relatively moveable upper and lower ball joints at said left front wheel, actuateable in a positive sense to urge the ball joints supported thereby toward a positive caster orientation, and actuateable in a negative sense to urge one or more of the ball joints supported thereby toward a negative caster orientation; actuating at least one said right and left front wheel suspension assemblies to effect the urging of the one or more ball joints supported thereby toward a negative caster orientation when said vehicle, while being driven, is entering or within a turn; and actuating at least one said right and left front wheel suspension assemblies to effect the urging of the one or more ball joints supported thereby toward a positive caster when said vehicle while being driven is entering or undergoing straightaway operation.