Patent ID: 6883815

Claim:
An airport rescue fire fighting vehicle comprising; a support structure coupled to at least three wheel sets, and having a front end and a back end, wherein one of the wheel sets is coupled to the front end of the support structure and one wheel set is coupled to the back end of the support structure; a power source mounted on the support structure and coupled to at least one wheel set; a modular independent suspension coupled to each wheel; and a mechanical steering apparatus coupled to the front wheel set and at least one rear wheel set, with the mechanical steering apparatus configured to proportionately move the rear wheel set in linked relationship to the movement of the front wheel set to minimize tire scrub on the rear wheel set, wherein the mechanical steering apparatus includes: a steering wheel; a first parallel shaft gear box coupled to the steering wheel, a front master/slave steering gear set and an elongated rotary shaft; and a second parallel shaft gear box coupled to the elongated rotary shaft and coupled to a back master/slave steering gear set, wherein the front master/slave steering gear set is coupled to the front wheel set and the back master/slave steering gear set is coupled to the rear wheel set so that when the front wheel set is turned in one direction the rear wheel set will turn in a proportional opposite direction in response to the steering wheel movement.