Patent ID: 8196943

Claim:
A clamp assembly for a suspension system of a vehicle having a spring, comprising: an axle housing having a generally oval-shaped cross-section at an area of contact with the clamp assembly, including a generally planar fore side, a generally planar aft side, a generally rounded top surface and a generally rounded bottom surface; at least two U-bolts each having a curved portion and two generally linear legs extending therefrom, wherein one of the rounded top surface and the rounded bottom surface of the axle housing is received in the curved portion of the U-bolt, and wherein the planar fore side and the planar aft side of the axle housing are confined from rotation relative to the U-bolt by the legs of each U-bolt, wherein the planar fore side and the planar aft side of the axle housing each contact the linear legs of the U-bolt, and the generally rounded top surface of the axle housing is sized and arranged to flushly mate with the curved portion of the U-bolt, such that greater than half of the perimeter of the axle housing contacts the U-bolts; a clamping plate for receiving and attaching the legs of the U-bolts to form an enclosure that encloses the axle housing; and an axle saddle having a curved side that is sized and arranged to flushly mate with one of the rounded top surface and the rounded bottom surface of the axle housing; wherein substantially the entire perimeter of the axle housing contacts either the U-bolts or the axle saddle.