Patent ID: 7959171

Claim:
A lower spring seat mounting structure in a suspension of a vehicle, the suspension including a lower link that connects an axle to a member on a side of a vehicle body, and a coil spring mounted to the lower link, the lower link having an axis which extends through a first mounting point at which the lower link is mounted to a side of the axle and a second mounting point at which the lower link is mounted to a side of the vehicle body, the lower spring seat mounting structure comprising: a spring mounting portion to which a lower end portion of the coil spring is mounted, the spring mounting portion being disposed on the lower link, a lower spring scat including one side surface that is in contact with the spring mounting portion and the other side surface that is in contact with the lower end portion of the coil spring; and a seat mounting portion at which the lower spring seat is connected to the spring mounting portion; wherein the seat mounting portion is arranged within a range defined between two straight lines which extend through a center of the lower spring seat and form an angle of ±45 degrees with respect to the axis of the lower link in a plan view, wherein the lower spring seat has an outer periphery shaped to accommodate the coil spring and the seat mounting portion projects radially outward from the outer periphery in a plan view, wherein the seat mounting portion comprises an open portion that is formed in the lower link, and a hook portion that is integrally formed with the lower spring seat and engaged with the open portion, and wherein the open portion is disposed on the side of the axle with respect to the lower spring seat, and the hook portion comprises an extension that extends, in a plan view, in a direction toward the open portion to penetrate through the open portion, and a hook body at a distal end of the extension that extends, in a plan view, in a direction opposite to the direction of the extension and is engaged with the open portion at the distal end of the extension.