Patent ID: 8348291

Claim:
A suspension strut for use in a steerable assembly of a vehicle comprising: a suspension strut bearing having an upper portion mounted above a lower portion and a bearing seal mounted between the upper portion and the lower portion, the upper portion configured to not rotate with the steerable assembly and the lower portion configured to rotate with the steerable assembly, the upper portion including a lower surface adjacent to and radially outboard of a seal opening between the upper portion and the lower portion; and a deflector seal that is made of an elastomeric material and is a toroidal shape, the deflector seal having a radially inner portion and a radially outer portion, the radially inner portion being secured against the lower portion of the suspension strut bearing, and the radially outer portion being cantilevered radially outward from the radially inner portion to allow for elastic flexing of the radially outer portion, the radially outer portion configured to allow for upward elastic flexing into contact with the lower surface of the upper portion of the suspension strut bearing when a fluid or contaminant impinges upon a lower surface of the radially outer portion.