Spring carrier with adjustable spring collar

1. A spring carrier for mounting a spring strut to a vehicle body, the carrier comprising:

a vibration damper comprising a cylinder and a piston rod which is axially guided in the cylinder;

a first spring collar, a second spring collar, and a spring located between the spring collars;

an actuator comprising a nut and a threaded spindle surrounding the piston rod, the actuator being driven to change the relative axial position of the spring collars, wherein the actuator comprises a rotary drive which rotates the spindle in order to move the nut axially;

a guide tube extending coaxially between the piston rod and the threaded spindle, the guide tube being configured to support the threaded spindle in a fixed axial position relative to said guide tube; and

at least one bearing which supports the spindle radially against the guide tube.

2. The spring carrier of claim 1 wherein the guide tube has a mounting surface, the carrier further comprising a first resilient mount fixed to the mounting surface for mounting the guide tube to the vehicle body.

3. The spring carrier of claim 1 wherein the guide tube has a circumferential flange on which a mounting surface is provided, the mounting surface extending both axially and radially.

4. The spring carrier of claim 1 wherein the rotary drive has a rotor, the carrier further comprising a bearing which supports the rotor against the guide tube.

5. The spring carrier of claim 1 wherein the guide tube has an axis and is divided transversely with respect to said axis into two pieces.

6. The spring carrier of claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a housing which is fixed to the guide tube.

7. The spring carrier of claim 1 further comprising a thrust stop fixed inside the guide tube, the thrust stop limiting travel of the piston rod into the cylinder.

8. The carrier of claim 1 further comprising a second resilient mount between the piston rod and the guide tube, whereby the piston rod can move relative to the first resilient mount.

9. The spring carrier of claim 1 comprising a pair of axially spaced bearings which support the spindle radially against the guide tube.

10. The spring carrier of claim 9 wherein the axially spaced bearings are needle bearings.

11. The spring carrier of claim 1 further comprising at least one bearing which supports said spindle axially against the guide tube.

12. The spring carrier of claim 1 , wherein the guide tube comprises a mounting flange having a mounting surface, and the first resilient mount is disposed on the mounting surface.

13. The spring carrier of claim 1 , wherein the guide tube comprises a first rolling bearing configured for supporting the threaded spindle.

14. A spring carrier for mounting a spring strut to a vehicle body, the carrier comprising:

a vibration damper comprising a cylinder and a piston rod which is axially guided in the cylinder;

a first spring collar, a second spring collar, and a spring located between the spring collars:

an actuator comprising a nut and a threaded spindle surrounding the piston rod, the actuator being driven to change the relative axial position of the spring collars;

a guide tube extending coaxially between the piston rod and the threaded spindle, the guide tube being configured to support the threaded spindle in a fixed axial position relative to said guide tube, and the threaded spindle being supported radially against the guide tube, wherein the guide tube comprises a first rolling bearing configured for supporting the threaded spindle; and

a rotor and second rolling bearing configured for centering the rotor and an upper end of the threaded spindle with respect to the guide tube.