Steering assembly with integrated sensor

1. A wheel-end assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a knuckle having a kingpin bore;

a kingpin disposed within said kingpin bore, whereby said knuckle is at least partially rotatable about a longitudinal axis of said kingpin;

a magnet coupled with an end of said kingpin; a knuckle cap assembly coupled with said kingpin bore adjacent to said magnet; and

a sensor coupled with said knuckle cap assembly, wherein said sensor measures a position of said magnet relative to said sensor, and wherein said sensor is selectively positionable relative to said knuckle cap assembly.

2. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 1 , said knuckle cap assembly comprising:

a base portion; and

a mounting portion coupled with said base portion, wherein said sensor is coupled with said mounting portion.

3. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein:

said kingpin bore comprises a threaded portion; and

said base portion comprises a threaded outer surface.

4. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:

an annular groove disposed in said kingpin bore; and

a snap ring disposed in said annular groove, wherein said snap ring abuts an upper surface of said base portion.

5. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein

said base portion comprises a first fastener aperture;

said knuckle comprises a second fastener aperture disposed adjacent to said kingpin bore; and

a fastener is disposed through said first and second fastener apertures, whereby said base portion is coupled with said kingpin bore.

6. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 2 , said base portion further comprising:

a recess disposed in an upper surface thereof; and

a plurality of fastener apertures disposed in said recess.

7. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 2 , said mounting portion further comprising:

a disc portion defining a diameter smaller than the diameter of the base portion recess, wherein said disc portion includes a plurality of fastener apertures; and

a wall at least partially disposed about an upper surface of said disc portion, wherein said wall defines at least five segments angled relative to each adjacent segment.

8. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 7 , wherein

said disc portion is at least partially disposed within said base portion recess;

at least one fastener is disposed through one of said disc portion plurality of fastener apertures and a fastener aperture in said base portion; and

said wall segments are hexagonally disposed.

9. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 7 , wherein

a grease fitting is at least partially disposed through one of said wall segments, whereby said grease fitting is in fluid communication with said kingpin bore.

10. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sensor determines the relative angular displacement between the knuckle cap assembly and the magnet.

11. A wheel-end assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a knuckle having a kingpin bore;

a kingpin disposed within said kingpin bore, whereby said knuckle is at least partially rotatable about a longitudinal axis of said kingpin;

a knuckle cap assembly coupled with said kingpin bore, wherein said knuckle cap assembly comprises:

a base portion,

a mounting portion removably coupled with said base portion, and

a sensor coupled with said mounting portion, wherein said sensor is selectively positionable relative to the base portion.

12. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 11 , wherein

said base portion defines an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and a portion of said outer diameter comprises threads; and

a nonferrous cap insert is at least partially disposed within said base portion inner diameter.

13. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 11 , said mounting portion comprising:

a substantially circular inner surface;

a hexagonal outer surface; and

a slot disposed through the inner and outer surface.

14. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 11 , wherein said sensor comprises an inductive sensor.

15. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 11 , wherein said sensor comprises an inclinometer.

16. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:

a linear variable deformation transformer having a first portion coupled with an inboard surface of said knuckle, and a second portion coupled with an axle beam.

17. A method of determining a wheel-end position, comprising:

providing a knuckle cap assembly which comprises a base portion, a mounting portion removably coupled with said base portion, a sensor in electrical communication with a controller, and a kingpin, wherein said sensor is selectively positionable relative to said base portion;

measuring an angular rotation of said sensor relative to said kingpin; and

calculating a turn angle of said wheel-end.

18. The method of determining a wheel-end position as recited in claim 17 , further comprising: calculating a toe angle of said wheel-end.

19. The method of determining a wheel-end position as recited in claim 17 , further comprising:

providing a shim and an axial bearing disposed about said kingpin;

calculating an axial position of said kingpin; and

determining degradation of said shim and said axial bearing.

20. The wheel-end assembly for a vehicle as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:

a magnet coupled with an end of said kingpin, wherein the knuckle cap assembly is coupled with said kingpin bore adjacent to said magnet, and wherein said sensor measures a position of said magnet relative to said sensor.