【正文】 ere is provided an amphibious vehicle having a wheel mounted to a body of the vehicle so as to be movable from a protracted position, for use of the vehicle on land, to a retracted position, in which the wheel is stowed for use of the vehicle on water,the vehicle further prising a suspension means to absorb shocks from the wheel during land use and a retraction means for moving the Wheel between the protracted and retracted positions, characterised in that the suspension means can be operatively disconnected from the wheel whenthe wheel is to be retracted.[0010] Because the suspension means can be operatively disconnected from the wheel, the suspension means can be tuned to provide optimum road or land use characteristics without having to promise the design to enable the wheel to be retracted. Furthermore, because the suspensionmeans is disconnected from the wheel, it can remain in its land use position when the wheel is retracted, eliminating the need to allow space to acmodate movement of the suspension means as the wheel is retracted.[0011] Preferably, the retraction means can be operatively disconnected from the wheel when the wheel is in the protracted position.[0012] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the wheel is mounted to the body of the vehicle by means of one or more suspension linkages and the vehicle further prises suspension disconnect apparatus for operatively connecting the suspension means to, or operatively disconnecting the suspension means from, one of the suspension linkages.[0013] Preferably, the suspension means is operatively connected to one end of a suspension lever arm, the other end of the suspension lever arm being operatively connect able to said one of the suspension linkages by the suspension disconnect apparatus.[0014] Preferably, the said one of the suspension linkages and the retraction lever arm are mounted to the vehicle body for pivotal movement relative to the body about an axis and the suspension disconnect apparatus prises means movable between a first position, in which the said one of the suspension linkages and the suspension lever arm are locked so as to pivot together about the axis, and a second position, in which the said one of the suspension linkages and the suspension lever arm are free to pivot about the axis relative to one another.[0015] In one preferred embodiment, the suspension dis connect apparatus prises a bore in the said one of the suspension linkages or in the suspension lever arm, the bore having a number of ball receiving tracks formed over a part of its length, a shaft slidably mounted to the other of the said one of the suspension linkages or the suspension lever arm,the shaft projecting into the bore and having a knuckle about which are mounted a plurality of balls, the shaft being movable from a first position in which the balls are engaged in the tracks to lock the said one of the suspension linkages and the suspension lever arm together for pivotal movement about the axis and a second position in which the balls arenot engaged in the tracks and the said one of the suspension linkages and the other end of the suspension lever arm are free to pivot about the axis relative to one another.[0016] Preferably, the suspension disconnect apparatus prises an actuator, which may be an hydraulic actuator,to move the shaft between the first and second positions.[0017] In an alternative embodiment, the said one of the suspension linkages and the suspension lever arm have adjacent drive portions and the suspension disconnect apparatus further prises a sleeve having drive means for cooperation With corresponding drive means on the driveportions, the sleeve being movable from a first position in which it is in driving cooperation with both of the drive portions to lock the said one of the suspension linkages and the suspension lever arm together for pivotal movement about the axis, and a second position in which it is in driving cooperation with only one of the drive portions such that thelinkage and the arm are free to pivot about the axis relative to one another.[0018] Preferably, the sleeve is internally splined for engagement with corresponding splines formed on the drive portions. Alternatively, a bore of the sleeve may have a noncircular cross section for driving engagement with correspondingly shaped profiles on the drive portions.[0019] Preferably, the suspension disconnect apparatus prises an actuator, which may be an hydraulic actuator, to move the sleeve between the first and second positions.[0020] In a yet further preferred embodiment, the said one of the suspension linkages and the suspension lever arm have corresponding drive teeth and the suspension lever arm is movable between a first position in which the drive teeth are engaged so as to lock the said one of the suspension linkages and the suspension lever arm together for pivotalmovement about the axis, and a second position in which the drive teeth are disengaged such that the said one of the suspension linkages and the suspension lever arm are free to pivot about the axis relative to one another.[0021] Preferably, the suspension disconnect apparatus prises an actuator, Which may be a hydraulic actuator, to move the suspension lever arm between the first and second positions.[0022] Preferably, the vehicle further prises a retraction disconnect apparatus for operatively connecting the retraction means to, or operatively disconnecting the retraction means from, one of the suspension linkages.[0023] Preferably, the retraction means prises a retraction actuator operatively connected to one end of a retraction lever arm, the other end of the retraction lever arm being connectable to said one of the suspension linkages through the retraction disconnect apparatus.[0024] Preferably, the said one of the suspension linkages and the retraction lever arm are mounted to the vehicle body for pivotal movement relative to the vehic