WE CLAIM:
[Claim 1] A sliding member for vehicular suspension comprising, on its outer
peripheral sliding face, a colored wear resistant layer formed by an ion plating method and having a film thickness of 0.75 um or more and 10 um or less,
the wear resistant layer including a dark blue titanium oxide layer, a titanium
intermediate layer, and a colored titanium oxide layer, which are laminated in this order
from an inner peripheral side toward an outer peripheral side of the sliding member.
[Claim 2] The sliding member for vehicular suspension according to claim 1,
wherein the colored titanium oxide layer is a bluish green titanium oxide layer having a film thickness of 0.15 um or more and 0.19 um or less.
[Claim 3] A method for producing a sliding member for vehicular suspension
including, on its outer peripheral sliding face, a colored wear resistant layer formed by an ion plating method and having a film thickness of 0.75 um or more and 10 um or less,
the wear resistant layer including a dark blue titanium oxide layer, a titanium intermediate layer, and a colored titanium oxide layer, which are laminated in this order from an inner peripheral side toward an outer peripheral side of the sliding member, wherein
the ion plating method comprises using an HCD type ion plating apparatus,
setting a beam output of the apparatus on forming the colored titanium oxide layer to 180
to 280 A, and controlling an oxygen gas partial pressure within a vacuum tank of the
apparatus to a range of 8.1 x 10"2 Pa or more and 1.2 x 10"1 Pa or less.
[Claim 4] The method for producing the sliding member for vehicular
suspension according to claim 3, wherein the colored titanium oxide layer is a bluish green titanium oxide layer having a film thickness of 0.15 um or more and 0.19 um or less.