A ball joint includes a stud extending from a ball. A housing has a bore that receives the ball. The housing has an interior surface facing the ball that includes a groove. A plastic bearing is arranged between the ball and the housing. The plastic bearing has first and second sides opposite one another. The first side has a spherical surface engaging the ball. The second side has a protrusion opposite the spherical surface that is received in and fills the groove and a recess in the spherical surface opposite the protrusion.

A ring for a connection element includes a contact portion intended to cooperate with a contact surface of another ring and a fastening portion intended to be secured to a support. The contact portion is made of a first metallic material and the fastening portion is made of a second metallic material, the hardness of the first material being substantially greater than that of the second material, and the toughness of the second material being substantially greater than that of the first material, the contact portion and the fastening portion being of one piece construction.

A method for producing a ball joint having an outer housing with an outer housing stud opening, an inner housing arranged inside the outer housing and provided with an inner housing stud opening, and a ball stud having a joint ball is moveably fitted in the inner housing and which extends out through the inner housing stud opening. The method includes inserting and positioning the stud with its joint ball in the outer housing such that, between the outer housing and the stud, a free space surrounding the joint ball and/or stud remains and the stud extends out through the outer housing stud opening. After which the free space is filled with a plastic material which enclosed the joint ball and then cures to form the inner housing. A gap is formed between the outer and inner housings during curing and closed after curing by compressing the outer housing.

Systems and methods of making a cast steel alloy crankshaft for an internal combustion engine are provided. The method comprises providing a mold of the crankshaft. The mold has cavities to form the crankshaft. The method further comprises melting a first metallic material at between 1400 degrees Celsius (° C.) and 1600° C. to define a molten metallic material. In addition, the method further comprises feeding the molten metallic material at a riser connection angle of between 30° and 75° in the cavities of the negative sand cast mold. The method further comprises cooling the molten metallic material at a solidification time of between 5 seconds (sec) and 20 sec in the negative sand cast mold with at least one chill member to define a solidified metallic material having dimensions of the cast steel alloy crankshaft. Furthermore, the method comprises separating the solidified metallic material from the negative sand cast mold to define the cast steel alloy crankshaft.

Provided is a sliding member capable of realizing the wear resistance effect by Si particles. The sliding member includes an aluminum alloy layer containing 7.0% by mass or more and 13.0% by mass or less of Sn, 6.5% by mass or more and 12.0% by mass or less of Si, 0.5% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less of Cu, unavoidable impurities, and a balance Al. Si particles are dispersed in the aluminum alloy layer. A Vickers hardness of a matrix of the aluminum alloy layer is 40 HV or more and 60 HV or less. A load resistance value, which is a product of a volume concentration and average area of the Si particles and the Vickers hardness of the matrix, is 0.00001 N or more and 0.00029 N or less.

A ring for a connection element includes a contact portion intended to cooperate with a contact surface of another ring and a fastening portion intended to be secured to a support. The contact portion is made of a first metallic material and the fastening portion is made of a second metallic material, the hardness of the first material being substantially greater than that of the second material, and the toughness of the second material being substantially greater than that of the first material, the contact portion and the fastening portion being of one piece construction.

The sliding member includes an aluminum alloy layer containing 7.0% by mass or more and 13.0% by mass or less of Sn, 6.5% by mass or more and 12.0% by mass or less of Si, 0.5% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less of Cu, unavoidable impurities, and a balance Al. Si particles are dispersed in the aluminum alloy layer. A Vickers hardness of a matrix of the aluminum alloy layer is 40 HV or more and 60 HV or less. A load resistance value, which is a product of a volume concentration and average area of the Si particles and the Vickers hardness of the matrix, is 0.00001 N or more and 0.00029 N or less.

This ball joint is provided with: a ball stud, one end being fastened to a suspension device/stabilizer, and the other end having a ball part; a housing that rotatably supports the ball part of the ball stud; and a ball seat provided so as to be interposed between the housing and the ball part, the ball seat having an inner spherical part for accommodating the ball part. The ball seat is provided to the housing by insert injection molding. The inside diameter dimension of the inner spherical part formed by separate injection molding is set to a dimension corresponding to the anticipated amount of molding shrinkage of the resin during the insert injection molding.

A ball joint includes a stud extending from a ball. A housing has a bore that receives the ball. The housing has an interior surface facing the ball that includes a groove. A plastic bearing is arranged between the ball and the housing. The plastic bearing has first and second sides opposite one another. The first side has a spherical surface engaging the ball. The second side has a protrusion opposite the spherical surface that is received in and fills the groove and a recess in the spherical surface opposite the protrusion.

The tie rod end includes a housing with an inner bore that extends along a central axis. A stud is partially received in the inner bore and has a shank portion which extends out of the inner bore for attachment with a gearbox. The tie rod end further includes an elastic boot body which extends from a first boot end, which is sealed with the housing, to a second boot end. A boot bearing, which is made of a plastic material, is secured with the second boot end. The boot bearing is in a dynamic sealing engagement with the shank portion of the stud. The boot bearing presents a plurality of radially inwardly extending and annularly-shaped ribs that contact the shank portion.