A ball socket assembly, bearing therefor, and method of construction thereof are provided. The ball socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore extending between a closed first end region and an open second end region. A fiber-reinforced bearing is disposed in the inner bore. The bearing has a lower portion presenting a lower bearing surface having a first radius of curvature and an upper portion presenting an upper bearing surface having a second radius of curvature that is greater than the first radius of curvature. The lower bearing surface and the upper bearing surface surround a ball cavity in which a spherical ball portion of a ball stud is disposed. The housing second end region is plastically deformed radially inwardly to impart a bias on the bearing upper portion that causes the second radius of curvature to be biased substantially equal to the first radius of curvature.

A wheel carrier device for a vehicle, with at least one wheel carrier which has at least one bearing point at which at least one wheel bearing is to be mounted for rotatably mounting a wheel hub, wherein the wheel carrier is at least partially surrounded on the outer circumference by at least one thermal insulation element.

An upper case manufacturing method using an axial draw mold, in molding of an upper case made of a synthetic resin and including an inclined cylindrical portion. A fixed mold is provided with a first half body, and a movable mold is provided with a second half body. The first half body and the second half body abut against each other in an inclined plane. The first half body has a first flat surface at both ends on the inner diameter side of the inclined cylindrical portion in the inclined plane, and the second half body has a second flat surface at both ends on the inner diameter side of the inclined cylindrical portion in the inclined plane. The first flat surface and the second flat surface are flat surfaces that prevent the occurrence of undercutting when the upper case is removed from an injection molding mold.

A strut bearing assembly includes: a first case coupled to an insulator mounted on a body of the vehicle, and having a strut disposed therethrough; a second case mounted under the first case in a top-to-bottom direction of the vehicle, configured to rotate relatively to the first case, and having the strut disposed therethrough; and a center plate disposed between the first and second cases, and configured to support the first case to rotate relative to the second case. The center plate has a ring shape with a hollow portion, and includes an inclined portion that is inclined downward toward an outside in a radial direction based on a central axis of the strut.

A rotation induction device for a vehicle includes: an upper case having a piston rod disposed therethrough; a lower case disposed adjacent to the upper case and having the piston rod disposed therethrough; a center plate disposed between the upper case and the lower case such that the piston rod passes through the center plate, to induce rotation of one or both of the upper case and the lower case; and a friction restraint part formed on one or both of the upper case and the lower case, to restrain friction with the center plate.

Methods and systems are provided for a steering axle assembly. In one example, a system may include a tapered pin coupled to a steering knuckle and to an axle beam end. A set of bushings may circumferentially surround the tapered pin and enable rotation of the steering knuckle around the tapered pin without lubricant.

A composite metallic joint assembly may include a composite metal rod having a metal liner and a composite material disposed around the metal liner. A first portion of the composite metal rod may comprise the composite material and the metal liner and a second portion of the composite metal rod may comprise the metal liner exposed at a radially outer surface of the composite metal rod. The metal liner may have a first radial thickness at a first axial position corresponding to the first portion of the composite metal rod and a second radial thickness at a second axial position corresponding to the second portion of the composite metal rod. The second thickness may be greater than the first thickness.

The socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore that extends from a wall at a closed end to an open end. A ball stud is received in the inner bore, and a shank portion of the ball stud projects out through the open end. A backing bearing is movably disposed in the inner bore. The backing bearing presents a bearing surface which is in sliding contact with a ball portion of the ball stud. An exit bearing is locked into a fixed position within the inner bore and has another bearing surface which is in sliding contact with the ball portion. A spring is positioned between the wall and the backing bearing and imparts a preload force against the backing bearing. The wall is deformed to preload the spring against the backing bearing and reduce clearances between components in the socket assembly.

A ball socket apparatus is provided for bearing a joint head. The apparatus includes a first ball shell element and a second ball shell element, wherein the ball socket apparatus forms a preferably radially circumferential, continuous contact surface for a joint head, and a first and a second housing device in which the ball shell elements are arranged.

The socket assembly has a housing with an inner bore which extends from a first end to a second end. A ball portion of a ball stud is received in the inner bore. A backing bearing is disposed in the inner bore and presents a curved bearing surface in surface-to-surface contact with the ball portion. A first spring biases the backing bearing against the ball portion. The socket assembly also includes an exit bearing with a cylindrical portion that is in contact with an equator of the ball portion and a semi-spherical portion that is in surface-to-surface contact with an opposite hemisphere from the first bearing surface. A second spring biases the exit bearing into a predetermined location established by the housing. The exit bearing is movable from the predetermined location in a direction towards the second end of the housing against a biasing force of the second spring.