A ball socket structure is provided, which includes a ball portion and a socket portion, the ball portion and the socket portion being configured to slide against one another, in which the socket portion includes a sliding surface including a PVD coating layer, the sliding surface of the socket portion is a concave spherical surface, and a value (Ds/Rs) of a ratio between a depth Ds of the sliding surface and a radius of curvature Rs of the sliding surface is from 0.05 to 0.70.

The assembly includes a housing with an inner bore that extends along an axis. A stud is at least partially disposed in the inner bore of the housing and is pivotable relative to the housing. A top edge of the housing is bent radially inwardly to present a flange. A two-piece dust boot is provided including a cover piece of an elastic material and a spring washer. The cover piece extends from a first end portion that is sealed against the housing to a second end portion that is sealed against the stud. The spring washer is at least substantially encapsulated within the cover piece at the first end portion and biases the cover piece against the flange of the housing to establish a seal that is resistant to compression setting between the cover piece and the housing.

A system and method for detecting wear and/or failure of a ball joint. The system having a ball housing which retains a ball head of the ball joint therein. A ball race is received within the ball housing and receives the ball head of the ball joint. An inwardly facing surface of the ball race engages the ball head such that the ball head can pivot in relation to the ball housing. A detection component is supported by the ball race and is spaced from an exterior surface of the ball head by a set distance. The detection component issues an indicator signal to alert a driver when the detection component detects at least one of a worn or a failure condition of the ball joint.

This invention relates to a joint housing (10) of a ball joint (12), comprising a sheet-metal part (14) for accommodating a ball head (16), which is substantially rotationally symmetrical with respect to a joint axis (A) and includes a circumferential wall portion (18), wherein the circumferential wall portion (18) includes a housing opening (26) at an axial end (24), through which a joint pin (28) can extend, wherein the sheet-metal part (14) is formed with two layers at this axial end (24) of the circumferential wall portion (18). Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for mounting such joint housing (10) on a carrier element (34).

The ball joint assembly includes a housing with an inner wall that surrounds an axially extending open bore. A ball portion of a ball stud is received in the open bore of the housing, and a shank portion of the ball stud projects out of the open bore. A pair of bearings are disposed in the inner bore of the housing and are interposed between the ball portion and the inner wall. Each bearing has a curved bearing surface which slidably contacts the ball portion for allowing the ball stud and the housing articulate relative before use. Each bearing also has an outer surface that slidably contacts the inner wall. A pair of biasing elements bias the bearings in opposite directions against the ball portion of the ball stud such that the ball stud is movable relative to the housing in the axial direction before use of the assembly.

A radial ball joint (1, 50, 70) for a vehicle having a housing (2, 51) for holding a joint ball (11) of a ball stud (6) so that the ball stud can rotate and pivot. An upper bearing shell (7), made from a steel sheet, is arranged between an inside wall (10) of the housing (2, 51) and the joint ball (11). The upper bearing shell (7) is in contact with the joint ball (11) over a contact zone (21) to provide the joint ball (11) with a circumferential slide bearing between its equator (12) and its upper pole (13). The upper bearing shell (7) is in the form of an annular, circumferentially closed drawn component and has in the contact zone (21) with the joint ball (11). A number of lubrication grooves (14), pass through a wall (20) of the upper bearing shell (7), in an embossment manner.

A dust cover for a ball joint has a spherical head portion, a shaft, a cylindrical one-end large-diameter opening portion, a large-diameter opening portion side reinforcing ring fixed to a socket, the other end small-diameter opening portion retained onto the shaft, a flange portion extending from an end portion in the other-end small-diameter opening portion of the one-end large-diameter opening portion toward a ball stud side, and a rubber-like elastic film portion coupling an inward end portion of the flange portion and the other-end small-diameter opening portion. The dust cover has an outside projection provided on an outer peripheral surface of the film portion, and an inside projection provided on an inner peripheral surface of a joint portion between the flange portion and the film portion, and the outside projection and the inside projection come into contact with each other when the dust covers for the ball joint are laminated.

The socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore and a stud with a first portion and a shank portion. The first portion is disposed in the inner bore of the housing, and the shank portion extends out of the inner bore. The socket assembly further includes a boot with a boot body that extends from a first boot end to a second boot end. The first boot end is received in the inner bore of the housing and is operatively sealed with the housing. The second boot end is operatively sealed with the ball stud. The boot further includes an insert that is in an overmolding engagement with the first boot end. The insert has a plurality of raised sections and a plurality of recessed sections and has a plurality of vertical sections that interconnect adjacent ones of the raised and recessed sections.

A bearing assembly can include a top retainer; a middle retainer having a first concave spherical surface; a bottom retainer having a second concave spherical surface; a spherical ball member; and an elastomeric member coupled to the first concave spherical surface, the second concave spherical surface, and an outer surface of the spherical ball member.

A spheroidal joint for a tuned mass damper system includes a base having a concave seat and a lubricious liner secured thereto. The base defines a first mounting portion under the concave seat and a circumferential rim opposite the first mounting portion. The concave seat tapers radially outward to define a chamfer which terminates at a radially inner edge of the rim. The spheroidal joint includes an inner member that has a convex seat. The inner member has a second mounting portion extending from the convex seat and an indentation circumferentially extending around the inner member between the convex seat and the second mounting portion. The indentation cooperates with the chamfer for misalignment of the inner member relative to the base. The convex seat slidingly engages the lubricious liner.