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 with variable friction resistance for a vehicle, the joint having a stud with a joint ball which is held in a housing so as to articulate relative thereto. The housing comprises movable and static housing parts that are movable relative to one another and engage on opposite sides of the ball. A transmission is moved by one housing part so as to exert a variable pressure on the ball. The transmission has axially aligned transmission elements, each of which has a helical ball track. The transmission elements axially rest against one another via balls that are guided between the ball tracks of the transmission elements. A first transmission element can move axially and contact the movable housing part. A second transmission element can rotate about the rotational axis which causes the first transmission element to move axially and exert an axial force on the movable housing part.

An bearing assembly comprises a housing having a tapered interior bore, a ball bearing element, a ball bearing retainer disposed within the housing, wherein the ball bearing retainer has an interior bore for receiving the ball bearing element. The sides of the ball bearing retainer comprise a plurality of slots defining a plurality of fingers. The ball bearing element is disposed within the interior bore of the ball bearing retainer. A spring mechanism for maintaining a prescribed tension of the ball bearing element within the interior bore of the ball bearing retainer is disposed within the tapered interior bore of the housing. The bearing assembly may also include a locking mechanism for retaining the ball bearing element, the ball bearing retainer and the spring mechanism within the housing.

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.

A method of determining an amount of wear in a spherical working surface of a bearing ring of a spherical plain bearing, the method including providing a reference groove of predetermined depth in an unworn working surface, using the reference groove and axial end faces of the bearing ring as reference surfaces for centering and aligning a measuring tool. The tool having a first surface, and a protrusion that extends from the first surface in radial direction and is adapted to fit into the reference groove and two or more radial openings that extend from a second surface of the tool. Determining the amount of wear by measuring the radial distance to the spherical working surface through each of the radial openings and comparing the measured value with a reference value measured using the tool for an unworn working surface comprising a reference groove of the same predetermined depth.

A joint assembly between a first component and a second component comprises a ball portion configured to be connected to the first component. A socket is configured to be connected to the second component or ground and comprises a socket base, a socket cover, and a spherical joint cavity within the assembled socket base and socket cover to receive the ball portion to form a spherical joint. At least one biasing member is in the joint assembly. A clamp clamps the socket base to the socket cover such that the at least one biasing member biases the socket base and the socket cover toward one another.

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.

The ball joint assembly includes a housing that has an inner wall which surrounds an open bore that extends along a central axis. The ball joint assembly further includes a ball stud with a ball portion that is received in the open bore of the housing and with a shank portion that projects out of the open bore through an open end of the housing. At least one bearing is also disposed in the open bore. The at least one bearing has a curved bearing surface which is in slidable contact with the ball portion of the ball stud for allowing the ball stud and the housing to rotate and articulate relative to one another. The bearing is made as a single, monolithic piece of nylon 4/6.

A closure element (1, 28) for a ball joint (16) in a vehicle. The closure element has a receptacle (2, 29) for accommodating an electronic component (6). To be able to reduce the effort and cost of creating an interface, between the closure element and the electronic component, the closure element (1, 28) has a receptacle (2, 29) which is made of a plastic material and is injection-molded onto one side (3) of the closure element (1).

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.