The assembly includes a housing that has an inner bore and a ball stud that has a ball portion with opposing first and second hemispheres. A bearing assembly is disposed in the inner bore of the housing and presents a curved first bearing surface that is in slidable contact with only the first hemisphere of the ball portion. The ball socket assembly also includes a curved second bearing surface that is presented on a different component from the bearing assembly and is in slidable contact with the second hemisphere of the ball portion. The bearing assembly has a plastic portion and a plurality of metal segments. The metal segments collectively define the first bearing surface and are fixedly attached with the plastic portion. The plastic portion allows the metal segments to individually move relative to one another to seat against the ball portion of the ball stud.

A ball pin connector includes a sleeve-like housing having a cavity with an elastic ball bearing. The elastic ball bearing is axially moveable between a lifted up position, and a lower locking position. Cooperating surface structures are provided on an inner wall of the housing and on an outer wall of the elastic ball bearing as a plurality of projecting surface structures arranged circumferentially distributed with gaps in between such that in a first rotational state of the elastic ball bearing within the housing the projecting surface structures are aligned to be able to come into engagement such that the elastic ball bearing is held in the lifted up position, and such that in a second rotational state of the elastic ball bearing the projecting surface structures of the elastic ball bearing are aligned with gaps of the projecting surface structures of the housing.

The socket assembly includes a housing that presents an inner wall which surrounds an open bore. A stud is partially received in the open bore with a bearing interposed between the inner wall and the stud. The bearing has a bearing piece, which is in surface-to-surface contact with the stud, and a preload piece which is elastically compressed to impart a biasing force on the bearing piece, thereby preloading the bearing piece against the stud. The preload piece is in an overmolded engagement with the bearing piece to securely couple these pieces together such that the bearing can be inserted into the open bore of the housing together as a unit. The bearing and preload pieces are made of different materials with different elasticities.

The ball joint assembly includes a housing with an inner wall which surrounds an inner bore that extends along a central axis. The ball joint assembly further includes a ball stud with a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is received in the inner bore of the housing, and the shank portion projects out of the inner bore through an open end of the housing. First and second preload members are disposed in the inner bore on opposite axial sides of the ball portion and are in contact with the ball portion. The preload members are of an elastomeric material. At least one of the preload members is compressed to urge the ball portion to a central location.

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 to fix the bearing and the ball portion in the housing. The bias causes the second radius of curvature to be biased substantially equal to the first radius of curvature.

The socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore which extends along a central axis from a generally closed first end to an open second end. A ball portion of a ball stud is received in the inner bore of the housing. The ball stud also has a shank portion which projects out of the inner bore through the open second end. A backing bearing is disposed in the inner bore of the housing and has a curved bearing surface that is in slidable contact with the ball portion of the ball stud. The backing bearing is movable in a radial direction relative to the housing and includes a polymeric piece. The backing bearing further includes a reinforcement piece, which is made of metal, and the reinforcement piece is at least partially embedded within the polymeric piece to resist radial expansion of the polymeric piece.

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.

An articulated adjustable foot, including a support base, designed at least partially in an elastomeric manner, including a mounting surface to rest on a support surface, and a ball receptacle, which is open on one side, for a ball that is attached to the end of a shaft. The ball receptacle is delimited beneath the ball by a reinforcement disk, which is embedded into the elastomer and has a central hole, in which the underside of the ball is supported.

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.

The socket assembly includes a housing that presents an inner wall which surrounds an open bore. A stud is partially received in the open bore with a bearing interposed between the inner wall and the stud. The bearing has a bearing piece, which is in surface-to-surface contact with the stud, and a preload piece which is elastically compressed to impart a biasing force on the bearing piece, thereby preloading the bearing piece against the stud. The preload piece is in an overmolded engagement with the bearing piece to securely couple these pieces together such that the bearing can be inserted into the open bore of the housing together as a unit. The bearing and preload pieces are made of different materials with different elasticities.