The socket assembly includes a housing with an inner surface that surrounds an inner bore which extends along a central axis. An elastomeric boot extends between first and second boot ends and is sealed with the housing and a shank portion of the stud. The first boot end is received in the inner bore of the housing. An insert, which is fabricated as a separate piece from the boot, is received in the inner bore of the housing. The insert has an outer periphery which presents a plurality of radial teeth that are spaced from one another in a circumferential direction. The teeth are angled at an acute angle relative to the central axis and compress portions of the elastomeric material of the first boot end of the boot to improve the seal between the first boot end of the boot and the inner surface of the housing.

A ball joint includes a first lubricant interposed between a ball part of a ball stud and a bearing sheet. The ball joint includes a second lubricant having a higher friction coefficient than the first lubricant and enclosed inside a dust cover.

This ball join includes a ball stud with a spherical ball section and a shaft-shaped shaft section and a holder that rotatably bolds the ball section, and has a machining surface subjected to cutting in a welded portion obtained by welding the ball section and the shaft section, and the machining surface has a curve-shaped first corner section. In addition, a method for manufacturing this ball joint includes a welding step of welding the ball section and the shaft section and a cutting step of forming the machining surface by subjecting the welded portion obtained by welding the ball section and the shaft section to cutting, and the cutting step executes processing including forming the curve-shaped first corner section on the machining surface. Consequently, a ball joint with a large oscillation angle can be obtained.

A ball joint assembly includes a ball including an outer surface and a recess in the outer surface, a cup including an inner surface and a protrusion on the inner surface, and a sensor programmed to detect friction between the cup and the ball from the protrusion engaging the recess.

The pivot joint assembly includes a housing with an opening which extends along an axis. A bearing is received in the opening and which has a cylindrical outer surface that is in slidable contact with another surface so that the bearing can slide in an axial direction relative to the housing. The bearing has a curved inner bearing surface. The pivot joint assembly also includes an inner ring with a curved outer surface that is in slidable contact with the curved inner bearing surface of the bearing so that the inner ring can rotate and articulate relative to the housing.

The socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore that extends along a central axis from a generally closed first end to an open second end. The socket assembly also includes a ball stud which includes 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 the open second end. A backing bearing is disposed in the inner bore. The backing bearing has a curved bearing surface that is in slidable contact with the ball portion of the ball stud. The backing bearing includes a polymeric piece and a metal sleeve which surrounds the polymeric piece to resist radial expansion of the polymeric piece.

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 ball socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore and a bearing that is received in the inner bore of the housing. The bearing is made as a monolithic piece of a plastic material and has a curved bearing surface which surrounds a ball cavity. A ball stud, which has a ball portion and a shank portion, is received in the ball cavity of the bearing. The ball portion has an equator. The curved bearing surface of the bearing is in slidable contact with the ball portion of the ball stud on opposite axial sides of the equator. The plastic material of the bearing comprises 8-12 mass percent polytetrafluoroethylene, 2-6 mass percent carbon fibers, and the remainder acetal. The ball stud having a hardened layer along at least a portion of its outer surface, the hardened layer being a Nitrox layer.

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 ball joint assembly includes a ball stud, a cylindrical bearing, a housing and a retainer. The bearing has an upper end, a lower end, a exterior sidewall, an upper flange located between the upper end and a ring groove formed in the exterior sidewall, a lower flange proximate the lower end and extending outwardly and a socket cavity that opens toward the lower end. A ball portion of the ball stud is retained within the socket cavity. The bearing is secured within a bore within the housing by virtue of the working of the lower flange and the upper flange and retainer located in the ring groove. The ball joint assembly is able to resist a pull-out force of up to 1200 lbs. It may also be sealed by incorporation of a dust boot which extends between the housing and a stud portion of the ball stud.