A ball joint has a bushing with a defined housing space sized to receive ball joint components. The ball joint further has a cage member having an exterior surface that fits within the housing recess and an interior surface with a pattern of raised and recessed portions, and a cup member over-molded on the cage member component. The cup member complements the interior surface pattern of the cage member and includes an interior surface having a circular configuration. The ball joint also has a stem having a ball portion dimensioned to fit within and complement the interior surface of the cup member.

The ball socket assembly includes a housing which has at least one open end and an inner bore that extends along a central axis. The ball socket assembly further includes a ball stud that has a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is disposed in the inner bore of the housing, and the shank portion extends out of the inner bore through the at least one open end. At least one bearing is disposed in the inner, and the at least one bearing has a bearing surface which is in direct contact with the ball portion of the ball stud. The at least one bearing is made of a monolithic piece of a spring-like material and has a single gap and is flexed to preload the at least one bearing against the ball portion.

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.

A serviceable joint features a pin, a housing with a hollow interior, and a removable race. The race has hollow interior chambers, an upper one of which is larger than the lower. The bottom end of the pin is passable through the hollow interior chambers and onward through an open lower end of the housing to situate the top end of the joint pin within the upper chamber of the race, from which a remainder of the pin hangs in free floating state. A retaining ring is engaged in an annular groove in the peripheral wall of the housing to clamp the race in place in a seated position abutting a tapered exterior area of the race against a tapered interior portion of the housing, whereby the race is centered and stabilized in the housing to restrain the head of the free-floating pin.

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.

A bush assembly for use with jointed members in a motor vehicle, the bush assembly comprising: an outer housing; an inner member including a semi-spherical portion; and a bushing comprising a plurality of segments of resilient material disposed between the outer housing and the inner member, and defining a semi-spherical cavity for receiving the semi-spherical portion; the outer housing comprising a first housing section having a first engagement formation, and a second housing section having a second engagement formation, wherein said first and second engagement formations are adapted to be inter-engaged to secure said housing sections and retain the bushing and at least the semi-spherical portion of the inner member within the outer housing. A method for producing the bush assembly involving the pre-loading of the bushing, desirably composed of polyurethane, is also disclosed.

A replaceable bearing insert may include a bearing surface including a curvature configured to be complementarily contoured to a trunnion ball. The bearing surface may be configured to be in confronting engagement with the trunnion ball. An outer surface opposite the bearing surface may be configured to be received in confronting engagement with an inner surface of an adapter. A first semi-annular flange may extend radially outwardly beyond the outer surface. A second semi-annular flange may extend radially outwardly beyond the outer surface. The first semi-annular flange and the second semi-annular flange may be configured to extend along a first side and a second side of the adapter, respectively, such that the inner surface of the adapter is positioned between the first semi-annular flange and the second semi-annular flange.

The ball socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore, and a bearing is received in the inner bore. The bearing is made as a monolithic piece of a plastic material and has a curved bearing surface which surrounds a ball cavity. The ball socket assembly also includes a ball stud with a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is received in the ball cavity of the bearing and has an equator. The curved bearing surface of the bearing is in slidable contact with the ball portion on opposite axial sides of the equator. The plastic material of the bearing comprises 8-12 mass percent petratetrafluoroethylene, 2-6 mass percent carbon fibers, and the remainder acetal.

A ball joint assembly includes a housing at least partially defining a cavity. A ball stud includes a head portion positioned within the cavity and a shaft extending from the head portion. A ball race having an inner surface is positioned within the cavity to define an interface between the inner surface of the ball race and an outer surface of the head portion. A solid friction coating is positioned within the interface. The solid friction coating is coupled to the inner surface of the ball race and/or the outer surface of the head portion of the ball stud. A piston can also be positioned within the cavity, wherein at least one gap is defined between the ball race and the piston and/or between the ball race and the housing. Methods of assembling a ball joint assembly are also disclosed.