A ball joint comprises: a ball stud which includes a stud part on one end side connected to a structure and a ball part on the other end side; a housing which oscillatably and rotatably supports the ball part of the ball stud; and a ball sheet disposed between the housing and the ball part. The ball sheet includes a recessed/protruding part formed of at least one of a recessed portion and a protruding portion on a surface facing the housing. The housing includes a fitting part having at least one of a protruding shape and a recessed shape each of which fits to the recessed/protruding part.

A ball joint connector for connecting an elongated element to a ball pin includes a socket having a cylindrical cavity for receiving a ball of a ball pin with an opening at one end and a dome-shaped end wall at the opposite end, and a clip disposed at least partially within the cavity and dimensioned to encompass more than the upper hemisphere of the ball, the clip being moveable between a locking position and a retracted assembly/disassembly position characterized in that the clip is arranged to extend, in its locking position, in abutment with the surface of a ball received in the cavity on opposing sides of the ball on each side over a portion of the upper hemisphere and with its lower end portion over an adjoining surface portion of the lower hemisphere.

A ball socket for connection with a ball stud resists accidental pull-out of the ball stud. The ball socket achieves relatively low insertion force but relatively high pull-out force resistance.

A coupling structure for vehicle chassis members couples a ball joint member and an axle housing used for a vehicle to each other. The structure includes a socket that has a substantially columnar external shape, is provided in the ball joint member, and has a socket bolt groove throughout a circumference in an outer circumferential surface of the socket. The structure also includes a collar that has a substantially cylindrical shape and is disposed so as to surround an outer circumferential surface of the socket. The axle housing has a coupling hole having a substantially columnar internal shape into which the socket is inserted. The ball joint member and the axle housing are coupled to each other by disposing the socket in the coupling hole while the socket is surrounded by the collar.

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.

Axial ball joint (1), particularly for use in a steering gear (7), which includes a joint housing (2) open on a first side for receiving a joint ball (4) attached to a joint stud (5). A housing stud (3) is arranged on the joint housing (2). A damping device (10) is provided on the side of the joint housing (2) on which the housing stud (3) is formed. The damping device (10) includes an elastic damping element (11) made of plastic with a metallic insert (12). The metallic insert (12) is embedded in the material of the elastic damping element (11) by injection molding.

A ball joint for interconnecting relatively movable components includes a housing and a stud with a spherical bearing surface disposed in the housing. The bearing has a concave spherical bearing surface which is brought into sliding abutment with the spherical bearing surface of the stud. The bearing is of a monolithic piece of fiber-reinforced polyoxymethylene material and includes carbon fibers which extend circumferentially about the concave spherical bearing surface.

A ball joint for interconnecting relatively movable components includes a housing and a stud with a spherical bearing surface disposed in the housing. The bearing has a concave spherical bearing surface which is brought into sliding abutment with the spherical. bearing surface of the stud. The bearing is of a monolithic piece of fiber-reinforced polyoxyinethylene material and includes carbon fibers which extend circumferentially about the concave spherical bearing surface.

A ball socket for connection with a ball stud resists accidental pull-out of the ball stud. The ball socket achieves relatively low insertion force but relatively high pull-out force resistance.

Ball joints can be greased, serviced, and sealed from the environment. The ball joints can be retrofitted as an aftermarket part. The ball joints can be retrofitted into certain control arms, such as aftermarket tubular, formed steel, or billet aluminum control arms used for off-roading and other extreme sports. The ball joints can provide a predetermined angularity of movement desirable in, for example, off-roading and other extreme sports. The predetermined angularity of movement can be high or wide relative to the angularity of movement or displacement provided by standard or factory ball joints.