Adjustable and rebuildable ball joint assemblies are disclosed. Methods for installation, adjustment, and rebuilding ball joint assemblies are described. In some embodiments, the ball joint assembly includes a washer with tabs to restrain rotation of the cap relative to the housing. In some embodiments, the ball joint assembly includes a locking mechanism to restrain rotation of the bearing relative to the housing.

An axial ball joint includes a ball stud including a stud portion and a ball portion; a metal housing configured to rotatably support the ball portion of the ball stud; a resin ball sheet provided in an interposed manner between the ball portion and the housing. The housing is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape by press work. The housing has a bottom wall and a peripheral side wall which are set respectively to thicknesses substantially equal to each other. The bottom wall and the peripheral side wall of the housing have therebetween a boundary portion formed with multiple rib portions which project in a brace shape from outside to inside of the housing.

This disclosure discloses a rear suspension system of an all-terrain vehicle and an all-terrain vehicle. The rear suspension system includes a left rear suspension assembly and a right rear suspension assembly, which include: an axle support; a main control arm, having a first outer end, a first inner end, and a second inner end; a front upper control arm, having a second outer end and a third inner end; and a rear upper control arm, having a third outer end and a fourth inner end, where a connection line between the first and second inner ends is L1, a center axis of the first outer end is L2, a connection line between the third and fourth inner ends is L3, a connection line between the second and third outer ends is L4, and L1, L2, L3, and L4 are parallel to each other.

A low suspension arm strut coupling is provided for a suspension of an off-road vehicle. The suspension comprises a lower suspension arm that is hingedly coupled between a chassis of the off-road vehicle and a spindle assembly that is coupled with a front wheel. An upper suspension arm is hingedly coupled between the chassis and the spindle assembly. A strut is coupled between the lower suspension arm and the chassis. A lower pivot couples the strut to the lower suspension, and an upper pivot couples the strut to the chassis. The upper and lower pivots provide a lower center of gravity of the off-road vehicle and a relatively smaller shock angle. The lower suspension arm is reinforced to withstand forces due to movement of the front wheel and operation of the strut in response to travel over terrain.

A ball joint, in particular a chassis joint, which has a housing and a ball socket that comprises a ball bearing section for receiving a joint ball. An anti-rotation member prevents movement of the ball socket within the housing. To improve operational performance of the ball joint, the anti-rotation member is formed by a connecting element of the housing and a mating connecting element of the ball socket. The connecting elements have corresponding holding profiles so that, in an assembled condition, the connecting elements form a shape-enclosing plug-in connection.

A vehicle including: a frame; front suspension assemblies and wheels; a rear left suspension assembly connected to the frame; a rear right suspension assembly connected to the frame; rear wheels having a wheel axis and an inner rim radius; a rear gear train; and a motor. Each rear suspension assembly including a swing arm; a shock assembly; a knuckle including: a first portion connected to a wheel hub, and a second portion extending upward from the first portion; a first link having an outward end connected to the first portion and an inward end connected to the frame; and a second link having an outward end connected to the second portion and an inward end connected to the frame, the outward end of the second link being distanced from the corresponding wheel axis by a distance greater than the inner rim radius.

A vehicle including a frame; a front left suspension assembly with a front left wheel; a front right suspension assembly with a front right wheel; a front gear train; a motor; shafts connected between the front wheels and the front gear train. Each front suspension assembly including a knuckle including: a first portion connected to a wheel hub and including a first ball joint, and a second portion extending upward from the first portion and including a second ball joint; a lower A-arm connected to the first ball joint; an upper A-arm connected to the second ball joint; the second ball joint being distanced from the wheel axis by a distance greater than the inner rim radius; and a shock assembly connected to the lower A-arm and the frame, the shafts passing below the ball joint of the shock absorber assembly which is vertically higher than the shaft.

A universal axle-hub assembly is provided for an off-road vehicle. The universal axle-hub assembly comprises a wheel hub that receives a constant velocity (CV) axle snout into an opening extending through an axle support of the wheel hub. An outboard-most portion of the opening is a splined portion that engages with similar splines disposed on an outboard-most portion of the CV axle snout. An inboard-most portion of the opening is a smooth portion that receives a smooth portion of the CV axle snout. The axle support extends through an entirety of the width of a bearing that supports the wheel hub, such that the bearing supports the smooth portion of the CV axle snout and substantially eliminates shear forces acting on the splined portion of the CV axle snout. A bearing carrier supports the bearing and may be fastened onto a trailing arm or a spindle of the off-road vehicle.

A system and method for a universal housing. The universal housing has a central void. The system also includes a sleeve sized to be received within the central void. The universal housing can be used to house a ball joint and a uniball interchangeably. This allows the consumer to switch between a ball joint or a uniball joint without replacing the support arm. This aids in flexibility and versatility as well as decreases the product and labor costs associated with changing from one type to another.

A mounting apparatus for vehicle suspension ball joints that are firmly affixed for operation, are easily adjustable in a generally vertical direction for precise tuning of suspension geometry for dynamic performance in multiple axes using an array of cylindrical shims tuned to match fastener distance and height with a socket that has mounting bolts that engage a scalloped cap.