One aspect of the present invention is related to a ball socket assembly that includes a housing with an inner bore and at least one open end. The ball socket assembly also includes a ball stud which is partially received in the inner bore of the housing. An exit bearing supports the ball stud and is positioned in the inner bore adjacent the at least one open end. The exit bearing includes a plastic piece and a metal piece which are connected with one another. The metal piece has a semi-conical shape. The housing is deformed adjacent the at least one open end to capture the exit bearing within the inner bore. In operation, the metal piece reinforces the plastic piece to transfer forces between the ball stud and the housing.

An elastomeric bearing includes an inner member that has a spherical exterior surface and is symmetric about a central axis and a hollow annular outer structure that is axially split thereby forming a first outer segment and a second outer segment. The first outer segment and second outer segment form a substantially cylindrical exterior surface. One or more shim structures are formed around the inner member and are disposed at least partially inside the hollow annular outer structure. The shim structure has a radially outward facing surface and a radially inward facing surface. One or more layers of elastomeric material are disposed on each of the radially outward facing surface and the radially inward facing surface.

A sealing comprises a seal portion and a plate portion fixed to the seal portion. The seal portion can have an undulating configuration of at least one peak and at least one valley, and the plate portion can circumferentially surround the seal portion. The seal portion can be made of a first material and the plate portion can be made of a second material more rigid than the first material. The seal portion can have a radially inward facing contact surface that defines a central opening of the sealing.

A method for producing a vehicle component (10), in which a joint housing (1) is inserted in a predetermined insertion direction (13) into a through-hole (12) of a structural component (11). The insertion of the joint housing (1) into the through-hole (12) in the insertion direction (13) terminates when an stop element (6) of the joint housing (1) abuts against the structural component (11). After the insertion, the joint housing (1) is connected to the structural component (11) in a materially-merged manner. To reduce the complexity and/or the production costs, the method includes the joint housing (1) being inserted into the through-hole (12) with its housing bottom (4) first.

A vehicle that can reduce change in the toe angle of a rear wheel in a toe-out direction at the time of a braking force being provided by the vehicle. A coupling point between a vehicle frame and a trailing arm is defined as a first coupling point. A coupling point between the trailing arm and a lateral arm is defined as a second coupling point. A coupling point between the lateral arm and a frame rear section is defined as a third coupling point. A straight line connecting the first coupling point and the second coupling point is defined as a first straight line. A straight line connecting the second coupling point and the third coupling point is defined as a second straight line. With those definitions, an angle between the first straight line and the second straight line in a plan view of the vehicle is 90 degrees or greater.

Provided is a vehicle suspension member securing a strength against external force in a vehicle longitudinal direction. A lower arm includes an arm body, a front bush support part, a rear bush support part, a ball joint support part, a first rib, a second rib, and a third rib. The third rib is disposed in a lateral part connecting the ball joint support part to the rear bush support part. An S-shaped rib center curve of the third rib intersects with a straight line at an intersection. |(1−S2/S1)|≤0.2 is satisfied, where S1 is area of a first region defined by the rib center curve and the first straight line, and S2 is area of a second region.

A pivot joint for connection between first and second suspension members in a vehicle suspension permits adjustment of wheel alignment characteristics without removal or disassembly of the pivot joint. Wheel alignment adjustment may be accomplished with mutual rotation of engaged components of the pivot joint, wherein engaged guide structures of the pivot joint component convert the mutual rotation to translational movement of one pivot joint component relative to the other pivot joint component. The translational movement may be oriented to selectively adjust wheel alignment characteristics.

A connecting arrangement is provided between joining partners which are braced separably against each other in the chassis region of a vehicle, wherein the joining partners are braced against each other via their contact surfaces by at least one releasable fastening element. Hard particles are applied to the contact surface at least of one of the joining partners before the production of the connecting arrangement and therefore before the bracing mounting of the joining partners and of the fastening element. The hard particles at least partially project into the respectively other contact surface as a result of the bracing mounting. The hard particles are applied so as to be at least approximately abrasion-proof, for example by a blasting process.

A method for producing a connection element (1, 30), in particular for an articulated connection of components arranged in a chassis. The connection element (1, 30) is formed by a profile element (6, 31) which includes a joint portion (2), for accommodating a joint component (5), a central portion (4), and a connection portion (3). The profile element (6, 31) is formed by an arrangement of at least one first profile section (7, 32) and at least one second profile section (8, 33), which are held in position, with interlock, by at least one fixing element (9, 10), a joint component (5) is inserted, into the joint portion (2) so formed, and the profile element (6, 31) and the joint component (5) are partially overmolded with a plastic material.

The ball joint includes a metal ball stud which includes a ball section and a resin housing which rotatably supports the ball section of the ball stud. A limiting member configured to limit molding shrinkage of the housing is embedded in the housing at an interval with respect to an equatorial section of the ball section such that the limiting member is positioned to surround at least the equatorial section of the ball section.