A ball joint (10) capable of stabilizing sliding torque while suppressing cost increase is provided. The ball joint (10) includes a first lubricant (G1) interposed between a ball part (40) of a ball stud (14) and a bearing sheet (13). The ball joint (10) includes a second lubricant (G2) having a higher friction coefficient than the first lubricant (G1) and enclosed inside a dust cover (15).

A front wheel guide for a single-track motor vehicle has a telescopic fork, a fork bridge and a longitudinal control arm. The telescopic fork has two fork rods, which each have a lower fork tube and an upper fork tube which can be slid relative to the lower fork tube. The fork bridge extends in a transverse direction and interconnects the lower fork tubes of the fork rods. The longitudinal control arm, which is pivotably articulated to the vehicle, is connected to the fork bridge by way of a ball joint. The front wheel guide is characterized in that the longitudinal control arm is rotatably mounted on the ball joint by way of at least one rolling element bearing.

A steering system includes an arm, a knuckle, a joint, and a steering sensor. The arm defines a first passage. The knuckle has a knuckle arm defining a second passage. The joint has a ball portion and a shaft portion extending. The ball portion is disposed within the first passage and the shaft portion is disposed within the second passage. The ball portion defines a conical recess that has an opening at an upper end of the ball portion and terminates inside the ball portion with a pocket. The steering sensor has a driveshaft extending along a longitudinal axis into the conical recess. The driveshaft includes a head that engages with the pocket. The ball portion is configured to pivot within the first passage relative to the longitudinal axis and the head. The joint and the driveshaft are configured to rotate together about the longitudinal axis as the knuckle is turned.

The subject device is an adjustable coupling and quick release safety system, both automatic and manual and is applicable at a wide range of applications. It is mainly composed of two elements called “receptacle” (1, 2, 3) and “sphere” (8). The coupling and/or the release are controlled by a spring (5) with adjustable force, the coupling and/or the release can be made for direct pressure between the two elements or manually via a lever (6). The system also allows the angular and rotational movement of the sphere (8) which may however also not to be oscillating or rotating. The current state of the technique involves articulated sphere joints with fixed coupling or with connections of different kind.

The socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore that extends from a wall at a closed end to an open end. A ball stud is received in the inner bore, and a shank portion of the ball stud projects out through the open end. A backing bearing is movably disposed in the inner bore. The backing bearing presents a bearing surface which is in sliding contact with a ball portion of the ball stud. An exit bearing is locked into a fixed position within the inner bore and has another bearing surface which is in sliding contact with the ball portion. A spring is positioned between the wall and the backing bearing and imparts a preload force against the backing bearing. The wall is deformed to preload the spring against the backing bearing and reduce clearances between components in the socket assembly.

The present invention provides embodiments of modified upper and lower control arms for attachment to the steering knuckle that came with the vehicle, or for attachment to a modified steering knuckle of an embodiment of the invention, such that the steering knuckle, and in particular the wheel hub opening of the steering knuckle, are located at positions that are closer to the front of the vehicle than the positions provided by the control arms that came with the vehicle. The forward position of the wheel hub relative to the position provided by the factory or stock control arms moves the wheel and tire forward by the same distance, thereby allowing much larger wheels and tires to be mounted on the vehicle which do not rub against or interfere with the wheel well, fender or body mount, thereby increasing the approach angle of the vehicle for use in off-road climbing.

A link arm member of the present invention is used in a vehicle for connecting a suspension and a stabilizer, and includes: a support bar that is sealed by plastically deforming a hollow metal pipe at both ends thereof; and a housing part made of resin that is arranged at each end of the support bar and has a receiving hole for receiving a ball part of a ball stud to which the suspension or the stabilizer is fixed, wherein the housing part is formed by insert molding with the support bar.

The invention is directed to a machine foot, which includes a top part provided with a lock nut, which is mounted in a thread on a spindle, where the lock nut has an abutment complementary shaped to the housing of the lower part, which abutment forms a section of a sphere, and where there is a first gasket between the spindle and lock nut and where there is a second gasket between housing and lock nut. With the invention is achieved that the lower parts and top parts can be produced and stocked as separate and independent units, which for example are not assembled to a finished product until after order.

In one aspect, there is provided a rotary blade movement system including a retaining member configured to receive a rotor blade, a graspable arm, and a coupling mechanism operable to removably couple the retaining member to the graspable arm. The rotor blade movement system is configured to enable a user to adjust the position of the rotor blade by moving the graspable arm. The coupling mechanism can be a ball and socket joint. In one aspect, there is a method of rotating a rotor blade using a rotary blade movement system.

A mechanical component for a vehicle, having a measurement region with a surface, and a force sensor is associated with the measurement region for detecting a force to which the component is exposed. The force sensor includes a layer of carbon nanotubes applied to the surface of the measurement region.