An axle assembly for drive wheels of vehicles includes a steering knuckle, an axle housing coupled to an inside of the steering knuckle, a wheel disc that is fixed to the axle housing to be rotatable integrally with the axle housing, and a drive shaft that is coupled to the axle housing to be rotatable integrally with the axle housing. A hub bearing is disposed between the steering knuckle and the axle housing. A forming part is formed at an end of the axle housing in a state in which a bearing inner race of the hub bearing is coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the axle housing, and the bearing inner race is engaged with a side part of the axle housing by the forming part in a state in which the forming part is pressed against a side end of the bearing inner race.

The steering function-equipped hub unit includes: a turning shaft-equipped hub bearing (15) including an inner ring, an outer ring, and rolling elements in double rows interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, the turning shaft-equipped hub bearing having a turning shaft extending in a vertical direction; a unit support member (3) rotatably supporting the turning shaft-equipped hub bearing (15) about a turning axis of the turning shaft; and a steering actuator (5) configured to rotationally drive the turning shaft-equipped hub bearing (15) about the turning axis (A). The unit support member (3) and the steering actuator (5) include a flange (3a) and an end portion (25Aa), respectively, to be removably fixed to a knuckle (6) which is a chassis frame component of a vehicle.

A wheel bearing assembly includes a wheel hub, at least one inner ring, an outer ring, and one or more rolling elements. An accommodation space may be formed inward of a vehicle-body-side end portion of the wheel hub to accommodate a constant velocity joint, and a plurality of recesses for accommodating rotating elements of the constant velocity joint are formed on an inner peripheral surface of the accommodation space to be spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction. A first heat-treated hardened portion may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the accommodation space, and may be formed to have portions with which the rotating elements of the constant velocity joint is brought into contact. A second heat-treated hardened portion may formed on an outer peripheral surface of the wheel hub. The first and second heat-treated hardened portions may not overlap each other.

A bearing unit may be provided with at least one row of rolling bodies and at least one cage for retaining the rolling bodies. The at least one rolling cage may include a base rib; a plurality of fingers spaced circumferentially and extending at least from one side of the base rib; and a plurality of partially spherical cavities for holding the rolling bodies, each cavity being defined by the partially spherical concave surfaces of a pair of fingers of the plurality of fingers and of the base rib. The rolling bodies and the cages are in contact with each other via a plurality of protrusions formed on the partially spherical concave surfaces of the fingers and of the base rib. At least one lateral protrusion may be formed along the surface of each finger of the plurality of fingers of the retaining cage.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a method for measuring axial clearance of a wheel bearing device, with which it is possible to make a high-precision measurement of negative axial clearance. This method comprises: a step (S02) for press-fitting an inner race (4); a first negative axial clearance measurement step (S03); a swaging step (S04); an inner-race press-in amount measurement step (S05); a first inner-race outer-diameter increment measurement step (S06); a second inner-race outer-diameter increment calculation step (S07); an outer-diameter increment difference calculation step (S08); a first axial clearance decrement calculation step (S09); a second axial clearance decrement calculation step (S10); a third axial clearance decrement calculation step (S11); and a second negative axial clearance calculation step (S12).

A sealing device for sealing off external contaminants from a bearing unit between a stationary radially outer ring and a rotatable radially inner ring, the sealing device including a first, metallic and rotatable annular screen having a first mounting area for assembly with interference on the radially inner ring, a second, metallic and stationary annular screen having a second mounting area for assembly with interference on the radially outer ring, an annular sealing element made of elastomeric material, integrally supported by the second annular screen, and equipped with at least one contacting annular sealing lip projecting axially and radially from the second screen towards the first screen, and a non-contacting annular lip extending axially and facing a first flange portion of the first annular screen.

A wheel bearing device (1) including: an outer member (2) on the inner periphery of which an outer-side rolling surface (2c/2d) is formed; an inner member (3) on the outer periphery of which an inner-side rolling surface (3c/3d) is formed; and a plurality of rolling bodies (41) interposed between the rolling surfaces (2c/2d/3c/3d) of the outer member (2) and the inner member (3). The wheel bearing device having a spline hole (3b) formed in a through hole (3h) of the inner member (3). The spline hole includes a guide groove (3G) formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof. A guide plate (8G) of a finishing broach (8) passes through the guide groove in the inner periphery of the spline hole (3b).

A cage of an angular ball bearing includes, with respect to a plurality of balls arranged between an outer member and an inner member, an annular portion positioned on one side in an axial direction of the angular ball bearing, and a plurality of pillar portions provided to extend from the annular portion to the other side in the axial direction. The pillar portions include a first flat surface portion contactable with the balls on one side in a circumferential direction of the angular ball bearing, and a second flat surface portion contactable with the balls on the other side in the circumferential direction and parallel to the first flat surface portion.

A sealing device for sealing a gap between inner and outer members includes a mounted part attached to a cylindrical end of the outer member; at least one lip disposed radial inside the mounted part and extending toward the inner member; an annular part covering an end surface of the end of the outer member; and an annular flange formed from an elastic material connected to the annular part and disposed radial outside the end of the outer member. The inner member includes an inner portion disposed radial inside the outer member; a flange extending radially outward from the inner portion; and a through-hole formed in the flange for inserting a screw for securing the inner member to another member. The outer edge of the flange of the sealing device is disposed radial outside a portion of the through-hole that is the closest to the central axis.

A bearing unit having an axis of rotation (X) for a wheel hub assembly for motor vehicles includes stationary radially outer ring, a rotatable wheel hub or first radially inner ring, a rotatable second radially inner ring having an axially external first axial contact edge, an axially internal second axial contact edge having a radially external first contact surface configured to abut a surface of the first radially inner ring, a radially internal second contact surface, and a relief groove interposed radially between the first contact surface and the second contact surface, two rows of rolling bodies interposed between the radially outer ring and the second radially inner ring, and a joint including a bell, the second contact surface contacting a surface of the bell and axial locks the radially inner ring, and the relief groove reducing contact between the second contact edge and the surface of the bell.