Ball and socket joints.

摘要

A ball and socket joint particularly for use as a steering rack end joint which comprises a ball pin (16) the ball of which is located in a cup shaped bearing (15) housed in a socket (10). The socket comprises a tubular housing (21) and a screw head (11) and the tubular housing has an internal shoulder (19) for abutment with the screw head (11). The bearing cup (15) is trapped between tubular housing (21) and the screw head and dimensioned so as to exert a control load on the ball (17), the shoulder (19) preventing assembly loads being applied to the bearing cup (15).