| 摘要 |
BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY A ball and socket structure is disclosed for connecting the rack bar and tie rod of the vehicle steering system. The structure provides a ball and socket connection in which opposed bearing surfaces engage opposite hemispheres of the ball end. A tubular housing is internally threaded from one end and is formed with one of the bearing surfaces at its other end. A pre-loading plug or disc is threaded along the internal threads to a pre-loading position in which it compresses a high rate spring to pre-load the two bearing surfaces toward each other. The connection is installed by threading the tubular housing onto a threaded end formed on the end of the rack bar until the threaded end bottoms out against the pre-loading plug. In one embodiment the high rate spring is provided by an elastomeric element shaped so that it is stressed by the plug during assembly. Such elastomeric element of such embodiment provides one of the bearing surfaces. In another embodiment. the substantially rigid element provides one of the bearing surfaces and the high rate spring means is provided by an elastomeric disc or washer like element positioned between it and the pre-loading plug. Both of the embodiments are pre-loaded during manufacture and are structured so that the pre-loading is not significantly changed during installation of the joint. |
