Abstract: The control arm assembly includes a control arm body that has at least one opening which extends along a horizontally extending axis. A bushing assembly is received in the at least one opening of the control arm body. The bushing assembly includes at least one ring that is made of an elastomeric material and that has an inner surface which defines an inner bore that extends along an axis between opposite open ends. A tube extends through the inner bore of the at least one elastomeric ring. At least one liner made of a low friction fabric material is fixedly attached with the inner surface for allowing free rotation of the tube relative to the at least one ring.

Abstract: The ball joint assembly includes a housing that has an inner wall which surrounds an open bore that extends along a central axis. The ball joint assembly further includes a ball stud with a ball portion that is received in the open bore of the housing and with a shank portion that projects out of the open bore through an open end of the housing. At least one bearing is also disposed in the open bore. The at least one bearing has a curved bearing surface which is in slidable contact with the ball portion of the ball stud for allowing the ball stud and the housing to rotate and articulate relative to one another. The bearing is made as a single, monolithic piece of nylon 4/6.

Abstract: The pivot joint assembly includes a housing with an inner wall that surrounds an inner bore which extends along a central axis. A stud is partially received in the inner bore, projects out of one axial end of the housing and is rotatable relative to the housing about the central axis. A sealing body, which is made of a single piece of a semi-rigid material, is in a static sealing condition with the housing and is in a dynamic sealing condition with the stud. The sealing body includes a portion which extends at an acute angle relative to the central axis to contact the stud such that the portion is deflectable to allow lubricant to escape the inner bore during greasing.

Abstract: The ball joint assembly includes a housing with an inner wall that surrounds an axially extending open bore. A ball portion of a ball stud is received in the open bore of the housing, and a shank portion of the ball stud projects out of the open bore. A pair of bearings are disposed in the inner bore of the housing and are interposed between the ball portion and the inner wall. Each bearing has a curved bearing surface which slidably contacts the ball portion for allowing the ball stud and the housing articulate relative before use. Each bearing also has an outer surface that slidably contacts the inner wall. A pair of biasing elements bias the bearings in opposite directions against the ball portion of the ball stud such that the ball stud is movable relative to the housing in the axial direction before use of the assembly.

Abstract: The socket assembly includes a housing that presents an inner wall which surrounds an open bore. A stud is partially received in the open bore with a bearing interposed between the inner wall and the stud. The bearing has a bearing piece, which is in surface-to-surface contact with the stud, and a preload piece which is elastically compressed to impart a biasing force on the bearing piece, thereby preloading the bearing piece against the stud. The preload piece is in an overmolded engagement with the bearing piece to securely couple these pieces together such that the bearing can be inserted into the open bore of the housing together as a unit. The bearing and preload pieces are made of different materials with different elasticities.

Abstract: A vehicle disc brake pad having a backing plate and a friction pad that includes a complex edge profile formed from a plurality of undulations on at least one side edge of the periphery. Each undulation includes a wave crest and a wave trough that extend toward and away from the periphery of the backing plate, respectively. The brake pad may provide improved thermal management and wear resistance, thereby improving the life span of the brake pad, particularly when used with heavier vehicles such as trucks, crossover vehicles, and sports utility vehicles.

Abstract: A gasket assembly and method of construction is provided. The assembly includes a carrier body having opposite planar surfaces with at least one media-conveying opening extending through the planar surfaces with at least one through opening spaced radially from the at least one media-conveying opening. Further, the carrier body has at least one projection formed of the material of the carrier body. The at least one projection extends from the at least one through opening outwardly from at least one of the planar surfaces. The assembly further includes an elastomeric material encapsulating the projection.

Abstract: The ball joint assembly includes a housing and a bearing which has an inner surface that extends between open ends and which presents a bearing surface that surrounds a generally spherically-shaped cavity. A stud is provided which has an outer surface with a generally ball-shaped portion that has at least two curved surfaces and at least two recessed surfaces. The bearing has a passage with a slots that extend from one of the ends to the cavity. The ball-shaped portion of the stud is insertable into the cavity of the bearing by aligning the curved surfaces of the stud with the slots of the passage. The stud is rotatable while the ball-shaped portion of the stud is positioned within the cavity to establish slidable contact between the curved surfaces of the stud and the bearing surface of the bearing to allow pivoting of the stud relative to the bearing.

Abstract: The ball joint assembly includes a housing with an open interior and which extends from a closed end to an open end. A stud ball with a ball portion is disposed in the open interior of the housing. A first bearing is also disposed in the open interior and includes first and second contact surfaces which are spaced from one another by a gap. The contact surfaces are in sliding contact with the ball portion of the ball stud, and the first contact surface is semi-spherically curved with a generally constant diameter while the second contact surface is generally cylindrical in shape. A second bearing is disposed in the open interior of the housing and has a third contact surface which is in sliding contact with the ball portion of the stud ball and is biased against the ball portion.

Abstract: The steering mechanism includes a center link which extends between opposite longitudinal ends. Each end has a bore with threads which are spaced from the end by an unthreaded portion. A tie rod includes a bore with threads that are spaced form an end of the tie rod by an unthreaded portion. A length adjuster threadedly connects one of the longitudinal ends of the center link with the tie rod. The length adjuster includes threaded sections and an unthreaded middle section. The unthreaded middle section overlaps with the unthreaded portions of the center link and tie rod bores respectively. A first clamp is clamped around the overlapping unthreaded portion of the center link bore and the unthreaded middle section of the length adjuster, and a second clamp is clamped around the overlapping unthreaded portion of the tie rod bore and the unthreaded middle section of the length adjuster.