Socket assembly and method of making a socket assembly

A socket assembly, comprising:

• a housing with an inner bore that extends along an axis from a wall at a generally closed first end to an open second end;
• said housing being made as a monolithic piece of metal;
• said wall of said housing presenting a lubricant opening;
• a grease fitting received in said lubricant opening of said wall;
• a ball stud having a ball portion received in said inner bore of said housing and a shank portion which projects out of said inner bore through said open second end of said housing;
• a backing bearing disposed in said inner bore and being movable relative to said housing in both a radial direction and an axial direction and presenting a semi-spherically curved first bearing surface in sliding contact with an outer surface of said ball portion of said ball stud;
• an exit bearing locked into a fixed position within said inner bore of said housing and having a second bearing surface in sliding contact with said ball portion of said ball stud;
• a spring positioned in said inner bore of said housing between said wall of said housing and said backing bearing and imparting a preload force against said backing bearing;
• and
• said wall at said generally closed first end of said housing being deformed to preload said spring against said backing bearing and further bias said backing bearing against said ball portion of said ball stud and to reduce clearances within said socket assembly.