Guiding member in the form of a metal ring for assembly with friction and with the articulating and/or sliding capability of a shaft

A guidance device, comprising:

• a metal ring with a bore for assembly with a pin with friction and with a capability for articulation and/or sliding of the pin, the bore having a friction surface and workings suitable to act as a grease reserve to the friction surface, at least the friction surface of the bore having a first wettability,
• wherein the friction surface and the workings are provided with a solid layer of self-lubricating coating having a second wettability and being overlaid with grease,
• wherein the second wettability is inferior to the first wettability with respect to the grease,
• wherein after total wearing of the self-lubricating coating at the friction surface of the bore, a difference in wettability between the friction surface and the workings still having the solid layer of self-lubricating coating is configured to draw out grease from the workings so as to lubricate the friction surface devoid of the solid layer of self-lubricating coating, and
• wherein the coating is configured such that if applied to a bearing with a friction surface that is 20 mm wide and of a 30 mm interior diameter, and a 16 NC 6 grade steel pin that is cemented and hardened, and has a surface roughness Ra 0.4 μm, is alternatingly rotated in the bearing over 100 degrees with a surface pressure of about 50 Mpa at a sliding speed of 8 mm/sec, and the bearing is greased only prior to assembly with a grease containing lithium soap, the friction factor between the pin and the bearing does not increase to the point of failure prior to 320,000 cycles.