Ball socket assembly, dust boot therefor and method of construction thereof

A ball joint assembly, comprising:

• a housing with an inner bore extending along a central axis between a first end region and an open second end region, said housing having a cylindrical outer surface that extends to a stopping shoulder in said open second end region;
• a bearing disposed in said inner bore of said housing;
• a ball stud having a ball portion disposed in said inner bore in sliding engagement with said bearing and having a shank portion extending outwardly from the housing through the open second end;
• a dust boot assembly including a flexible, tubular wall extending along said central axis between a distal open end configured in sealed engagement about said shank portion and a proximal open end configured in sealed engagement with said cylindrical outer surface of said open second end region of said housing, said proximal open end having an annular flange extending radially outwardly from said central axis to a cylindrical outer surface extending between a lower surface and an upper shoulder of said annular flange;
• and
• said dust boot assembly including an annular metal ring disposed about said annular flange, said annular metal ring having a cylindrical wall extending along said cylindrical outer surface of said annular flange, a stopping base extending radially inwardly from said cylindrical wall along said lower surface of said annular flange toward said central axis and directly contacting said stopping shoulder of said housing, and a pressing lip extending radially inwardly from said cylindrical wall along said upper shoulder of said annular flange toward said central axis.

A method of constructing a ball socket assembly, comprising:

• providing a housing having an inner bore extending along a housing central axis between a first end region and an open second end region;
• disposing a bearing into the inner bore;
• providing a ball stud having a shank portion and a ball portion;
• disposing the ball portion into sliding engagement with the bearing in the inner bore with the shank portion extending outwardly from the housing through the open second end region;
• capturing the ball portion against removal from the inner bore;
• providing a dust boot assembly including a flexible, tubular wall extending along a dust boot central axis between a distal open end and a proximal open end, the proximal open end having an annular flange extending radially outwardly from the dust boot central axis to a cylindrical outer surface extending between a lower surface and an upper shoulder of the annular flange, and further including an annular metal ring disposed about the annular flange, the annular metal ring having a cylindrical wall extending along the cylindrical outer surface of the annular flange, a base extending radially inwardly from the cylindrical wall along the lower surface of the annular flange toward the dust boot central axis, and a lip extending radially inwardly from the cylindrical wall along the upper shoulder of the annular flange toward the dust boot central axis;
• aligning the dust boot central axis with the housing central axis;
• and
• applying a pressing force on only the lip of the annular metal ring to move the dust boot assembly axially along the housing central axis into fixed engagement with the open second end region of the housing.