Ball joint seal

A ball joint for connecting a first member of a vehicle to a second member of a vehicle, the ball joint comprising:

• a housing including a cavity, said housing adapted to be coupled to the first member;
• a ball stud including a ball end portion received in said cavity and being pivotable in said cavity, said ball stud further including a shank portion extending from said ball end portion projecting from said socket, said shank portion adapted to be coupled to said second member;
• a wear reducing member disposed about a portion of said shank portion, said wear reducing member having an inner side surface and an exterior side surface, said inner side surface sealingly disposed on a portion of said shank portion;
• and
• an annular seal including a first end seal portion sealingly engaging said housing and a second end seal portion sealingly engaging said exterior side surface of said wear reducing member wherein said wear reducing member maintains a seal between said shank portion and said second end seal portion and reduces wear of said second end seal portion of said annular seal as said ball stud pivots within said cavity.