Wheel Bearing Assembly

An automotive vehicle wheel bearing assembly comprising

• a wheel mounting component defining an axis;
• a non-rotating component fixed with respect to a vehicle suspension structure;
• and
• bearing elements rotatably coupling the wheel mounting component to the non-rotating component to allow the wheel mounting component to rotate relative to the non-rotating component about the axis;
• wherein the bearing elements include a first outer raceway and a first inner raceway, the first outer raceway and the first inner raceway rollably retaining a plurality of first rolling elements,
• wherein a side-impact bad transmitting portion of the wheel mounting component is spaced axially from a generally axially facing non-rotating surface fixed with respect to the vehicle suspension structure in an outboard direction by an axial clearance, so that a side impact having a resultant bad offset from the wheel mounting component axis by a radial distance of from about 150 to about 200 millimeters, and displacing the side-impact load transmitting portion of the wheel mounting component in the inboard direction by a distance equal to the axial clearance, does not cause an impact indentation from the first rolling elements in the first outer raceway or the first inner raceway deeper than about 3 microns, to avoid a noise or vibration condition when the wheel mounting component rotates relative to the non-rotating component during continued operation of the wheel bearing assembly,
• wherein displacement of the side-impact load transmitting portion of the wheel mounting component in the inboard direction by a distance greater than the axial clearance is inhibited by the side-impact load transmitting portion of the wheel mounting component contacting and transmitting a load to the vehicle suspension structure through the non-rotating surface, to inhibit deepening of any impact indentation from the first rolling elements in the first outer raceway or the first inner raceway, and
• wherein the side-impact load transmitting portion of the wheel mounting component is an annular surface inclined with respect to the wheel mounting component axis, and the generally axially facing non-rotating surface is inclined with respect to the wheel mounting component axis, both surfaces being symmetric about the axis of the wheel mounting component and inclined with respect to the axis at approximately the same oblique angle.

An automotive vehicle wheel bearing assembly comprising

• a wheel mounting component defining an axis;
• a non-rotating component fixed with respect to a vehicle suspension structure;
• and
• bearing elements rotatably coupling the wheel mounting component to the non-rotating component to allow the wheel mounting component to rotate relative to the non-rotating component about the axis;
• wherein the bearing elements include a first outer raceway and a first inner raceway, the first outer raceway and the first inner raceway rollably retaining a plurality of first rolling elements,
• wherein a radial-impact load transmitting portion of the wheel mounting component is spaced from a generally radially-facing non-rotating surface fixed with respect to the vehicle suspension structure by a radial clearance, so that a radial impact displacing the radial-impact load transmitting portion of the wheel mounting component in a radial direction toward the generally radially-facing non-rotating surface by a distance equal to the radial clearance does not cause an impact indentation from the first rolling elements in the first outer raceway or the first inner raceway deeper than about 3 microns, to avoid a noise or vibration condition when the wheel mounting component rotates relative to the non-rotating component during continued operation of the wheel bearing assembly,
• wherein displacement of the radial-impact load transmitting portion of the wheel mounting component in said radial direction by a distance greater than the radial clearance is inhibited by the side-impact load transmitting portion of the wheel mounting component contacting and transmitting a load to the vehicle suspension structure through the non-rotating surface, to inhibit deepening of any impact indentation from the first rolling elements in the first outer raceway or the first inner raceway.