Ball joint with integral seal

Apparatus for sealing an opening between a socket and a ball stud in a ball joint, the socket defining a chamber and having an axial end portion defining the opening in the socket, the ball stud having a ball portion in the chamber and a shank portion projecting through the opening, the ball joint including a bearing supporting the ball portion in the chamber, said apparatus comprising:

• a shank seal portion for sealing against the ball stud shank;
• a retaining ring;
• and
• a socket seal portion for sealing against the socket, said socket seal portion having said retaining ring molded therein, a part of said socket seal portion being located between the axial end portion of the socket and the bearing and providing a seal between them.

Apparatus comprising:

• a socket defining a chamber and having an axial end portion defining an opening;
• a ball stud having a ball portion in said chamber and a shank portion projecting through said opening;
• a bearing supporting said ball portion in said chamber;
• and
• a seal member for sealing the opening between said socket and said ball stud, said seal member comprising:
• a shank seal portion for sealing against said ball stud shank;
• a retaining ring;
• and
• a socket seal portion for sealing against said socket, said socket seal portion having said retaining ring molded therein, a first part of said socket seal portion being located between said axial end portion of said socket and said bearing and providing a seal between them;
• said shank seal portion being elastic and when unstretched having an inside diameter less than the outside diameter of said ball stud shank portion, said shank seal portion being stretched to resiliently engage said ball stud shank portion to provide a seal against an outer surface of said ball stud shank portion;
• and
• said shank seal portion comprising a plurality of axially spaced annular sealing lips engaging said ball stud shank portion at axially spaced locations.

Apparatus for sealing an opening between a socket and a ball stud in a ball joint, the socket defining a chamber and having an axial end portion defining the opening, the ball stud having a ball portion in the chamber and a shank portion projecting through the opening, the ball joint including a bearing supporting the ball portion in the chamber, said apparatus comprising:

• a shank seal portion for sealing against the ball stud shank;
• a retaining ring;
• and
• a socket seal portion for sealing against the socket, said socket seal portion having said retaining ring molded therein, a part of said socket seal portion being located between the axial end portion of the socket and the bearing and providing a seal between them;
• said socket seal portion of said seal member completely surrounding said retaining ring molded in said socket seal portion, and said retaining ring being located in the chamber and having an outside diameter greater than the diameter of the opening and an inside diameter smaller than the diameter of the ball portion of the ball stud, the axial end portion of the socket blocking movement of said retaining ring out of the chamber and said retaining ring blocking movement of the ball portion out of the chamber;
• and
• said shank seal portion comprising a plurality of axially spaced annular sealing lips engaging the ball stud shank at axially spaced locations.