Supporting mechanism for a wobble plate and method of making same

A wobble plate type refrigerant compressor comprising:

• a compressor housing having therein a cylinder block defined by a plurality of cylinders and a crank chamber adjacent said cylinders;
• a reciprocative piston slidably fitted within each of said cylinders;
• a front end plate with a central opening attached to one end surface of said compressor housing;
• a drive mechanism coupled to said pistons to reciprocate said pistons within said cylinders, said drive mechanism including a drive shaft rotatably supported within said central opening of said front end plate and a wedge-shaped cam rotor having an annular outer end surface and being operatively coupled to said drive shaft;
• a wobble plate disposed in proximity with said annular outer end surface and having a centered first bevel gear which is provided with a ball seat;
• a second bevel gear supported on said cylinder block and having a ball seat;
• and
• a bearing ball seated in both of said ball seats and nutatably supporting said wobble plate about the center of said ball;
• wherein at least one of said bevel gears is coated with an inner electrical plating layer and an outer electroless composite plating layer, said outer electroless composite plating layer comprising a metal and a self-lubricative material dispersion.