Wheel bearing hub with deformed bead

A wheel bearing unit comprising:

• a wheel hub having an axial end;
• an angular antifriction bearing around the hub including at least one inner ring on the hub, at least one row of bearing rolling elements around the inner ring, and an outer ring outside the inner ring;
• the inner ring being installable on the hub by being movable axially onto the end of the hub, and the inner ring having an axially outer end;
• the hub including a tubular end portion extending axially beyond the axially outer end of the inner ring, and the hub end portion being deformed plastically to extend radially outwardly for defining a bead over the axially outer end of the inner ring to clamp the installed inner ring on the hub;
• the hub bore being at an angle of inclination (.beta.) in the range of 0.degree. to 20.degree. with reference to the radially inner edge of the inner ring;
• at least the portion of the hub defining the bead having a hardness in the range of 200 to 270 HB;
• the inner ring of the bearing having an axially outer, radially inner rounded edge around which the bead is formed and the radius (r) of that edge of the inner ring is in the range of 2-4 mm;
• the bead being deformed around the radially inner, axially outer edge of the inner ring, the bead has a bead curvature radius (R) in the range of 5-8 mm;
• at the radially inner, axially outer edge of the inner ring, the bead has an axial height (H) in the range of 4.0-6.0 mm and wherein radially outwardly, the bead tapers narrower and has an axially outer side that is inclined and an angle (.alpha.) in the range of 20.degree.-30.degree. from the radial direction of the axially outer edge of the inner ring.