Steering knuckle and ball joint assembly for tractor front axle

A tractor comprising:

• a frame;
• upper and lower control arms mounted to the frame and extending laterally outward for pivotal motion about upper and lower axes respectively for up and down motion of distal ends of the control arms;
• a steering knuckle attached to the distal ends of the control arms through upper and lower ball joints respectively to define a turning axis for the steering knuckle and to allow the knuckle to move up and down relative to the frame;
• a steering tie rod coupled to the steering knuckle through a steering ball joint spaced from the turning axis whereby the tie rod can apply a steering force to the knuckle to rotate the knuckle about the turning axis;
• and
• the upper, lower and steering ball joints each having a ball stud with at least one ball stud having spherical ball portion and a pair of oppositely extending studs both fixed to the steering knuckle with one stud of the at least one ball stud press fit into an aperture in the steering knuckle wherein the ball stud is rigidly secured to the steering knuckle and one of the upper and lower control arms and steering tie rod is rotatably secured to the ball portion of the ball stud and wherein the other stud of the at least one ball stud is clamped to the knuckle through a cap fixed to the steering knuckle.