Cross joint and vehicular steering system including the same

A vehicular steering system comprising:

• a steering shaft;
• a column shaft;
• and
• a joint for interconnecting the steering shaft and the column shaft,
• wherein the joint comprises:
• a cross shaft including four shaft portions projecting in four directions from a side periphery of a body portion thereof;
• a cylindrical bearing cup having a closed end and an open end and including a raceway surface on an inner periphery thereof beginning adjacent to the closed end and extending toward the body portion;
• a plurality of needle rollers having the first end portions thereof located on an opening side of the bearing cup, arranged along the raceway surface of the bearing cup and fitted about the shaft portion, and
• wherein the inner periphery of the bearing cup includes a tapered surface portion which begins at an end of the raceway surface and extends toward the open end of the cylindrical bearing cup and the needle rollers have a length such that the rollers are coextensive with major portions of both the raceway surface and the tapered surface portion such that the first end portions of the needle rollers pivot radially outwardly against the tapered surface portion when the plural needle rollers arranged along the inner periphery of the bearing cup are fitted about the shaft portion.