Spherical bearing and process for manufacturing the same

The manufacturing method for a spherical bearing which comprises:

• an inside member having a metal ball portion;
• a resin liner covering the ball portion of the inside member and held in sliding contact with the ball portion;
• and
• an outside member for undetachably enclosing and holding the resin liner without being brought into contact with the inside member,
• the method comprising:
• molding, by injection molding, the resin liner covering the ball portion, with the ball portion of the inside member being inserted as a core into a die;
• molding, by a forging process, the outside member which is held in close contact with an entire of an outer peripheral surface of the resin liner and kept out of contact with the ball portion, by setting a metal bearing element which has a hollow portion in another die and by accommodating the inside member in the hollow portion, the inside member being formed integrally with the resin liner, the metal bearing element being held in contact only with the resin liner and kept out of contact with the ball portion and wherein the forging process on the outside member is performed in a state in which a spherical surface of the ball portion is covered from above and below by a pair of slide pins which are held in contact with the resin liner;
• and
• heating, after completion of the forging process, the resin liner through an intermediation of the ball portion of the inside member, the resin liner covering the ball portion.