Kyklos Bearing International, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Skf USA Inc.

David N Johnson

Steven Eugene Meeker

Connie J Buynacek

Martin P Grover

Debbie Sue Wadsworth-Dubbert

Kelly S Hinds

Bruce T Rockwell

David L Schoewe

Terence Joseph Kehres

Steven E Meeker

A passenger automotive vehicle wheel bearing assembly having improved impact Brinell resistance is provided. Due to a controlled gap between a rotating component and a non-rotating component or a vehicle suspension structure, the non-rotating component or the vehicle suspension structure is permitted to share impact loads caused by a sufficient radial or side impact (such as a pothole or curb impact) to the rotating component, thus preventing excessive loads from being transmitted to rolling elements, and providing greater resistance against Brinell impact damage that would generate a noise and/or vibration condition in the bearing assembly. Wheel bearing assemblies according to the invention provide increased impact Brinell resistance while avoiding excessive contact between the rotating component and the non-rotating component or the vehicle suspension structure during extreme cornering maneuvers.

Wheel bearing assembly

A bearing assembly having improved impact Brinell resistance is provided. Due to a controlled gap between a rotating component and a non-rotating component or a vehicle suspension structure, the non-rotating component or the vehicle suspension structure is permitted to share impact loads caused by a sufficient side impact to the rotating component, thus preventing excessive loads from being transmitted to rolling elements, and providing greater resistance against Brinell impact damage that would generate a noise and/or vibration condition in the bearing assembly. The width of the controlled gap and of the area of potential contact between the rotating component and the vehicle suspension structure or the non-rotating component are optimized to increase impact Brinell resistance while avoiding excessive contact between the rotating component and the non-rotating component or the vehicle suspension structure during extreme cornering maneuvers.

A wheel bearing assembly for supporting a wheel and apportioned vehicle mass is provided. The assembly includes a spindle member defining a rotational axis with a flange for attaching a wheel and a hub assembly. A bearing assembly has inner and outer bearing members in spaced relationship from one another with a plurality of rolling members interposed between the bearing members to permit relative rotation between the bearing members about the rotational axis. The spindle is deformed around the inner bearing member to prevent axial translation between the spindle and the inner bearing member about the rotational axis. An outer surface of the inner bearing member has a geometric feature for receiving a force applied from a tool during the deformation of the spindle thereby reducing radial deflections of the inner bearing member during the process of deforming the spindle.

Wheel bearing with separable inner race processing feature

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Bay Village, OH, United States of America

David N Johnson