| The guide joint is designed to make the connection and hence provide the support between the front axle wishbone and the axle body (steering knuckle). Its installation point is always at the triangular tip of the wishbone. It is therefore located opposite the rotation axis of the wishbone. Guide joints installed upright or sus-pended transfer the longitudinal and lateral forces into this link. The mounting height is adjusted and fixed via the ball stud pin. It can be designed as a cone, with frontal threaded stud and nut, or as cylinder stud with retainer, concave and passage bolt. The sealing bellow is permanently grease packed.
The ball joint should be freely movable, not very flexible, maintenance- free and noise insulating. These four requirements, which are partly contradictory, are met by fitting plastic shells in the ball joint, for instance. In terms of design, there are only minor differences between guide joints and supporting ball joints . |
