CCTY Bearing consolidates parts in a ball-joint assembly

CCTY Bearing is a bearing manufacturer that recently helped one utility-vehicle OEM address sourcing, quality, and assembly issues with some of its front-suspension ball-joint components. Ultimately, CCTY Bearing consolidated three different part numbers for a more cost-effective and reliable solution.

CCTY Bearing helped one utility-vehicle OEM create a bearing assembly that consolidated parts into one design. Ultimately it’s less expensive and cleaner and faster to assemble on the production line.

The traditional ball joint, retaining plate, and rubber shroud needed assembly and greasing during production — and then regular maintenance by the end user. CCTY eliminated the regreasing issue by designing a maintenance-free ball joint assembly.

The CCTY Bearing design passed all the OEM’s life and durability testing — even though it eliminated a grease fitting. It also provided a maintenance-free, longer-life ball joint for the end user.

This also let engineers eliminate the grease fitting and machining operations needed to provide a path of travel for the grease into the ball joint from the mating part. That also let the OEM remove how-to maintenance instructions from the utility-vehicle owner’s manual.

So the new bearing design is backwards compatible with current and previous UVs … though with a positive seal (that the previous design’s rubber shroud could not support) and a corrected taper on the stud (eliminating the need for an additional washer).

“During a conference call the OEM project engineer said, ‘Most suppliers don’t ask the kind of questions you guys do … and I like the questions,” noted strategic sales manager and senior engineer Rich Pearlberg.

“As a bearing manufacturer with a state-of-the-art facility, we can partner with OEM engineers to design unique solutions,” said John Sweetwood.