Asssembly for adjusting wheel alignment, and method
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to vehicles having steerable wheels carried on at least one ball joint and ball joint stud, and more particularly to an improved method and assembly for correcting the alignment settings of the steerable wheels of such vehicles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Alignment adjustment at the ball joint has been a desirable but difficult exercise. When the ball joint is carried in the spindle, caster, camber and steering angle (king-pin inclination) can be changed. Reversal of these mountings limits adjustment to camber since the actual pivot locations are fixed. Though not limited to such uses, most ball joint adjustment is to be found in rigid axle, usually four-wheel drive, vehicles. 
     Perhaps the most widely utilized example of such devices is that described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,338. In this arrangement, a conventional, symmetrical ball joint bushing is removed and replaced with an offset and/or skewed bushing. The bushing is located with the offset oriented in a direction determined by the required alignment correction. Since the bushing is usually threaded, the depth of mounting of the bushing is controllable only to a portion of the thread pitch. Accordingly, ball joint preloaded, which is a function of the bushing position, is not precisely controllable. Instead, the bushing position is determined by alignment rather than preload consideration. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,588 discusses a structure using a socket portion fitted in a spindle which receives an outer sleeve which in turn both complementary fits the socket and fits the tapered ball joint stud. Thus, when the ball joint nut is secured on the stud, it bears upon the sleeve and pulls the stud into the sleeve. The tapered shape of the stud expands the sleeve to cause it to seize the socket and lock the structure. By way of drawbacks, the structure requires the alignment to be maintained in an unsteady manner as the nut is tightened, and the &#34;locking&#34; is by friction between two spherical surfaces, one concave and one convex. Such locking is at best marginal in view of the loads carried through the structure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an improved vehicle alignment assembly and method in which, in terms of structure such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,338, a ball joint bushing is replaced by an annular insert member with a concave bearing surface at one end of the bore, a tilt bearing having a complementary convex bearing surface is installed on the ball joint stud and a washer with a selected wedge is positioned under the stud nut. The insert member and tilt bearing locate the ball joint stud but permit angular movement. The wedge washer determines the angular position, or tilt, of the stud. 
     In the instance of an original design as opposed to the above-described retrofit, the convex and concave bearing surfaces can be provided directly on the ball joint stud and suspension member bore, respectively. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings illustrate a complete embodiment of the invention according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a typical solid axle, yoke and steering knuckle arrangement including ball joints according to the prior art; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectioned side view of an alignment assembly of the present invention shown on a ghosted ball joint; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the components shown in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned view of the alignment assembly of FIG. 2 shown installed in the yoke of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now to the drawings, wherein similar elements are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various figures, a prior art steering assembly to which the instant invention pertains is illustrated in FIG. 1 and generally designated by reference numeral 10. It is to be understood that the assembly shown is merely typical, but not definitive of such assemblies. As shown in FIG. 1, steering assembly 10 includes axle housing 12, which, as illustrated, is hollow and adapted to enclose a driving axle (not shown) for a four-wheel drive vehicle, but for the purposes of illustration is essentially equivalent to a solid axle. Yoke 14 is rigidly mounted to axle housing 12 and carries upper ball joint housing 16 and lower ball joint housing 17. 
     Upper ball joint housing 16 is enlarged and threaded to receive bushing 19, which includes slots 20 which receive a tool (not shown) to assist in engaging the threads of bushing 19 with the threads of upper ball joint housing 16 by rotation. As illustrated, lower ball joint housing 17 is a tapered opening, but optionally could be of a structure similar to that of upper ball joint housing 16 in order that a bushing could also be threaded therein. Upper ball joint 21 fits within the tapered portion thereof in the tapered interior opening of bushing 19 while lower ball joint 23 engages lower ball joint housing 17 with the tapered portion of lower 23 engaging the tapered portion of lower ball joint housing 17 defined directly in yoke 14. Nuts 25 and 26 may be threaded onto the complementary threaded studs of ball joints 21 and 23 to secure the ball joints in yoke 14. 
     The structure of ball joints is of course well known. Ball joints 21 and 23 include a ball journaled in a housing and having a threaded and tapered stud extending therefrom. The housing of upper ball joint 21 is secured to steering knuckle 28 at support opening 30. Lower ball joint 23 is similarly secured to steering knuckle 28 at lower ball joint support 31 as shown in FIG. 1. 
     Steering knuckle 28 includes spindle pad 32 and steering arm 34 to, respectively, mount a spindle (not shown) thereto, and to provide for movement of steering knuckle 28 relative to yoke 14 for vehicle steering. Other related suspension and steering structure is well known to those skilled in the art and thus will not be presented in unnecessary detail here. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, insert member 40 according to the instant invention includes a threaded outer surface 42, an enlarged inner bore 44 chamber 45, and bearing surface 46 preferably in the form of a concave truncated sphere. Openings 48 are defined in the end surface of insert member 40 to facilitate installation using a complementary wrench (not shown). Tilt bearing 50 is formed with a tapered inner channel 52 which fits the ball joint stud taper, and a convex bearing surface 55 complementary to concave bearing surface 46. Finally, wedge washer 60 includes bottom surface 62, locating ridge 64, angled upper surface 66 and hole 67 extending normal to angled surface 66 and shaped to receive the ball joint stud. 
     Operation of the alignment assembly will be more readily understood with reference to FIG. 4. As shown, ball joint 21 is carried in steering knuckle 28 by a press fit at opening 30. Insert member 40 is threaded into yoke 14 and tilt bearing 50 is supported on the tapered stud of ball joint 21. Thus concave bearing surface 46 of insert member 40 engages convex bearing surface 55 of tilt bearing 50 to position and locate the stud portion of ball joint 21 while allowing angular movement thereof. However, wedge wash 60 below ball joint nut 25 angularly positions the ball joint stud as a result of the angled upper and lower surfaces. 
     Insert member 40 may be positioned at any depth within upper ball joint housing 16 to accommodate the desired ball joint preload. Appropriate amounts of adjustment can be accomplished by selecting a wedge washer 60 with the proper angle between the upper and lower surfaces. Also, wedge wash 60 may be positioned with the wedge perpendicular to the axle to adjust caster, or parallel to the axle to adjust camber, or in between to adjust both concurrently. 
     While not required, it is often desirable to longitudinally split insert member 40. This enables the ball joint stud to more easily expand the insert member 40 to preclude movement. But it is apparent from the above discussion that the alignment is positively located by the wedge washer 60. 
     Only preferred forms and embodiments of the invention have been described in detail. However, numerous variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, the concave bearing surface could clearly be formed within the ball joint housing bore thereby obviating the need for a separate insert member. In a similar manner, the convex tilt bearing could be formed directly on the ball joint stud. Such changes and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.