Cone adaptor for ball joint studs, tie rods, sway bar links and the like

1. A ball and socket joint assembly for use in vehicular steering and suspension applications in which an anchoring control member is incorporated, said assembly comprising:

a stud having a ball portion terminating at a substantially spherical surface on one end thereof and a shank extending therefrom, said shank including a thread form for attaching said stud to the anchoring control member;

said shank including an adaptor interface region unitarily formed with and between said ball portion and said thread form;

an annular, loose piece adaptor constructed of a single piece of material slidably disposed on said shank and matingly engaging said adaptor interface region in abutting surface-to-surface contact therewith, said adaptor having an interior surface and a frustoconical exterior surface tapering inwardly toward said thread form configured to seat with a complimentary shaped flare of the anchoring member; and

said interior surface of said adaptor including a generally spheroidal female surface configuration and said adaptor interface region of said shank having a complementary-shaped generally spheroidal male surface configuration, whereby the generally spheroidal female and male mating surfaces abut in surface-to-surface contact with one another to provide enhanced stress distributions and load carrying capabilities with less adaptor-to-shank slippage in operation.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said generally spheroidal female surface configuration on said adaptor has a generally convex formation, and said mating generally spheroidal male surface configuration on said adaptor interface region has a generally concave formation.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said interior surface of said adaptor includes a generally cylindrical side wall adjacent said generally spheroidal female surface configuration, and said adaptor interface region of said shank includes a generally cylindrical collar between said spheroidal male surface configuration and said ball portion, said cylindrical collar being matingly received within said side wall of said adaptor.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a housing cap surrounding said ball portion of said stud and articulatable thereabout.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 further including a resilient dust boot extending between said housing cap and said shank for preventing contaminant infiltration into the articulating interface.