Trunnion support and bearing particularly for universal joint

1. A combination comprised of a thrust washer and a spacer for use with a trunnion, the combination comprising:

an annular spacer having a first axial thickness between a first axial side and an opposite second axial side along an axial direction, and an axial opening of a first diameter through the spacer along the axial direction, the opening having an inner perimeter;

a thrust washer having at least a portion thereof disposed inside the opening of the spacer, the thrust washer portion having at least a portion of a periphery of the washer with a second diameter that is less than the first diameter of the spacer opening, the thrust washer having a second axial thickness between a first axial side facing in the same axial direction as the first axial side of the spacer and an opposite second axial side facing in the same axial direction as the second axial side of the spacer, the thrust washer being positioned in the spacer opening such that the first axial side of the thrust washer is located axially inward in the opening from the first axial side of the spacer and toward the second side of the spacer;

the thrust washer has an outer region radially inward of the periphery thereof and of the at least one sacrificial tab, the thrust washer has an axial protrusion at the second axial side and at the outer region thereof so that the thrust washer is axially thicker at the outer region than radially inward of the outer region;

at least one sacrificial tab extending between and joined to the inner perimeter of the annular spacer at the opening and to the at least a portion of the periphery of the thrust washer;

the at least one tab being relatively weakened at either of the inner perimeter of the spacer opening or the periphery of the portion of the thrust washer, such that upon a force being applied to the thrust washer in the axial direction toward the first axial side of the axial spacer, the at least one sacrificial tab is broken at a location thereof toward the one of the spacer and the thrust washer where the sacrificial tab is weakened so that a remnant of the broken sacrificial tab will remain with the one of the thrust washer and the spacer where the sacrificial tab is not weakened;

the at least one sacrificial tab is weakened by having a smaller dimension at either the inner perimeter of the spacer or the outer periphery of the washer where the at least one tab is weakened, and the remnant of the at least one tab will remain with the one of the spacer and the washer where the at least one tab has at least one larger dimension than where the at least one tab is weakened, in at least one of the axial direction and a circumferential direction around the spacer.

2. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sacrificial tab is at least one of axially thicker and circumferentially wider at the one of the spacer and the thrust washer to which the sacrificial tab remains upon breaking of the sacrificial tab.

3. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial tab is at least one of axially thicker and circumferentially wider at the spacer so that the sacrificial tab remains with the spacer upon breaking of the sacrificial tab.

4. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the thrust washer has a central axis and a central region around the central axis, an axial thickening of the thrust washer at the central region thereof.

5. The thrust washer of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the sacrificial tabs at intervals spaced circumferentially around the periphery of the thrust washer.

6. The combination of claim 1 , wherein the spacer has a greater thickness between the first and second axial sides thereof than the thickness of the thrust washer between the first and second axial sides thereof.

7. An assembly comprising:

a bearing cup having a bottom and an open top;

the combination of claim 1 disposed in the bearing cup and toward the bottom thereof, with the spacer oriented with the first axial side thereof toward the bottom of the cup;

a plurality of rotary bearing elements in the cup supported in an array engaging the inner periphery of the cup, and the bearing elements having an inner axial end toward the second axial side of the spacer;

the thrust washer being of such thickness between the first and second axial sides thereof that after breaking of the at least one sacrificial tab and movement of the thrust washer toward the bottom of the cup and toward the first axial side of the spacer, the thrust washer is spaced from the inner axial side of the bearing elements.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the bearing elements comprise an array of needle bearing elements extending axially in the cup.

9. The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a seal disposed in the cup axially outward of the bearing elements and operable for blocking the bearing elements from moving out of the cup;

the seal being annular and having a radial interior operable to seal against a trunnion installed in the cup inside the bearing elements.

10. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the bottom of the cup is shaped for having the first axial side of the spacer rest against the bottom of the cup and for supporting the first axial side of the thrust washer after the sacrificial tabs have been broken and the thrust washer has moved toward the bottom of the cup.

11. A combination comprised of a thrust washer and a spacer for use with a trunnion, the combination comprising:

an annular spacer having a first axial thickness between a first axial side and an opposite second axial side along an axial direction, and an axial opening of a first diameter through the spacer along the axial direction, the opening having an inner perimeter;

a thrust washer having at least a portion thereof disposed inside the opening of the spacer, the thrust washer portion having at least a portion of a periphery of the washer with a second diameter that is less than the first diameter of the spacer opening, the thrust washer having a second axial thickness between a first axial side facing in the same axial direction as the first axial side of the spacer and an opposite second axial side facing in the same axial direction as the second axial side of the spacer, the thrust washer being positioned in the spacer opening such that the first axial side of the thrust washer is located axially inward in the opening from the first axial side of the spacer and toward the second side of the spacer;

the thrust washer has an outer region radially inward of the periphery thereof and of the sacrificial tab, the thrust washer has an axial protrusion at the second axial side and at the outer region thereof so that the thrust washer is axially thicker at the outer region than radially inward of the outer region

at least one sacrificial tab extending between and joined to the inner perimeter of the annular spacer at the opening and to the at least a portion of the periphery of the thrust washer;

the at least one tab being relatively weakened at either of the inner perimeter of the spacer opening or the periphery of the portion of the thrust washer, such that upon a force being applied to the thrust washer in the axial direction toward the first axial side of the axial spacer, the at least one sacrificial tab is broken at a location thereof toward the one of the spacer and the thrust washer where the sacrificial tab is weakened so that a remnant of the broken sacrificial tab will remain with the one of the thrust washer and the spacer where the sacrificial tab is not weakened.