Restricted swing angle socket assembly

1. A socket assembly, comprising:

a housing with an inner bore which extends from a first open end to a second open end;

a ball stud at least partially disposed within said inner bore of said housing and including a shank portion and a ball portion and a protrusion portion and said shank portion extending out of said housing through said first open end;

a first bearing fabricated as a single piece of a rigid material and disposed in said inner bore of said housing, said first bearing including a bearing surface that is in surface-to-surface contact with said ball portion of said ball stud, and said first bearing including a passage, said protrusion portion of said ball stud extending into said passage, and said passage being shaped to cooperate with said protrusion portion to allow said ball stud to rotate relative to said housing in one rotational direction by a greater magnitude than in another rotational direction;

a cover plate closing said second open end of said housing; and

a spring disposed between said cover plate and said first bearing and biasing said first bearing into contact with said ball portion of said ball stud.

2. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said passage of said first bearing has an oval or elliptical shape.

3. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a second bearing disposed in said inner bore of said housing and in sliding contact with said ball portion of said ball stud.

4. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring is a Belleville washer.

5. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a spacer positioned between an upper surface of said first bearing and said spring.

6. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said cover plate and said spring and said spacer have co-axial openings for conveying a lubricant into an interior of said socket assembly.

7. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein a lip on said housing at said second open end is swaged to capture said cover plate.

8. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first bearing that is fabricated as a single piece is made of metal.

9. A tie rod assembly for a steering system of a vehicle, comprising:

a one-piece tie rod body presenting a housing with an inner bore which extends from a first open end to a second open end;

a ball stud at least partially disposed within said open bore of said housing and including a shank portion and a ball portion and a protrusion portion and said shank portion extending out of said housing through said first open end;

a first bearing constructed as a single piece of a rigid material and disposed in said inner bore of said housing, said first bearing including a bearing surface that is in surface-to-surface contact with said ball portion of said ball stud and including a passage, said protrusion portion of said ball stud extending into said passage, and said passage being shaped to cooperate with said protrusion portion to allow said ball stud to rotate relative to said housing in one rotational direction by a greater magnitude than in another rotational direction;

a cover plate closing said second open end of said housing; and

a spring disposed between said cover plate and said first bearing and biasing said first bearing into contact with said ball portion of said ball stud.

10. The tie rod assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said passage of said first bearing has an oval or elliptical shape.

11. The tie rod assembly as set forth in claim 9 further including a second bearing disposed in said inner bore of said housing and in sliding contact with said ball portion of said ball stud.

12. The tie rod assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said spring is a Belleville washer.

13. The tie rod assembly as set forth in claim 9 further including a spacer positioned between an upper surface of said first bearing and said spring.

14. The tie rod assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said cover plate and said spring and said spacer have co-axial openings for conveying a lubricant into an interior of said socket assembly.

15. The tie rod assembly as set forth in claim 9 further including a dust boot sealed against said housing and said ball stud.

16. The tie rod assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first bearing that is fabricated as a single piece is made of metal.

17. A method of making a socket assembly, comprising the steps of:

preparing a housing with an inner bore which extends from a first open end to a second open end;

inserting a ball stud into the inner bore of the housing, wherein the ball stud has a ball portion and a shank portion and a protrusion portion, and wherein the shank portion extends out of the inner bore through the first open end;

inserting a bearing that is fabricated as a single piece of a rigid material into the inner bore of the housing, the bearing having a bearing surface in surface-to-surface contact with the ball portion of the ball stud a passage, the protrusion portion of the ball stud extending into the passage, and the passage being shaped to cooperate with the protrusion portion of the ball stud to allow the ball stud to rotate in one rotational direction by a greater magnitude than in another rotational direction;

inserting a spring into the inner bore of the housing to bias the bearing into contact with the ball portion of the ball stud; and

closing the second open end of the housing with a cover plate.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the bearing that is made as a single piece is made of metal.