Patent ID: 7011317

Claim:
A wheel assembly comprising: a wheel hub having opposing first and second hub faces and a first opening in the first hub face extending from the first hub face along a central axis of the wheel hub; a first ball bearing having a first inner ring and a first outer ring concentric with the central axis, wherein the first inner ring and the first outer ring are metal, and wherein the first inner ring has a first inner grooved race and the first outer ring has a first outer grooved race, and wherein the width of the first inner ring is greater than the width of the first outer ring, and wherein the first inner ring has an inner ring outside diameter, and wherein the first outer ring is located in the first opening between the first and second hub faces; a first bearing sleeve in the first opening, wherein the first bearing sleeve is separate from the first ball bearing, and surrounds and contacts a journal surface of the first inner ring to form a first journal bearing, wherein the first journal surface is on a portion of the first inner ring that extends parallel to the central axis from a face of the first outer ring toward the first hub face, and wherein the journal surface has a journal surface diameter substantially equal to the inner ring outside diameter; a second opening in the second hub face extending from the second hub face along the central axis of the wheel hub; a second ball bearing having a second inner ring and a second outer ring concentric with the central axis, wherein the second inner ring and the second outer ring are metal, and wherein the second inner ring has a second inner grooved race and the second outer ring has a second outer grooved race, and wherein the width of the second inner ring is greater than the width of the second outer ring, and wherein the second inner ring has the inner ring outside diameter, and wherein the second outer ring is located in the second opening between the first and second hub faces and the second inner ring extends outside the second hub face; and a second bearing sleeve in the second opening, wherein the second bearing sleeve is separate from the second ball bearing, and surrounds and contacts a second journal surface of the second inner ring to form a second journal bearing, wherein the second journal surface is on a portion of the second inner ring that extends parallel to the central axis from a face of the second outer ring toward the second hub face, and wherein the second journal surface has a journal surface diameter substantially equal to the inner ring outside diameter.