Patent ID: 7648304

Claim:
A protected ball joint system in a vehicle suspension, comprising: a ball pivot having a shank portion and a ball portion; a receptacle extending from a pivotable knuckle, the receptacle having an aperture therethrough receiving the shank portion of the ball pivot; an arm receiving the ball portion of the ball pivot, the arm having an upper, generally flat arm surface; a flexible dust cover intermediate the receptacle and the arm, the dust cover enclosing a gap between the receptacle and the arm and including a pair of aligned openings through which the shank portion of the ball pivot extends; a shield comprising a generally parabolic, rigid shroud integral to and extending from the receptacle, the shroud generally surrounding the dust cover and terminating in a lower shield surface, the lower shield surface being facially opposed to the upper surface of the arm; and a pair of integral, arcuate-shaped tangs extending radially outwardly from at least one of the shield and the receptacle, the tangs having at least one sidewall and being configured to engage at least one of a ball joint installation tool and a ball joint removal tool, wherein movement of the lower surface of the shield relative to the upper surface of the arm exerts pressure upon road-borne materials accumulated proximate the dust cover to break up said materials, and wherein the sidewalls of the tangs are capable of rotating relative to the arm to urge accumulated road-borne material proximate the gap and in contact with the sidewalls away from the dust cover.