Patent ID: 7267490

Claim:
A bearing apparatus for a driving wheel of vehicle comprising: a wheel hub formed with a wheel mounting flange at one end; a constant velocity universal joint including an outer joint member integrally formed with a mouth portion, a shoulder portion formed on the bottom of the mouth portion and a shaft portion axially extending from the shoulder portion; a double row rolling bearing for rotatably supporting a vehicle wheel relative to a body of a vehicle; said wheel hub, constant velocity universal joint and double row rolling bearing being assembled as a unit, a first and second inner raceway surface, said wheel hub and outer joint member being fitted with each other with one end surface of the wheel hub being abutted against the shoulder of the outer joint member and a portion of the outer joint member shaft extending into an inner circumferential bore of said wheel hub, an inner circumferential surface at a fitting portion of the wheel hub being formed with a hardened irregular portion, the wheel hub and the outer joint member being integrally connected via plastic deformation of the outer joint member, such that the hardened irregular portion bites into the outer circumferential surface of the outer joint member at a fitting portion by radially outwardly expanding the fitting portion of the outer joint member; and an outer circumferential surface of the outer joint member formed with a hardened layer, said hardened layer being at least in a region including the second inner raceway surface and a portion of the shaft portion except for the fitting portion of the outer joint member.