| Summary: | The following paper describes research on vehicle suspension elements: the ball joints. The worn surface roughness of selected ball pins and their bearings was compared in terms of vehicle mileage, utilization period, and car model. Ball pin roughness was measured using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), whereas for the bearing surface, a profilometer was used. The aim of this study was to determine the resistive torque in an unloaded ball joint. Using the finite element method, models of the unloaded ball joint were analyzed in two scenarios: with and without interference between the worn ball and its bearing. Calculated values of resistive torques in the ball joint were compared, and recommendations were given relative to the mileage and the time after which it was necessary to perform verification or replacement of the ball joints.
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