Vehicle wheel bearing

Abstract

A first vehicle wheel bearing has a monolithic shaft including two inner races and has a monolithic outer race assembly. A second bearing has a monolithic shaft including a shoulder and at least one inner race, wherein the shaft is positioned within the bore of a vehicle knuckle member with the shoulder abutting the knuckle. A third bearing has an end cap attached to an outer race assembly and covering the bearing-cavity outboard opening. A fourth bearing has an inboard seal covering the bearing-cavity inboard opening and extending outside the cavity to define a target ring for an ABS speed sensor. A fifth bearing has an ABS speed sensor positioned in the bearing cavity and attached to a shaft proximate the outboard opening and has a target ring positioned in the bearing cavity and attached to the outer race assembly.

1 . A vehicle wheel bearing assembly comprising: 
 a) a vehicle knuckle member which has a bore, which has a substantially-outboard-facing surface and a substantially-inboard-facing surface; and    b) a vehicle wheel bearing having: 
 (1) a monolithic, non-rotatable shaft which includes an outboard inner race and a shoulder, wherein the shaft is disposed in the bore, wherein the shoulder abuts the substantially-outboard-facing surface, and wherein the shaft is attached to the vehicle knuckle member against the substantially-inboard-facing surface;  
 (2) an inboard inner race; and  
 (3) a monolithic, rotatable outer race assembly which surrounds the shaft and which includes an outboard outer race defining an inboard raceway with an outboard inner race and containing balls therebetween and an inboard outer race defining an inboard raceway with inboard inner race and containing balls therebetween, and an inboard seal located radially between the shaft and outer race assembly.