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| Word | Description |
| B-Body | B-Body is the term for the 1959-1996 GM platform that the following vehicles were built on: Chevrolet Caprice, Impala SS / Buick Roadmaster, LeSabre / Pontiac Bonneville, Catalina |
| Ball Joint | In an automobile, ball joints are spherical bearings that connect the control arms to the steering knuckles. More specifically, a ball joint is a steel bearing stud and socket enclosed in a steel casing. The bearing stud is tapered and threaded. It fits into a tapered hole in the steering knuckle. A protective encasing prevents dirt from getting into the joint assembly. |
| Bump Steer | Bump steer is the term for the tendency of a wheel to steer as it moves upwards into jounce. It is typically measured in degrees per foot. On modern cars the front of the tire moves outwards, as the suspension is raised, a process known as the front wheels "toeing out". This gives roll under steer. The rear suspension is usually set up to minimize bump steer, where possible. A typical value is two degrees, or perhaps more, for the front wheels. Excessive bump steer increases tire wear and makes the vehicle more difficult to handle on rough roads. Solid axles generally have zero bump steer, but still have roll steer, in most cases. That is, if the wheels move upwards by the same amount, they tend not to steer. |
| Bushing | A bushing or rubber bushing is a type of vibration isolator. It provides an interface between two parts, damping the energy transmitted through the bushing. A common application is in vehicle suspension systems, where a bushing made of rubber (or, more often, synthetic rubber or polyurethane) separates the faces of two metal objects while allowing a certain amount of movement. This movement allows the suspension parts to move freely, for example, when traveling over a large bump, while minimizing transmission of noise and small vibrations through to the chassis of the vehicle. A rubber bushing may also be described as a flexible mounting or anti-vibration mounting. These bushings often take the form of an annular cylinder of flexible material inside a metallic casing or outer tube. They might also feature an internal crush tube which protects the bushing from being crushed by the fixings which hold it onto a threaded spigot. Many different types of bushing designs exist. An important difference compared with plain bearings is that the relative motion between the two connected parts is accommodated by strain in the rubber, rather than by shear or friction at the interface. Some rubber bushings, such as the D block for a sway bar, do allow sliding at the interface between one part and the rubber. |