Ball joint components and methods for making same

A ball joint assembly (10) includes a multiple part ball stud (16) that is press fit together and then assembled with a ball socket (30). The ball socket is ultrasonically welded (74) to a ball joint (14) housing, and the ball joint housing is assembled to a heated link to form a strong mechanical joint therebetween. The weld joint between the ball socket and the housing is positioned near the bottom of the ball socket, away from high stress areas of the housing. An annular seal (76) is adhered between an inwardly facing portion of the housing and an outwardly facing portion of the ball stud to heremetically seal the joint.