Provided is a method of manufacturing a nitrocarburized crankshaft which is obtained by subjecting a bainitic microalloyed steel to a forging and a machining, and further subjecting the bainitic microalloyed steel to at least a strain releasing heat treatment and a subsequent nitrocarburizing treatment, the bainitic microalloyed steel containing, as essentially added elements, in terms of mass %: 0.10% to 0.40% of C; 0.10% to 1.0% of Si; 1.0% to 2.0% of Mn; 0.05% to 0.40% of Mo; and 0.05% to 0.40% of V, and the bainitic microalloyed steel optionally further containing, as arbitrarily added elements, in terms of mass %: 0.01% to 0.1% of S; 0.005% to 0.2% of Ti; 0.001% to 0.03% of Al; 0.50% or less of Cr; 0.5% or less of Cu; and 0.5% or less of Ni, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities.

Steel for which the composition is, in weight percentages: 0.35%C0.50%; 0.30%Mn1.50%; trace amounts Cr1.50%; 0.05%Mo0.50%; 0.15Si1.20%; trace amounts Ni1.0%; trace amounts Cu1.0%; trace amounts V0.35%; trace amounts Al0.10%; trace amounts B0.005%; trace amounts Ti0.10%; trace amounts Nb0.10%; trace amounts S0.15%; trace amounts Ca0.010%; trace amounts Te0.030%; trace amounts Se0.050%; trace amounts Bi0.050%; trace amounts Pb0.100%; trace amounts N0.020%; the remainder being iron and impurities resulting from the elaboration, and the C, Mn and Cr contents being such that 830-270 C %-90 Mn %-70 Cr %)620.

A steel material for a torsionally stressed component, such as a driveshaft, having a minimum tensile strength of 800 MPs, and the microstructure consists of more than 50 vol. % of bainite, having an alloy with the following composition in wt. %: C: 0.02 to 0.3; Si: up to 0.7; Mn: 1.0 to 3.0; P: max. 0.02; S: max. 0.01; N: max. 0.01; Al: up to 0.1; Cu: up to 0.2; Cr: up to 3.0; Ni: up to 0.3; Mo: up to 0.5; Ti: up to 0.2; V: up to 0.2; Nb: up to 0.1; B: up to 0.01; where 0.02Nb+V+Ti0.25, residual iron, and smelting impurities. The steel material is inexpensive and has good torsional fatigue strength when used for a torsionally stressed component. The invention also relates to a method for producing a component made of the material and to such a component.