A method is used to forge an outer joint member of a constant velocity universal joint. Track grooves of the outer and inner joint members each have an arc-shaped ball raceway center line having a curvature center that is not offset in an axial direction with respect to a joint center. The forging method includes performing ironing by press-fitting a cylindrical portion of one end of a shaft portion of a pre-processing material of the outer joint member including the shaft portion and the cylindrical portion into a die hole of a die while a punch set that is radially expandable and contractable is fitted to an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. The punch set includes punches and a punch base to guide the punches to enable advancing and retreating. Each of the punches has a pair of forming surfaces for forming the adjacent track grooves.

A method is used to forge an outer joint member of a constant velocity universal joint. Track grooves of the outer and inner joint members each have an arc-shaped ball raceway center line having a curvature center that is not offset in an axial direction with respect to a joint center. The forging method includes performing ironing by press-fitting a cylindrical portion of one end of a shaft portion of a pre-processing material of the outer joint member including the shaft portion and the cylindrical portion into a die hole of a die while a punch set that is radially expandable and contractable is fitted to an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. The punch set includes punches and a punch base to guide the punches to enable advancing and retreating. Each of the punches has a pair of forming surfaces for forming the adjacent track grooves.

A punch, such as a socket punch, with an angle on a portion of the punch and method of manufacturing a punch with an angle on a portion of the punch using wire EDM. A punch for a cold forming process includes a base portion adapted to be a structural backbone for the punch and a work portion extending from the base portion that performs a punching operation. In addition, grooves and a hex portion are formed in the working portion with an electric discharge machining (EDM) machine. Further, a cone point is machined on an end of the hex portion and a land area with an inwardly tapered angle formed between the hex portion and the cone point. The punch can be manufactured more quickly and from a CAD model, therefore removing the need for over-specialized equipment and improving manufacturing times.

A method for forming a rotor hub that includes a sheet metal cylinder including spline teeth including angularly spaced crests and valleys, a tube surrounding the cylinder, secured to the crests and supporting a rotor thereon, a hub secured to the cylinder and supported for rotation, a torque converter, and a flex plate secured to the hub and the torque converter.

A method of manufacturing an outer joint member of a constant velocity universal includes forming cup and shaft members of medium carbon steel, preparing, as the cup member, a cup member having cylindrical and bottom portions integrally formed by forging, and a joining end surface formed on an outer surface of the bottom portion after the forging, preparing, as the shaft member, a shaft member having a joining end surface to be joined to the bottom portion of the cup member, and bringing the joining end surfaces of the cup and shaft members into abutment against each other. The method also includes welding the cup and shaft members from an outer side of the cup member to an abutment portion between the cup and shaft members in a radial direction of the cup member.

A steering rack includes a rack shaft (10), a plurality of rack teeth (11a) formed on the rack shaft and each having a tooth trace inclined with respect to a first direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the rack shaft, and a dummy tooth (33a) aligned with the rack teeth and formed on the rack shaft. The dummy tooth (33a) is non-uniformly formed in a second direction parallel to the tooth trace of the rack tooth (11a).

A steering rack includes a rack shaft (10), a plurality of rack teeth (11a) formed on the rack shaft and each having a tooth trace inclined with respect to a first direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the rack shaft, and a dummy tooth (33a) aligned with the rack teeth and formed on the rack shaft. The dummy tooth (33a) is non-uniformly formed in a second direction parallel to the tooth trace of the rack tooth (11a).

A method for forming a rotor hub that includes a sheet metal cylinder including spline teeth including angularly spaced crests and valleys, a tube surrounding the cylinder, secured to the crests and supporting a rotor thereon, a hub secured to the cylinder and supported for rotation, a torque converter, and a flex plate secured to the hub and the torque converter.

A method of manufacturing an outer joint member of a constant velocity universal includes forming cup and shaft members of medium carbon steel, preparing, as the cup member, a cup member having cylindrical and bottom portions integrally formed by forging, and a joining end surface formed on an outer surface of the bottom portion after the forging, preparing, as the shaft member, a shaft member having a joining end surface to be joined to the bottom portion of the cup member, and bringing the joining end surfaces of the cup and shaft members into abutment against each other. The method also includes welding the cup and shaft members from an outer side of the cup member to an abutment portion between the cup and shaft members in a radial direction of the cup member.

An outer joint member for a constant velocity universal joint is formed by a face spline forming apparatus and a face spline forming method. The face spline forming apparatus includes a punch member having a tooth portion for forming a face spline, a pedestal having an end-surface receiving surface for receiving an opening end surface of a cup section, and a shaft member having an inner-surface receiving surface for receiving a bottom-wall inner surface of the cup section. The opening end surface and the bottom-wall inner surface are brought into a simultaneous pressure receiving state. In this state, the punch member performs a rocking motion to form the face spline in a bottom-wall back surface due to plastic deformation caused by the tooth portion of the punch member.