Relieved track portions in homokinetic joints

摘要

A method for minimising post heat treatment machining in a constant velocity joint having a member 24 with ball (38 Fig. 1) and cage (36) tracks, a cage (26) and balls (30). The method comprises: forging the member to form unfinished ball and cage tracks at a first radius, to have a length just greater than the intended articulation of the joint, and respective recessed ball and cage track relief surfaces 50, 52 at a second radius; green machining the member to add additional features e.g. splines; heat treating the member by an induction or carburised hardening process and hard machining the tracks by grinding or milling to give finished cage 46 and ball 48 track surfaces. The relief surfaces represent 45 % and 25 % reductions in surface area of the respective ball and cage tracks over an unrelieved surface.