Method for attaching an end-fitting to a drive shaft tube

摘要

A method for attaching an end-fitting, such as a yoke-type end-fitting, to a tubular drive shaft of the type used in the drive line of vehicles, comprises the steps of deforming the end of the drive shaft tube such as by swaging it onto a tool or replica of the end-fitting so that the inner diameter of the tube end is less than the outer diameter of the end-fitting; and then press-fitting the end-fitting into the deformed tube end. The resulting attachment is free of slippage that otherwise results from directly swaging the tube end onto the end-fitting. A preferred embodiment employs smooth undulating splines on the end-fitting and an outer sleeve over the tube end and utilizes electromagnetic-induced swaging.