What are Yoke Forgings?
Yoke forgings are an important part of the automobile steering columns. These are considered to be an upgrade over factory styled transmission yokes, as these are stronger.
How are Yoke Forgings produced?
The forging unit comes with two forging lines; it has an on-line heat treatment facility, a well equipped metallurgical laboratory and a tool room. Hot forging, machining and assembling by welding are some of the common ways in which forged yokes are manufactured.
What are the types of Yoke Forgings?
I. Slip Yokes – This is an important part of the driver shaft assembly. It allows u-joints to rotate properly with the driver shaft. A slip yoke assembly comes with a dust cap to eliminate any chance of dust getting into the vehicle.
II. Flanged Yokes – These components are generally in the shape of springs and straps. Some of the most popular flanged yokes are Neapco flange yokes (used in PTO applications) and spicer flange yokes (used in trucks, PTO applications).
III. Steering Yokes – These are highly précised components built to perfection. This kind of yoke forgings ensure the safety of the steering. These are made from high grade alloys so that all metallurgical properties are present within the yokes.
The steering yokes are used both in commercial steering systems (shafts are welded to yokes), weld clamps (shaft is clamped on one side with nuts and bolts and welded on the other side) and automotive clamps (shift is clamped with nuts and bolts).
Why use Yoke Forgings?
If you are looking for strong, durable and hardened auto spare parts, you must resort to yoke forgings. Yoke Forgings are known for
- High precision and quality – The most striking feature of yoke forgings is that strength is integrated in every grain of the material. Hence even the smallest part of the yoke forging is able to withstand high pressure; reducing the chances of breaks or damage.
- Light weight- Though users want strong spare parts, heavy accessories are never appreciated. Yoke forgings are primarily made from stainless steel, brass, aluminium which have a ratio of more strength and less weight.
- Easy Assembling – Using yoke forgings is not a labour intensive process. These can be easily installed directly on the machines and do not require assembling of different parts.
- Low Cost – Yoke forgings are produced using cold forging. This method not only improves the mechanical properties of the yoke but also is an economical production process. It is a quick method and does not require replacing the die every time. Moreover, the cold forging method of producing yokes can be enabled on mass production and hence reduces the overall cost of production.
What are the uses of Yoke Forgings?
Yoke forgings are used in
- Dirt strips and dirt oval tracks
- Material handling applications
- Automobile and mining industry
- Off-highway and heavy construction equipment and
- HP muscle cars, street rods and in sportsman racing.
Guidelines to a good Yoke Forging
So how to make sure that you have the best yoke forging for your device? Keep the following factors in mind-
I. It should be dust free – Dirt and dust are often the reasons for driveline failures. The pollutants cause more friction and damage to the driveline.
II. It should be properly lubricated – The Shaft Forgings must be kept greased to the optimum level during the lifecycle of the drive shaft.
III. Should be corrosion resistant – Machine finish or burnishing improves the performance of yoke forgings. The shining surface achieved by these methods improves the corrosion resistance, toughness and wear resistance of the forged yoke.
IV. Should have the right number of splines – Count the number of splines on the transmission output shaft before purchase.
V. Should be of quality standards – Choose yoke forgings which are certified by ISO/TS 16949, ISO 14001, and ISO 18001.
So why go for low quality cast iron yokes? Resort to high grade yoke forgings to get a smooth riding experience for a long time period.
