Woodward U-joints

WOODWARD Needle Bearing U-Joints Since 1989, Woodward steering universal joints have been the preferred choice of race car builders everywhere, and have won every major race and series championship in North America many times over, including the NASCAR championship.

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Woodward pioneered the use of caged needle rollers with a slight preload to create a joint without backlash and with noticeably lower reversing inertia than conventional automotive designs. That means enhanced sensitivity at the steering wheel, and makes even the smallest steering input more effective—whether on a superspeedway at 200MPH or sideways on a dirt bull ring.

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PLATING: Splined Woodward U-joints are now available gold zinc plated in ALL SIZES.

Plated joints are baked immediately after plating to prevent hydrogen embrittlement, and all dimensionally critical surfaces are corrected prior to final assembly. For gold zinc, add G to the part number. To avoid possible contamination of the weld zone, plain-bore joints intended for welding are not plated.

DOUBLE UNIVERSAL JOINTS: Double U-joints neatly solve problems of angular misalignment by providing a more constant rotational velocity than a single joint used at the same operating angle. These joints are available as short permanentcenter units as shown, or assembled onto splined shafts at various center distances. On assembled units the Woodward “201” spline is timed with respect to the bearing axis to provide correct phasing and smooth and reliable operation.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS: Woodward can manufacture long or short runs for industrial uses such as machine tools, printing presses and assembly and packaging equipment.

MILITARY APPLICATIONS: As part of the defense procurement chain, Woodward supplies steering u-joints for combat vehicles in current production, as well as prototypes.

CUSTOM U-JOINTS: We can produce one-off splines for rare auto restorations, vintage race cars and retrofits. Alternatively, joints can be supplied unassembled for machining of special profiles by the customer. shown: UAD1-201201

The bearing trunnion used in these u-joints is a single piece of hardened chromevanadium tool steel. The grease seals are high-durometer fluorocarbon o-rings in compression against the end surfaces of the needle bearing cups. These seals will resist sustained ovenlevel heat and will retain the bearing grease under severe conditions, including welding. Other design details include stainless steel truss-head screws overlapping the bearing cups, and a pair of fine-thread knurled set screws located at 90o , for highly positive and reliable retention on a splined shaft or steering gear. Please note that the intended application of these u-joints and couplers is automobile racing, where low frictional resistance and low mass are the primary goals. Their dimensions are Woodward standards, shown in the drawing on the following page. Except for the spline sizes, which fit steering racks and gearboxes adapted from OEM automobiles, they do not conform to any automotive manufacturer’s dimensions and are not OEM replacement parts.

Mechanical Specifications: Weight 310g (smaller hole=heavier part; larger hole=lighter part) Rotational clearance circle 1.75 (44 mm) diameter Maximum possible angular misalignment 32 degrees Recommended operating angle <20 degrees Torque resulting in bearing damage >250 lb/ft (>339 Nm) Torque resulting in plastic deformation >275 lb/ft (>372 Nm) Ultimate breaking torque >300 lb/ft (>406 Nm)