Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation

Benjamin J Kolhagen

Gregory D Brzezinski

Harold J Nelson

Leslie E Edmundson

Jeffrey J Toth

Kyle R Mazure

An intermediate shaft for a steering system includes a main body having a radially outer surface. The intermediate shaft also includes a grooved portion located along the main body and defining at least one groove to allow deformation of the main body when a predetermined force on the main body is exceeded, wherein the entirety of the grooved portion does not radially exceed the radially outer surface of the main body.

Grooved intermediate shaft for energy absorption in steering system

A method of manufacturing a steering shaft assembly includes inserting an inner shaft into an outer shaft along a longitudinal axis. The method further includes placing the inner shaft and the outer shaft into a tool having a staking tool provided with a staking feature; aligning a stake with a base of a tooth of the plurality of fine teeth of the outer shaft; and pressing the stake axially into an outer shaft first end to a predetermined depth using the staking feature.

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Frankenmuth, MI, United States of America

Benjamin J Kolhagen