Weld Yokes

A weld yoke is a U-joint yoke that is welded directly to a driveshaft tube rather than bolted or splined. It is the fixed-end connection on a driveshaft — one end slips (via the transmission slip yoke or a slip assembly), and the other end welds permanently to the tube. Weld yokes are machined to tight tolerances on the tube butt diameter and weld prep geometry, because the weld joint itself becomes a structural part of the driveshaft under full torsional load.

Selecting the correct weld yoke requires matching:

Series — U-joint series compatibility (1310, 1330, 1350, 1410, 1480, 1550, etc.)
Tube OD — the outside diameter of the driveshaft tube the yoke welds to (e.g., 2.0", 2.5", 3.0", 3.5", 4.0")
Wall thickness — thicker walls require a correspondingly larger butt diameter on the yoke prep
Butt diameter — the machined OD on the yoke weld journal that fits inside the tube bore

Universal Driveshafts stocks weld yokes across the full range of tube sizes and series combinations used in domestic truck, commercial vehicle, agricultural, and industrial driveline applications. We carry both standard carbon steel and higher-strength alloy versions for high-torque applications where the weld joint must handle extreme cyclic loading.

When replacing a weld yoke in the field, the old yoke must be cut off and the new yoke welded in with proper preheat and full-penetration technique. Partial-penetration welds and skip welds are the most common cause of weld yoke failure in repair shop applications.