Universal joints—critical components in industrial machinery, agricultural equipment, Automation, and automotive drivetrains, to name just a few —don’t often get much attention outside of engineering circles. But when tariffs are applied to imported universal joints, their effect ripples across industries that depend on them. Understanding how these tariffs shape the market highlights both the challenges of relying on imports and the advantages of investing in American-made products such as Belden Universal joints and driveshafts.
Custom Engineered Precision
AS 9100D
Universal Joints Blog
Submitted by ralf on
In mechanical systems, the coupling is a small part with a big job. It connects rotating shafts, transmitting torque and motion while compensating for misalignment. Among the many coupling options—rigid, flexible, gear, disc—the universal joint coupling (or U-joint) has earned a reputation for toughness and versatility. Whether in automotive driveshafts, industrial machinery, or heavy equipment, U-joints solve problems that other couplings can’t handle as efficiently.
Let’s break down the advantages that make universal joint couplings stand out.
Submitted by ralf on
Today, let’s go back to the drawing board and start from the top: what is a universal joint, what does it do, and how does it outperform other types of couplings?
Submitted by nick on
Many visitors come to Belden Universal each day looking for a universal joint for their car or truck. While we don't make autmotive u joints in our facility in Hillside, IL, we have curated a set of well-respected brands to provide a selection of u joints for your car or truck if that's what you're looking for. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Top Brands We Recommend (click the brand name to go to web store):
Submitted by nick on
There’s a widespread, outdated, lazy narrative that American manufacturing is falling apart. You’ve seen it—gritty, black-and-white photos of abandoned factories, flickering memories of some bygone industrial era, often captioned with phrases like “Rust Belt” or “deindustrialization.”
It’s wrong. And worse, it’s holding us back.
Submitted by ralf on
This guide outlines the essential steps for prototyping universal joints and driveshafts tailored to aerospace applications. For personalized assistance and expert guidance, reach out to our sales and application engineering team. Let Belden Universal help you achieve excellence in your next aerospace project.
Submitted by ralf on
Living in an ideal world where our couplings never falter would be a dream. However, living in the daily reality of manufacturing, our u-joints occasionally throw us a curveball. We thought we’d have a little fun with this blog post and give you a few of the *best* ways to break them:
Submitted by nick on
Real-life industrial applications often deviate from the ideal scenario for a mechanical system. Rather than a temperate and dry environment, your application may be hot and humid. Instead of a dust-free, clean room, your u joint might be subjected to dirt, corrosive chemicals, or seawater. If your application is particularly dirty, hot, corrosive, or unusual in some other way, this article discusses how to size, maintain, and extend the life of u-joints for extreme applications.
Submitted by ralf on
“We’d like something off the shelf.”
These are the words we hear most often in a first conversation with a design engineer or buyer when they find our universal joints online or through a distributor. Whether it’s an AS9100 aerospace or defense project, a high-precision medical device application, or a joint for a simpler industrial machine, the first request is always for a standard, off-the-shelf u-joint.
Why might this be?
Submitted by ralf on
Are you trying to get smarter about universal joints but don’t know where to start? Belden Universal has created a curated collection of leading-edge educational content covering the wide variety of universal joints and customizations available to perfectly fit your engineering application.
