Abstract: An axle making method and apparatus for forming a unitary tubular axle blank with an I-beam section along an intermediate axle portion and with a bifurcated axle end for supporting a wheel spindle by ball joints. Inward deformations are formed in side walls of the intermediate axle portion to form the I-beam section by apparatus including a pair of punches with opposed forming projections between which the blank is received. Apparatus for forming the bifurcated axle end incorporates cooperable female dies and male punches with complementary work surfaces for forming the projections from a notched axle blank end and with edge work surfaces on the punch for axially upsetting webbed side walls extending between the projections in order to maintain the wall thickness of the webbed side walls at least as great as the wall thickness of the intermediate axle portion.