Abstract: A forged gear and a method of manufacture thereof. The forged gear comprises a bevel gear with a plurality of teeth, each tooth having a tip disposed between two faces and two ends, the two faces extending in a substantially longitudinal direction of the tooth, wherein the tip of each tooth has at least one substantially crowned portion between the two ends along the longitudinal direction. The method of manufacture comprises forging the gear from a blank such that during the forging operation a substantial portion of the length of each forged tooth tip does not contact the die cavity.

Abstract: A die apparatus and method for performing a flashless forging operation to manufacture the toothed portion of a steering rack. The die apparatus comprising first and second die members and at least one punch member, each having a forming surface shaped substantially as the obverse of a portion of said toothed portion, and at least a portion of the forming surface of said first die member being shaped substantially as the obverse of the teeth of said rack. Said first and second die members being moveable towards each other to a closed position thereby partially forging said toothed portion from a blank placed in said die apparatus and forming a substantially closed cavity defined by said forming surfaces, said punch member being adapted to move into said cavity, once said die members are in said closed position, thereby completing said forging operation.