Transmission Main Shaft:RST RBX.
A close-up of a competitor's T18 mainshaft pilot tip and third gear surface after minimal use. Shallow and insufficient hardening caused the demise of an otherwise excellent transmission. This shaft also exhibits lack of grinding on gear surfaces, forcing the gears themselves to lap the surfaces smooth. Precision ground finishes on the gear surfaces are readily apparent, in addition to the pilot tip. This shaft's virtues are more than skin deep - the specially hardened surfaces will hold up longer than even OEM units. The competition's shafts are hardly even in the running. Depending on the application, they acheive 45 to 64 Rockwell C. Once back at Novak, we are able to test each batch with an in-house hardness tester to verify whether they will move on to the final stages of machining. A batch of "green" T18 shafts just before the hardening process. Where other companies chince on materials and methods of manufacture, we go all out.