Inside Tekay’s Cold Drawing Line: How Precision Starts for Every U-Bolt
When it comes to heavy-duty automotive parts like U-Bolts, strength and precision are non-negotiable. One of the most important steps to achieve this is Cold Drawing — a process that turns raw steel into a high-performance material ready for forming and finishing.
What is Cold Drawing?
Cold Drawing is a metalworking process where steel bars or wire rods are drawn through a die at room temperature. Unlike hot rolling, where heat changes the material’s properties, Cold Drawing reshapes the steel while keeping its original chemical composition intact.
The raw steel is first descaled and straightened. Then it is pulled through a die — sometimes multiple times — which reduces its diameter to the exact specification required. This controlled plastic deformation aligns the steel’s grain structure, removes surface imperfections, and significantly increases its mechanical strength.
Key benefits of Cold Drawing:
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Increased tensile strength and hardness
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Tighter dimensional tolerances
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Better surface finish and roundness
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Improved straightness
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Prepares steel for further forming and heat treatment
Why is Cold Drawing essential for U-Bolts?
U-Bolts are critical fasteners in leaf spring suspension systems for trucks, trailers, and heavy-duty vehicles. They clamp the spring pack to the axle, holding massive loads while enduring constant vibration, tension, and bending forces.
For this reason, the steel used must meet exact standards for:
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Strength: To handle heavy loads without permanent deformation.
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Precision: To ensure a perfect fit and safe clamping force.
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Consistency: So every U-Bolt performs the same, batch after batch.
Cold Drawing is where this starts. By drawing steel in-house, Tekay achieves:
✅ Homogeneous, defect-free material
✅ Exact bar diameter to match thread forming
✅ Straight, clean rods that bend evenly during forming
✅ Predictable results when heat treatment follows
Why in-house Cold Drawing makes a difference
Many manufacturers buy pre-drawn material from external suppliers. At Tekay, we believe in full control. Our integrated production line includes our own Cold Drawing facility — which means we manage quality at every step, reduce lead times, and guarantee full traceability.
This is how we maintain strict OEM standards for major truck and trailer brands across Europe and beyond.
70 years of expertise — precision from the core
For over seven decades, Tekay has specialized in manufacturing high-quality U-Bolts, bushings, center bolts, and other suspension components. Our Cold Drawing Line is one of the cornerstones that ensures every part leaves our Istanbul facility ready to perform — safely and reliably.
Want to see how we do it?
Watch our new Cold Drawing Line video and discover how raw steel is transformed into the parts that keep the world moving.
📍 Location: Istanbul, Türkiye
🌍 Exporting to 50+ countries
📧 sales@tekay.com.tr | ☎️ +90 212 689 13 13
🔗 www.tekay.com.tr
