My Machine Design Professors Would Have Cringed
Unless I'm not seeing something that is simply not visible in this photo, the arrangement of U-joints (circled in yellow) is not recommended practice. Perhaps not as noticeable in a low-speed application as in this steering system, the yoke parts at each end of the Cardan shaft should instead be inline with each other in order to cancel out rotational speed irregularities inherent in these Cardan-type U-joints operated at an angle. Yes, it may not be a big deal here where that rotational speed is usually near zero, but the geek within me makes me at least question it.
My Machine Design Professors Would Have Cringed
Unless I'm not seeing something that is simply not visible in this photo, the arrangement of U-joints (circled in yellow) is not recommended practice. Perhaps not as noticeable in a low-speed application as in this steering system, the yoke parts at each end of the Cardan shaft should instead be inline with each other in order to cancel out rotational speed irregularities inherent in these Cardan-type U-joints operated at an angle. Yes, it may not be a big deal here where that rotational speed is usually near zero, but the geek within me makes me at least question it.