GKN Driveline Develops New CVJ Boot Products

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 6, 2006 -- GKN Driveline has developed new flexible sealing and protection "boots" for constant velocity joints (CVJs) used for cars and light trucks that significantly improve component durability and life.

Made from Thermo-Plastic Elastomers (TPE), GKN Driveline's new plunge boots are smaller and more durable than conventional rubber boots. Several global vehicle manufacturers already have adopted the new technology. GKN's customers in the United States, Europe and Japan are expected to announce applications in the near future.

"The sealing system of a CV joint is the most susceptible product within the driveshaft," says Rob Rickell, the new global engineering director for GKN Driveline Driveshafts. "Its key function for the lifetime of our new CVJ products requires careful attention to design and material selection, always taking into account the interactions between the CVJ and the boot."

GKN's TPE sealing system can be used on all plunge joints. Its features include:

  *  High operating temperatures up to 284 degrees Fahrenheit,
  *  Resistance to high-velocity impacts, e.g. from stones,
  *  Superior crack resistance,
  *  High-speed spin stability, and
  *  High resistance to inner pressure changes.

Other benefits of GKN's new sealing system are added component protection during transportation and vehicle assembly, more consistent material quality, and increased recyclability when compared to conventional rubber boots.

"Introducing TPE boots for sealing our plunge joints will allow us to exceed today's highest performance requirement and be ready for our customers' future needs," Rickell notes.

The release of GKN Driveline's new sealing technology comes shortly after the company's announcement of breakthrough countertrack(TM) and crosstrack(TM) fixed CVJ technologies -- for products that have fundamentally changed the 70- year-old designs of these components. They reduce package size, extend component life and help boost fuel economy.

Notes to Editors

GKN Driveline is the largest business within the GKN Group, and a world leader in the design and production of driveline components and systems. GKN Driveline produces sideshafts, propshafts, mechanically and electronically controlled torque management systems and geared components. GKN Driveline is a global tier one supplier with sales in 2004 totaling 2.2 billion pounds Sterling ($2.7 billion). Headquartered in Redditch, UK, the company has 21,000 employees and supplies all of the world's major vehicle manufacturers from 49 facilities in 31 countries worldwide. Car and light-truck drivelines are typically equipped with anywhere from two to six driveshafts that include several CVJs per shaft. GKN Driveline is the world's leading supplier of driveshafts with CVJs that are used to help transfer power from a vehicle's engine to its wheels. There are two main driveshaft products: sideshafts, used on the left or right side of the vehicle or propshafts, used towards the front or rear direction of the RWD, AWD or 4x4 vehicle.