Method for manufacturing a rod

A method for manufacturing a rod, one end portion of the rod being joined with a piston dividing an inside of a tubular cylinder having an opening portion at least on one end side into two chambers, an opposite end portion of the rod passing through a sliding contact member provided at the opening portion of the cylinder and protruding from the cylinder, the manufacturing method comprising:

• preparing a hollow first member, which becomes a portion of the rod that slidably contacts the sliding contact member, and a second member, which becomes a portion of the rod that does not slidably contact the sliding contact member and is formed so as to have a portion smaller in outer diameter dimension than an outer diameter dimension of the first member;
• restraining a portion of the first member by placing a restraining member into abutment with an outer peripheral surface of the first member;
• moving an inner peripheral surface of the first member and an outer peripheral surface of the second member closer to each other while rotating at least any one of the first member or the second member;
• and
• joining the first member and the second member by a welding connection with the aid of friction by axially pressing in the first member and the second member by a predetermined amount after placing the inner peripheral surface of the first member and the outer peripheral surface of the second member into contact with each other,
• wherein a range restrained in the restraining of the portion of the first member includes an entire axial range of a welded main body portion joined by the welding connection,
• wherein the restraining member includes a plurality of divided pieces, and
• wherein the placing of the restraining member into abutment with the outer peripheral surface of the first member includes placing the plurality of divided pieces into abutment with the first member from a radially outer side of the first member to form the restraining member covering the first member throughout an entire circumference.