Flattened U-bolt and method

A method for making a flattened U-bolt comprising the steps of:

• providing a rod of high-strength steel material having a diameter, spaced ends, a ferrite-pearlite microstructure and a tensile strength of at least about 120,000 psi and a yield strength of at least about 90,000 psi that comprises by weight:
• carbon about 0.30 to about 0.65%
• manganese about 0.30 to about 2.5%
• aluminum, niobium, titanium and/or vanadium, and mixtures thereof, in an effective amount up to about 0.35% iron balance;
• threading each of the spaced ends;
• flattening a portion of the rod intermediate the spaced ends to a thickness;
• and
• cold forming the flattened rod into a U-bolt having a radius, whereby the mechanical properties of tensile strength and yield strength of said U-bolt are substantially the same or greater than said rod;
• wherein the cold forming is a function of the diameter of the rod, the thickness of the flattened portion and the radius to avoid fracture and cracking of the rod during the cold forming.