A power transmission shaft having an improved strength and ensuring a
stable torsion fatigue strength. The power transmission shaft has
coupling members respectively provided on the opposite ends of an pipe
part made of a steel material. The steel material includes 0.30-0.45% by
weight of C, 0.05-0.35% by weight of Si, 1.0-2.0% by weight of Mn, 0.05%
by weight or less of Al, 0.01% by weight or less of S, and the remainder
(iron Fe and unavoidable impurities). The pipe part has an electro-unite
portion that extends in the axial direction. The electro-unite portion
and neighborhood thereof are hardened so as to have a Rockwell hardness
HRC of 45 or more. Also, another power transmission shaft has coupling
members integrally formed on opposite ends thereof. In addition, the
shaft is formed from a steel element tube by a plastic working. The shaft
has an inner diametrical surface which is subjected to a high-frequency
induction hardening and tempering treatment to make the surface portion
hardness of the inner diametrical surface to have a Rockwell hardness HRC
of 35 or more.