angular offset u03b8 within a selected angular range as shanks 62 of drive keys 60 will rotate within their respective shank socket 54 in response to such angular offset as a result when drive shaft 20 is rotated the associated torque is transferred to end housing 40 directly continuously and without shock loading irrespective of whether axes a 20 and a 40 are coincident or angularly offset at the same time axial thrust loads are transferred directly from drive shaft 20 to end housing 40 u2014 irrespective of the angle between axes a 20 and a 40 u2014 across the spherical bearing interface between convex spherical bearing surface 52 and concave spherical bearing surface 74 without requiring a separate and discrete spherical thrust bearing as in prior art universal joint assemblies it will be readily appreciated that the present invention facilitates the transfer of considerably higher torque and thrust loadings than is possible with prior art drive shaft universal joint assemblies without increasing the diameter of the drive shaft housing the invention achieves this highly beneficial result firstly because it integrally incorporates a thrust bearing into each end of the drive shaft thus eliminating the discrete spherical thrust bearing of prior art u joints and making it possible to provide a much larger effective thrust bearing contact area than can be provided with a discrete spherical thrust bearing within the same dimensional constraints this makes it possible transmission of higher axial thrust loads without increasing thrust bearing contact pressures secondly the innovative configuration of the.