A method of manufacturing a drawn tube having a hollow interior for housing an axle shaft, which transmits rotational motion from a prime mover to a wheel of a vehicle, with the drawn tube having a wall that has a thickness of from about 3 to about 18 millimeters and the drawn tube has a yield strength of at least 750 MPa, said method comprising the steps of: placing a billet into a cavity of a first die assembly; placing a first pre-formed billet having a bore defined in one end thereof into a cavity of a second die assembly; forming the billet within the cavity of the first die assembly to produce a second pre- formed billet having a bore defined in one end thereof; extruding the first pre-formed billet within the cavity of the second die assembly to produce an extruded tube having a hollow interior; wherein the billet is further defined as a first billet, and the extruded tube is further defined as a first extruded tube, with said method further comprising the steps of: removing the second pre-formed billet from the cavity of the first die assembly; placing the second pre-formed billet into the cavity of the second die assembly; placing a second billet into the cavity of the first die assembly; removing the first extruded tube from the cavity of the second die assembly; placing the first extruded tube into the cavity of the third die assembly; forming the second billet within the cavity of the first die assembly to produce a third pre-formed billet having a bore defined in one end thereof; extruding the second pre-formed billet within the cavity of the second die assembly to produce a second extruded tube having a hollow interior; and drawing the first extruded tube within the cavity of the third die assembly to produce the drawn tube having the wall that has the thickness that is reduced relative to the first extruded tube and that has the thickness of from 3 to 18 millimeters and the yield strength of at least 750 MPa. placing a billet into a cavity of a first die assembly; placing a first pre-formed billet having a bore defined in one end thereof into a cavity of a second die assembly; forming the billet within the cavity of the first die assembly to produce a second pre- formed billet having a bore defined in one end thereof; extruding the first pre-formed billet within the cavity of the second die assembly to produce an extruded tube having a hollow interior; wherein the billet is further defined as a first billet, and the extruded tube is further defined as a first extruded tube, with said method further comprising the steps of: removing the second pre-formed billet from the cavity of the first die assembly; placing the second pre-formed billet into the cavity of the second die assembly; placing a second billet into the cavity of the first die assembly; removing the first extruded tube from the cavity of the second die assembly; placing the first extruded tube into the cavity of the third die assembly; forming the second billet within the cavity of the first die assembly to produce a third pre-formed billet having a bore defined in one end thereof; extruding the second pre-formed billet within the cavity of the second die assembly to produce a second extruded tube having a hollow interior; and drawing the first extruded tube within the cavity of the third die assembly to produce the drawn tube having the wall that has the thickness that is reduced relative to the first extruded tube and that has the thickness of from 3 to 18 millimeters and the yield strength of at least 750 MPa. removing the second pre-formed billet from the cavity of the first die assembly; placing the second pre-formed billet into the cavity of the second die assembly; placing a second billet into the cavity of the first die assembly; removing the first extruded tube from the cavity of the second die assembly; placing the first extruded tube into the cavity of the third die assembly; forming the second billet within the cavity of the first die assembly to produce a third pre-formed billet having a bore defined in one end thereof; extruding the second pre-formed billet within the cavity of the second die assembly to produce a second extruded tube having a hollow interior; and drawing the first extruded tube within the cavity of the third die assembly to produce the drawn tube having the wall that has the thickness that is reduced relative to the first extruded tube and that has the thickness of from 3 to 18 millimeters and the yield strength of at least 750 MPa.