axle steel

i have just been turning a short bit of steel that i cut off an old box trailer axle its 1 3/4" dia and the stuff turns very very well , i am getting a great finnish straight off the tool like glass on 60 thou cuts at a mid range on my lathe feed rate and 540rpm . just like to know if anyone knows what the old box trailer and boat trailer axles were made from maybe 30 or 40 years ago .

i assume it was a better than average stuff because it needed a turned taper and threaded section on each end .



johno