Drive axle assembly

A drive axle assembly comprising:

• a wheel bearing mounted to an axle housing;
• a shaft assembly including a first shaft on an inboard side thereof to which a driving force of a power train is transmitted, and a second shaft on an outboard side thereof which is shaft-connected to inside of the axle housing by a constant-velocity joint and is separably assembled to the first shaft;
• and
• a boot assembly including a first end portion fixed to an external ring of the wheel bearing and a second end portion assembled to the shaft assembly to be rotatable relative to the shaft assembly, and configured to restrict rotation of a boot and prevent foreign substances from being introduced therein,
• wherein the first shaft and the second shaft are splined-coupled to each other,
• wherein a first ring groove and a second ring groove are circumferentially formed in a spline-coupled portion of the first shaft and the second shaft, respectively,
• wherein a stop ring is fitted in the first ring groove and the second ring groove,
• wherein a boot extension portion is formed to axially extend from a small-diameter portion of the boot located at the second end portion of the boot assembly toward the first shaft,
• wherein a dust cover is provided to surround a boundary between the first shaft and the second shaft coupled to each other, together with the boot extension portion, and wherein the dust cover is inserted and assembled into the first shaft to be spaced from the small-diameter portion.

A drive axle assembly comprising:

• a wheel bearing mounted to an axle housing;
• a shaft assembly including a first shaft on an inboard side thereof to which a driving force of a power train is transmitted, and a second shaft on an outboard side thereof which is shaft-connected to inside of the axle housing by a constant-velocity joint and is separably assembled to the first shaft;
• and
• a boot assembly including a first end portion fixed to an external ring of the wheel bearing and a second end portion assembled to the shaft assembly to be rotatable relative to the shaft assembly, and configured to restrict rotation of a boot and prevent foreign substances from being introduced therein,
• wherein the first shaft and the second shaft are splined-coupled to each other,
• wherein a first ring groove and a second ring groove are circumferentially formed in a spline-coupled portion of the first shaft and the second shaft, respectively,
• wherein a stop ring is fitted in the first ring groove and the second ring groove,
• wherein a boot extension portion is formed to axially extend from a small-diameter portion of the boot located at the second end portion of the boot assembly toward the first shaft,
• wherein a dust cover is provided to surround a boundary between the first shaft and the second shaft coupled to each other, together with the boot extension portion, and wherein an external diameter of the boot extension portion increases toward an end portion of the boot extension portion.

A drive axle assembly comprising:

• a wheel bearing mounted to an axle housing;
• a shaft assembly including a first shaft on an inboard side thereof to which a driving force of a power train is transmitted, and a second shaft on an outboard side thereof which is shaft-connected to inside of the axle housing by a constant-velocity joint and is separably assembled to the first shaft;
• and
• a boot assembly including a first end portion fixed to an external ring of the wheel bearing and a second end portion assembled to the shaft assembly to be rotatable relative to the shaft assembly, and configured to restrict rotation of a boot and prevent foreign substances from being introduced therein,
• wherein the first shaft and the second shaft are splined-coupled to each other,
• wherein a first ring groove and a second ring groove are circumferentially formed in a spline-coupled portion of the first shaft and the second shaft, respectively,
• wherein a stop ring is fitted in the first ring groove and the second ring groove,
• wherein a boot extension portion is formed to axially extend from a small-diameter portion of the boot located at the second end portion of the boot assembly toward the first shaft,
• wherein a dust cover is provided to surround a boundary between the first shaft and the second shaft coupled to each other, together with the boot extension portion,
• wherein a work window is formed in a shape in which a portion of the first shaft into which the stop ring is inserted is circumferentially cut, and
• wherein the stop ring is formed in a shape of “C” so that opposite end portions of the stop ring protrude in the work window.