Planetary carrier assembly with integrated park gear for a transmission

A transmission for a vehicle, the transmission comprising:

• a shaft portion having a first end and extending along a longitudinal axis to a second end;
• and
• a planetary carrier assembly coupled to said shaft portion adjacent said second end, said planetary carrier assembly including:
• a first carrier portion attached to said shaft portion adjacent said second end and including a spider flange portion extending from said shaft portion radially outward from said longitudinal axis and further including at least one first carrier arm half extending from said spider flange portion along said longitudinal axis;
• a second carrier portion longitudinally spaced from said first carrier portion along said longitudinal axis and including a park gear flange portion extending radially outward from said longitudinal axis and further including at least one second carrier arm half extending from said park gear flange portion along said longitudinal axis into abutting engagement with said first carrier arm half;
• and
• a welded connection interconnecting said at least one first carrier arm half and said at least one second carrier arm half and disposed on a radial outer surface of said at least one first carrier arm half and said at least one second carrier arm half;
• wherein said at least one first carrier arm half includes a first lip extending from a radial inner surface of said at least one first carrier arm half along said longitudinal axis and wherein said at least one second carrier arm half includes a second lip extending from a radial outer surface of said at least one second carrier arm half along said longitudinal axis with said first lip and said second lip disposed in overlapping engagement along said longitudinal axis to align said second carrier portion with said first carrier portion relative to said longitudinal axis.