Axle assembly
AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorRodney J. Campbell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An axle assembly having a tube, a shaft received in the tube, a wheel bearing disposed between the tube and the shaft. The axle assembly also includes a thrust washer, a retaining ring and a snap ring, each of which is mounted about the shaft. The wheel bearing supports the shaft for rotation in the tube. The thrust washer abuts both a shoulder on the shaft and an inner bearing race of the wheel bearing. The retaining ring abuts the inner bearing race such that the wheel bearing is disposed between the thrust washer and the retaining ring. The snap ring abuts the retaining ring and limits movement of the retaining ring in a direction away from the wheel bearing.
Claims10
An axle assembly comprising:
- an axle housing assembly having an axle tube;
- a differential assembly received in the axle housing assembly, the differential assembly comprising a differential case, a pair of output members, which are housed in the differential case, and a ring gear that is coupled to the differential case for rotation therewith;
- an input pinion supported for rotation in the axle housing assembly and meshingly engaged to the ring gear;
- an axle shaft received in the axle tube, the axle shaft being drivingly engaged with one of the output members;
- a wheel bearing disposed between the axle tube and the axle shaft, the wheel bearing supporting the axle shaft for rotation in the axle tube;
- a thrust washer mounted on the axle shaft, the thrust washer abutting a shoulder on the axle shaft and an inner bearing race of the wheel bearing;
- a retaining ring mounted about the axle shaft and abutting the inner bearing race such that the wheel bearing is disposed between the thrust washer and the retaining ring;
- and
- a snap ring mounted on the axle shaft, the snap ring abutting the retaining ring and limiting movement of the retaining ring in a direction away from the wheel bearing.
A method for servicing an axle assembly comprising:
- removing a retainer from an axle tube;
- withdrawing a shaft member from the axle tube) to access a retaining ring that is mounted to a retainer portion on the shaft member;
- withdrawing the retaining ring from the shaft member to access a wheel bearing;
- and
- withdrawing the wheel bearing from the shaft member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.